Full stack engineers are those software developers who work not only on the front-end of websites/applications but also on APIs in the middle and write codes on the server-side, i.e., the back-end of the website/application they are working on. Thus, they are required to have sufficient knowledge in database management, web development, and even, client management. Full stack engineers have the capacity to build and run a website on their own right from its initial stages. Let’s know Full Stack Engineer Interview Questions
A person applying for the role of a full stack engineer in a company needs to have expertise over a host of programming languages – including JavaScript, HTML/CSS, Java, Kotlin, etc. – as the job description may require. Often referred to as the jack of all trades, full stack developers are in demand because of their diversified knowledge and ability to offer holistic solutions to a problem.
Employment Opportunities:
According to the annual report published by The US Bureau of Labor Statistics, the number of full stack developers working in the market is expected to be around 850,000 by the year 2024. The report also states that the expected job growth in the present decade is expected to be around 27%, which is much higher than the 4% predicted for others.
Interview process:
While walking in for an interview, candidates might expect questions on a host of topics. The interviewer may be trying to know about your technical knowledge, previous experience, or any interesting projects created by you. On top of that, the general questions asked in a job interview would be asked too. Simply put, a candidate needs to take adequate preparation before walking in for the interview, as the competition faced is quite high, and setting a foot wrong could significantly hamper the chances of getting the job secured.
Let us take a look at some of the most common questions (and, the best way to answer them) which might be asked in an interview for the position of a full stack engineer/web developer.
The questions asked in the interview can be broadly divided into three categories:
- General questions asked about yourself
- Technical Questions related to web development
- Concluding questions
1. General questions asked about yourself:
These are the questions that you are most likely to be asked in an interview irrespective of the position they want to hire you for.
Question. Why did you choose to become a full stack developer?
Working full time as a full stack developer can prove to be a tedious task sometimes. The job requires you to sit in front of your device for hours and days, and failing to get the desired results even after that can be frustrating. So, while answering this question, you need to make sure of providing a firm primary reason, backed up by a number of secondary reasons, behind choosing this as your career option.
You can explain how you had always loved computers as a child and have been attracted to coding ever since your school days. Seeing the formidable job opportunities in the market, you decided to select your passion as your career choice and you are proud of it because not many people get that opportunity. You can further explain how the successful completion of projects and positive feedback from the users gives you the joy of being a creator of “something good and valuable to society.”
Question. What are the programming languages you are comfortable working in?
Full stack developers are expected to work with a variety of coding languages and be somewhat of a master in each of them. As such, it is not recommended to choose one particular language but to select two or three of the most popular ones. Ideally, a candidate should choose a few languages which would help him/her to develop the front-end and a few others for the back-end. Be sure to include the most basic ones like HTML/CSS, JavaScript, Python, and the necessary frameworks too.
The answer can be improved by highlighting the pros and cons of a particular language and why you may end up preferring one over another when faced with a particular crisis. This gives the impression to the interviewer that you are well aware of the limitations of a certain language and are well equipped to handle them efficiently.
Question. What are your strengths and weaknesses?
This is a staple question in any interview process all around the globe and needs to be answered with care. It is important to highlight your strengths that are best suited for the job profile and you need to explain how you plan to utilize your skills in the best way possible. A few examples of your strengths can include – determination, hard work, perseverance, and sincerity.
It is also important, to be honest, and admit your weaknesses, if any. The interviewer wants to know how you manage to balance your weaknesses and improve on them. This question helps in making an impression of yours to the interviewer and it is entirely upon you to ensure that it is a positive one.
Question. How do you keep yourself updated with the latest developments in the industry?
Technology, as we know it, is updating and changing for the better every passing day. As a web developer, you are expected to keep abreast of each and every development in the field of programming languages, the latest frameworks, and platforms.
While answering this question, you can talk about different seminars you attend or about community meetups, where days are allocated to the discussion of new technologies alone. If you have developed any new projects using the latest advancements, this would be a great place to show it off and gain some extra points!
But one must be sure of not getting carried away and mention the names of places he/she has never been to. A follow-up question related to the present question may land the candidate in trouble if not acquainted properly with the topic.
Question. What is a mistake you made at your previous job? How did you react to it?
This might seem to be a negative question at first but this is one of the best questions you can hope to be asked for early in an interview. This question gives you an opportunity to own up a mistake you have previously committed at the workplace.
It need not be a major mistake or a blunder but maybe, simply a minor mix-up due to an error in judgment while you were just starting out working as an IT Professional. The interviewer wants to know how you had reacted to the incident back then and what did you do to correct your error. You can go a step further and add what were the lessons you had learned from the incident and what have been done by you ever since to ensure such mistakes never creep into your work again.
2. Technical Questions related to web development:
These are the questions that are solely asked to test your technical knowledge. Do not be hesitant to use technical jargon while answering these questions and this is the best place where you can present any projects you have made.
Question. What do you understand by CORS?
Cross-Origin Resource Sharing (acronym – CORS) is an HTTP-Header-based protocol that allows restricted web resources on different domains to be requested by another domain outside the domain from which the initial resource was served.
Be sure to mention the advantages and disadvantages of using the CORS. With the help of CORS, web scripts integration has become more easily achievable, thus facilitating the sharing of resources between different web services. On the other hand, if there is a problem in the setup of the CORS configuration, an error will be shown, thus failing the entire system.
Question. How can someone optimize their website?
Optimizing a website according to the need of the organization/company they are working for is an important part of the job of a web developer. Proper optimization can improve the traffic of a website remarkably and also, increase the business which is being conducted through the website/application. Mention a few of the most popular ways to optimize a website according to you and give proper reasons behind your selection. These ways may include – optimizing all the assets, SEO on-page and off-page optimization, enabling gzipping, avoiding bad requests, avoiding “Error:404” messages, and avoiding URL redirects. There are a host of other ways to optimize a website efficiently but be sure not to waste too much time and effort while answering a single question.
Question. What do you understand by pair programming?
Pair programming is a software development technique in which two developers work simultaneously at one workstation. The ‘driver’ is entitled to the responsibility of writing the code and the ‘observer’ has to review each line of code as it is typed. The pair are free to interchange their roles between themselves and pair programming is a technique that has proved to be very successful in improving the final results in an extreme programming environment.
You can go on to share your previous experiences where you might have worked in pair programming and how it had proved to be beneficial. The advantages may include improved results, high speed, and the opportunity to share insights about coding and web development techniques with another highly skilled developer.
Question. What do you understand by the term – ‘Multithreading’?
When the interviewer asks you this question, he wants to test your knowledge of Operating Systems and Computer Architecture. This is a very important concept in Computer Science as multithreaded computers provide much-improved CPU performances.
Multithreading allows a process to be divided into a number of threads, each of which runs concurrently, yet, independently. It is achieved primarily by running processes at the same time which can be sustained by the CPU without facing a deadlock/crash. Almost all of the programming languages support multithreading.
3. Concluding Questions:
This section forms a critical part of any interview process as the responses provided here help the interviewer in gauging your interest in the job and what can you add to the company if appointed in the designated position.
Question. Why should you be hired for the role?
This question gives you one last opportunity to make a strong case for you to get the job. Be sure to give an impressive answer, highlighting all the necessary points – your technical knowledge backed up by past experiences in the web development field to the personality traits that you think are tailor-made for this job.
Analyze all of the company’s ongoing projects and explain how you think your addition to the already stellar list of developers in the company can help it reach its goals. You can mention any innovative idea you have in your mind which you had like to be implemented and how you think that might change the company’s fortunes.
Question. Do you have any questions for us?
Always make sure to ask some relevant questions to the interviewer. As a general tip, there should at least a couple of questions be asked and the maximum number should be around 3-4, exceeding which, there could be a negative impact on your interviewer instead.
You can ask any question regarding the position you are to be hired for and what would be expected of you while working at the company. It is suggested that you take a look at the current projects of the company and its future assignments before walking in for the interview. By doing this, you can ask project-specific questions, showcasing your eagerness and enthusiasm towards your new position. Questions can also be asked on whether the company provides adequate research and development opportunities for its employees.
Conclusion:
We took a look at the most common questions which you are most likely to face while interviewing for the post of a Full Stack Web developer(engineer). There are a number of job opportunities available for this title, but the competition faced is quite high too. As such, no interview can be taken lightly, no matter how well-experienced or qualified you are. It is suggested to go through all of these questions before walking in for the interview and you should be able to get the job with ease.
Frequently Asked Questions:
We have taken a look at the most searched questions on the web in relation to full stack developers and have compiled them together in this article along with the answers.
Question. What are the duties of a full stack developer?
A few of the duties of a full stack engineer include helping with the design and development of new software, testing and debugging existing software, creating servers and databases for the back end development part, and developing user interaction models.
Question. What is the expected salary for a full stack engineer working in the US?
According to estimates by a number of companies, the average salary for a full stack developer in the United States varies somewhere between $105,000 and $110,000. These figures are quite high than the average salary of other jobs, and thus, it is no doubt that being a full stack engineer proves to be a tempting job.
Question. Should I choose full stack engineer as a career option?
Being a full stack engineer is one of the best career options one can have right now. With the rise of the IT field, more and more companies are taking their business online, and thus, being a full stack engineer is bound to increase your employability prospects.