What questions are asked in IT job interviews

How to get an interview at an IT company

The IT niche is very much in demand as there are highest salaries and impressive prospects. IT in Moldova is rapidly developing and requires new specialists, so if you are an ambitious person with big plans and desire to work, you have every chance. To be more confident, you will need some tips from leading specialists.

How the process of employment in an IT company takes place

It usually starts with your feedback on the job posting. You send your CV (about, how to write a CV for a junior programmer, you can find out in our other article) and then there are roughly these stages of the IT interview:

1. Communication with the recruiter. You will be interviewed online or over the phone, asked IT interview questions, and your skills will be assessed to see if they match the company's requirements. 
2. You are given a test assignment. You are given a deadline to complete it, in which you have to invest. But if you are a tough specialist with a strong CV, this point may be skipped.
3. After completing the task, the supervisor will continue to communicate with you. He or she may ask you questions about your profession, ask you to perform certain tasks, tell you about the algorithm of thinking during the task.
4. The long-awaited introduction to the team. If you are introduced to the team, it means that you have passed all the stages of selection.

If almost any newcomer can cope with the task, then at the stage of questions to the IT guy at the interview, you can get confused and miss the chance to get a job in a cool company.

Interview questions for an IT company

An interview at an IT company can consist of many questions. But if you answer them confidently and give the impression of a creative and interested specialist, you may not be interviewed for long.

IT interview questions are about personal qualities, priorities, values. There are also bound to be questions about your profession. Here are examples of some of the questions you may encounter.

Questions about previous work

• Reasons for dismissal?
• Describe what you liked and didn't like about your previous job.
• How did you feel about the team?
• How did you get out of conflict situations?

Answer honestly. Of course, but don't bring up the "rubbish" from your previous job. Talk about your desire to develop, that your past work has given you a lot, but it's time to move forward.

Be careful when talking about conflict situations. Prepare in advance a list of conflict situations that have arisen in previous jobs and describe them using the STAR framework (Situation, Target, Actions, Result). If you say that there were no such situations, it will sound strange, because we all have interests with our colleagues and it is absolutely normal.

Also, note that you have the right not to answer the question about income at your current or previous place of employment. This is confidential information and may violate the rights of your previous employer. Instead, you can be quite open about your desired income.

These questions will help HR understand your motivation, level of sociability and openness.

Programmer interview questions about your qualities

• Describe your positive and strong qualities.
• Name a few of your shortcomings.
• How is your working day organised?
• How do you feel about deadlines?

As practice shows, the most difficult block of questions is when you have to tell about yourself. Write the answers on a piece of paper and read them several times before the interview so that you don't look ridiculous when describing yourself. Describe your shortcomings so as not to scare the supervisor. It will be enough to name one and describe what you are doing to eradicate it. For example, constant lateness to work and failure to meet deadlines should not be mentioned. Perfectionism, on the other hand, is fine. The recruiter is assessing critical thinking and your self-esteem.

Your education

• Where did you go to school?
• Where did you work?
• What do you use to educate yourself?
• What are the credentials for completing the training or courses?

If you have certificates, diplomas, show them all. Also provide case studies that you have. Make sure you tell us about your self-education, what websites you read, what interest groups you belong to, what courses you have completed and where you get your information. 

Your interests

• Is there any project of yours that you are working on?
• Why did you choose IT?
• What qualities should a specialist in your profession possess?
• Are you willing to fight for results if you didn't get it right the first time?

Your finest hour has arrived. Speak boldly about what you are working on, what project you are developing at the moment, tell them that you have dreamed of working as a programmer since you were a child, because you never got out of computer programmes. Talk about your vision of the profession and that you are ready to develop constantly.

Questions to ask in an interview with an ITI about your expectations

• What does your ideal job look like?
• What do you expect from the new company?
• What does the ideal workflow of an IT worker look like?
• In what environment are you most effective?

You googled the company before the interview, right? So describe your expectations based on this information, if it is suitable for you. You should declare your interests right away so that you don't have to defend your boundaries during the job.

Money questions for a programmer at a job interview

• What salary would you like? And why that salary?
• Which payroll system is right for you? Higher rate or higher bonus?
• How do you feel about the testing period?

The golden mean rule. Name your expected income, but without overkill, but within the realm of reality. Google what salaries are, estimate how much your expectations coincide with reality. But don't undervalue your worth, you are probably a cool specialist and expect to be appreciated for that.

Communication skills

• How do you prefer to work, in a team or alone?
• Are you a conflicted person?
• How do you handle disputes within the team?

If you have to sit amongst a team, immediately assess your expectations. If you're an introvert, it's better to choose an online format of work and you won't be communicating with people. But if you need this job and you have to sit in an office, then it's a useful way out of your comfort zone and you'll learn to make friends with a new team.

IT endurance interview questions

• Do you know how to delegate tasks when deadlines are looming?
• Have you ever disrupted a task?
• What are you willing to do to turn in your work on time?

You can do it all, try to meet deadlines, delegate work and don't blow things off. You are willing to do anything, within the work schedule and the agreed payment.

What is asked at an IT job interview for a profession

• What languages have you ever written code in?
• What is your level of English?
• What tools and resources were used?
• Can you quickly find mistakes and correct them?
• Do you participate in IT communities?

This is where you have something to talk about for hours. If you already have experience, this question may well end the interview in your favour.

Provocative questions

• Why are you better than other applicants for the position?
• What's the biggest screw-up you've ever had?

Provocations are provocations to test your reaction, to react correctly. It may be necessary to show a sense of humour or beautifully weave between questions. 

Humour and wit questions

• Explain to a 7-year-old what a code is.
• How do you creatively break a watch?
• How many craftsmen does it take to repair violins in the entire world?
• How do you buy a hippo in a lake?

There are no right answers to these questions. What matters is how you answer them, with what degree of creativity and humour. 

IT specialist interview questions may vary, but they are all roughly along these lines. If you prepare in advance, talk through the answers to each of them, nothing will catch you off guard and you will look confident and solid.

What are your pluses that will help you get an interview at an IT company

Regardless of the format of the interview, prepare yourself externally. You need to look neat and look serious. You should also familiarise yourself in advance with the company you are going to work for. How long they have been in business, what tasks they do, and what the firm's values and priorities are. 

What matters is not what is asked at a programmer's interview, nor how you answer it. What matters is whether you match what you say about yourself. Therefore, do not be deceitful, but speak to the point.

In this article, we have looked at what questions are asked at IT interviews in Moldova and discussed how to respond to them and what to do to accurately pass the interview and get the job. If you are still looking for a job, check out the following IT vacancies in Moldova on TechDoor and choose the right company. Our platform brings together customers and performers. We also have a lot of useful information, announcements of events in the field of information technology, as well as a catalog of IT courses.