Question Overview: This is a classic computer science problem that requires the candidate to use a combination of loops and recursion to solve it. The candidate should be able to explain their solution in terms of the problem and how they arrived at it.
Sample Answer: I would start by writing a loop that counts the number of pairs of integers that sum up to the target number. Then I would write another loop that counts the number of pairs that don't sum up to the target number. Finally, I would subtract the second number from the first to get the total number of pairs.
Question Overview: SOA and MVC are two different ways of structuring a software application. SOA is a more general term that refers to a loosely coupled system that can be scaled by adding or removing modules. MVC is a specific implementation of SOA that uses three distinct components to handle requests. A candidate should be able to explain the difference between the two and how they can be used to scale an application.
Sample Answer: SOA stands for service-oriented architecture and refers to a loosely coupled system that can be scaled by adding or removing modules. MVC stands for model-view-controller and is a specific implementation of SOA that uses three distinct components to handle requests.
Question Overview: This is an open-ended question that gives the candidate a chance to tell you about their background, experience, and interests. It's a good opportunity to learn about the candidate's personality and cultural fit for your organization.
Sample Answer: I was born in New York City and I've lived there ever since. I graduated from NYU with a degree in computer science. I'm a big fan of the New York Yankees and I love to travel.
Question Overview: This question is designed to assess a candidate's career goals and their ability to see the big picture. A candidate should be able to describe how they will grow professionally and how their role in the company will change over time.
Sample Answer: I'd like to be a senior developer in 3 years and a lead developer in 5 years.
Question Overview: A candidate's hobbies can reveal a lot about their personality and interests. A candidate should be able to describe several activities that they enjoy outside of work.
Sample Answer: I like to play golf in my free time. I also like to read books on my Kindle.
Question Overview: This is a classic computer science problem that tests a candidate's ability to think logically and solve problems. It's a good idea to ask a candidate to explain their solution in detail.
Sample Answer: I would start by printing the grandfather, then print the father of the grandfather, then print the father of the father of the grandfather, and so on until I reach the level of grandson.
Question Overview: A candidate's expectations from a job are often a good indicator of whether they will be a good fit for the organization. A candidate should be able to describe what they expect from the job in terms of salary, benefits, and work-life balance.
Sample Answer: I expect to be paid a competitive salary and to receive excellent benefits. I also want to work for an organization that values work-life balance.
Question Overview: A candidate should be able to describe the steps they would take to mitigate a DDoS attack.
Sample Answer: I would contact the network team and ask them to increase the bandwidth of our servers. If that didn't work, I would ask them to move our servers to a different network with more bandwidth.
Question Overview: A candidate should be able to design a cache that uses the least recently used data first to optimize memory usage.
Sample Answer: I would use a linked list to store the data in the cache. I would use a hash table to store the data by key.
Question Overview: Designing a user interface is a complex process that requires a developer to consider many factors. A candidate should be able to explain how they would design a user interface for a specific task. This question is designed to assess the candidate's ability to think through a problem and communicate their ideas in an organized way.
Sample Answer: I would use a table with the most recently viewed items at the top. The table would be sorted by date, and the most recent items would be at the top.
Question Overview: Software developers are often asked to recommend tools that they use to improve their productivity. A candidate should be able to describe the strengths and weaknesses of several tools that they use regularly.
Sample Answer: I use a text editor like Sublime Text for coding, and I use a browser like Chrome for research.
Question Overview: Candidates should be able to explain why they are interested in working for a specific company. This is a great opportunity to learn about the candidate's career goals and how they align with the company's mission.
Sample Answer: I've been following Shopify for years because I'm interested in e-commerce and I like the way you've built a culture of entrepreneurship.
Question Overview: Candidates should be prepared to discuss salary expectations early in the interview process. It's important to remember that candidates are not obligated to share their salary expectations with a recruiter or hiring manager.
Sample Answer: I expect a salary of $X per year.
Question Overview: The internet is a complex system that is constantly evolving. A candidate should be able to explain the basic functions of the internet and how it works.
Sample Answer: The internet is a worldwide network of computers that communicate with each other using a protocol called TCP/IP.
Question Overview: A linked list is a common data structure that is used to store a sequence of data. A candidate should be able to describe the steps they would take to reverse the order of the data in a linked list.
Sample Answer: I would start by reversing the order of the nodes in the linked list. Then I would reverse the order of the pointers in each node.
Question Overview: Cultural fit is an important consideration for many companies. A candidate's answer to this question can provide insight into their personality and values.
Sample Answer: I was born in New York City, but I moved to California when I was a child.
Question Overview: A candidate should be able to explain how they would solve a problem like this one. They should be able to use a recursive function to check if a tree is symmetric.
Sample Answer: I would start by checking if the left and right sides of the tree are identical. If they are, then the tree is symmetric. Otherwise, I would check if the left side of the tree is symmetric and then recursively check the right side.
Question Overview: A stack is a data structure that stores information in a last-in, first-out (LIFO) manner. A candidate should be able to describe the steps they would take to implement a stack in code.
Sample Answer: I would start by creating an empty stack class and adding functions to push and pop elements.
Question Overview: A candidate should be able to describe how they would design a database for an e-commerce web site. They should be able to explain the purpose of each table and how the data will be used.
Sample Answer: I'd create a table for products, a table for customers, and a table for orders. I'd also create a table that tracks customer purchases.
Question Overview: Hash maps are a common data structure used in software development. A candidate should be able to explain how they work and how they are used in real-world applications.
Sample Answer: A hash map is a data structure that allows us to store and retrieve data quickly. It's a lot like a dictionary, but it uses a hash function to map keys to values.