The world of software development is thriving, and the demand for talented developers is skyrocketing. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects the employment of software developers, quality assurance analysts, and testers to grow by 25 percent from 2021 to 2031, surpassing the average growth rate of all occupations. Despite the abundance of opportunities, competition can still be fierce, and even the most experienced developers can face rejection due to minor blunders during the interview process.
Whether you’re a seasoned developer with a decade of experience or a fresh-faced graduate from a coding bootcamp — like Thinkful, BrainStation, Springboard, Coding Dojo, or General Assembly — you need to know what employers are looking for in their software engineering candidates. You must be well-prepared to showcase your skills and prove your worth during the interview.
As an API-building company that works closely with developers, we understand the importance of a great developer experience and what it takes to land your dream job. So, we’ve compiled a comprehensive list of the most common software engineering interview questions and our top recommendations to help you ace your next interview and secure your next opportunity.
Preparing for an interview can be daunting, especially when unsure of what to expect. However, anticipating top interview questions and practicing your responses can give you a leg up on the competition.
Here are five common interview questions you’ll likely encounter as a potential software engineer:
Here’s an example of a step-by-step explanation:
We asked ChatGPT for standout examples of responses to this question on April 6, and here are a few it came up with:
Would you agree with ChatGPT? Let us know on LinkedIn!
By anticipating and preparing for the questions above, you’ll be better equipped to present your skills and experience during your next interview.
An essential part of any successful interview is showing genuine interest in the company. Before your interview, take the time to research the company’s website, social media pages, and other online resources to understand its products, services, and mission. It’s also crucial to familiarize yourself with the industry and trends that may impact the company.
For example, let’s take a look at the rise of AI. According to recent IBM research, 35% of companies reported using AI in their business, and 42% said they are exploring AI. And with technologies like ChatGPT, Dall-E 2, and other generative AI coming into the spotlight, companies are racing to add these new capabilities to their products. Hiring managers will look for candidates enthusiastic about adopting new tools and workflows as they become available. They’ll also want to hear your views on quality and security for customers – a positive customer experience is critical to the sustained growth of any business. Be ready to explain how you still have a customer-first mindset despite industry disruptions like AI.
“When thinking about the evolving role of AI in developer tooling and development work, I want to see a willingness to adopt emerging tools and workflows, as well as mindfulness – understanding it’s the company’s responsibility to ensure quality and security for customers.”
Ash Ryan Arnwine, Director of Developer Relations, Nylas
To signify your interest and gain a deeper understanding of the business, ask fundamental questions during the interview. For example, you can ask about the company’s long-term goals, approach to customer service, or stance on diversity and inclusion. This will express your interest in the company beyond the technical aspects of the job and help you evaluate whether the position and the company are the right fit for you.
We asked our own developer hiring managers, and these are the questions they like to hear the most:
“As a hiring manager, I like to hear candidates ask questions that show their interest in our business beyond just the technical aspects of the job. When candidates ask about our goals, success metrics, feature prioritization, challenges, and culture, it demonstrates their curiosity, critical thinking, and ability to see the big picture. It also helps us evaluate if the candidate is a good fit for our company and engineering team.”
Troy Allen, SVP of Engineering, Nylas
By researching the company and asking thoughtful questions during the interview, you can show the hiring manager that you’re technically skilled and invested in the company’s success.
One thing to remember as a software engineer or developer: people are not code — you must be as strong of a communicator as you are a coder. A critical aspect of the job is approaching problems thoughtfully and communicating effectively with others.
Some recommendations for being an effective communicator as a developer:
It’s worth noting that there’s rarely a single “right” answer to a software engineering problem. Instead, the best solutions often come from exploring multiple possibilities and considering different approaches to solving a problem. You can build more robust and effective software by thinking creatively and weighing the pros and cons of different methods.
“I look for candidates who are technically proficient and demonstrate excellent problem-solving and communication skills. It’s important to be able to ask good questions, collaborate with others, and think creatively to arrive at the best possible solution.”
Ash Ryan Arnwine, Director of Developer Relations, Nylas
When interviewing for a software engineering role, you must illustrate your contributions to previous projects and your ability to work effectively with others. This means outlining personal wins, such as specific challenges you’ve overcome and how they benefited the organization, and group wins that convey your collaboration and communication skills.
You likely won’t be asked, “How does your work directly lead to revenue?” However, your interviewer will be impressed if you can incorporate an answer to this in your interview (multiple times if possible). Hiring managers appreciate when developer candidates show they can keep their eyes on the prize and understand the organization’s business intelligence quotient (BIQ).
Additionally, transparency about failures and what you’ve learned from them is equally important. Interviewers want to see how you approach accountability and handle setbacks, so be prepared to discuss a time when a project didn’t go as planned and how you and your team learned from it.
Remember, the goal is to show how to bring value to the team and organization. Highlighting your successes and failures and discussing how they impacted the project or organization will give the hiring manager a better understanding of your skills and work ethic.
During a software engineering interview, displaying your awareness of system and information architecture is important. This means understanding how your work fits into the larger context of a project and your commitment to creating scalable, maintainable, and practical solutions. You can display this by discussing your experience working with distributed systems, microservices, or data modeling.
During the interview, you can provide examples of technical concepts you’re familiar with, such as how you would:
“Depending on the role, I’m also seeking some indication of system and/or information architecture awareness. This is another good way to see if, at a bare minimum, they are willing to consider a broader context before jumping in to solve a specific problem in isolation.”
Ash Ryan Arnwine, Director of Developer Relations, Nylas
In summary, nailing a software engineering interview requires more than coding skills. You must highlight your problem-solving abilities, collaboration skills, accountability, and system and information architecture awareness. You can achieve this by sharing personal and group wins and losses, discussing technical concepts such as distributed systems and data modeling, and asking insightful questions during the interview.
Remember to express your passion for software engineering and your willingness to learn from others. Following these five tips will increase your chances of standing out from the competition and landing your dream job. Good luck!
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Erin is a content marketing professional at Nylas, where she creates digital assets that connect the organization to individuals. Before Nylas, she spent eight years working in public relations specializing in corporate communications strategy, B2B/B2C writing and editing, executive thought leadership, and other storytelling. In her free time, she enjoys volleyball, karaoke, and baking.
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