Sam Atkinson - Java Interview Bootcamp

JavaInterviewBootcamp

ThecompleteguidetofindingandlandingyournextJavadeveloperrole

SamAtkinson

Thisbookisforsaleathttp://leanpub.com/javainterviewbootcamp

Thisversionwaspublishedon2015-02-28

*****

ThisisaLeanpubbook.LeanpubempowersauthorsandpublisherswiththeLean Publishingprocess. LeanPublishingistheactofpublishinganin-progressebookusing lightweighttoolsandmanyiterationstogetreaderfeedback,pivotuntilyouhavetheright bookandbuildtractiononceyoudo.

*****

2014-2015SamAtkinson

ToLaura.Thankyoufor(justabout)puttingupwithmewhilstIvebeenwritingthisandbuildingthewebsite.Youreamazing.

ToMike&DanforbeinganawesomesupportnetworkandlisteningtometalkonandonandonaboutCJIQallthetime.

ToRyanforyourunendingenthusiasm,supportandeditingprowess.

TableofContents

Introduction

WelcometoJavaInterviewBootcamp.Firstly,Idjustliketosayahugethankyoutoyou forbuyingthisbook.Ihopeyouwillenjoyreadingthebook,butmoreimportantlythatit helpsyoutogetyournextamazingjob.

HelpingJavadevsthroughtheinterviewprocessissomethingImreallypassionateabout.

InmycareerIveinterviewedhundredsofpeoplefromthemostjuniordeveloperstothe mostseniortechnicalleads.Therehavebeensomeconsistentthemesthroughoutthat reallydrovemydesiretowritethisbookandcreatewww.corejavainterviewquestions.com.

WhatIhavelearntcanbesummedupintwokeypoints;Peopleareterribleatpreparing forinterviews,andtheydonotknowhowtogiveagoodimpressionduringaninterview.

Programminginterviewsarebothaskillandanartandassuchtheyrequirepracticeand time.Ihavediscoveredmostpeoplesimplydonttakethetimetoprepare.Ahuge proportionofthedevelopersIveinterviewedstruggletoanswerbasicjavaquestions.

Theyseemintentionallystandoffishandmakenoefforttocomeacrossaspersonable.

Thesearesimplethingsthatcanberemediatedwithpreparation.Bypurchasingthisbook youarealreadyaheadofmostofyourcompetitorsbecauseyouknowthatyouneedto takethetimetostudybeforehand.

Thisbookissplitintotwosections,interviewprocessandcorejavarevision.When someoneisinterviewingyoutheyarelookingtoensurethatyouaretechnicallycapable, buttheyalsowanttoknowthatyouaresomeonetheycanworkwithdaytoday.Inthe firsthalfofthebookwecoverthedifferenttypesofinterviewandwhatyoucandoasa candidatetomakethebestimpressionpossibleonyourfutureemployer.

Thesecondhalfofthebookisaground-uprevisionofcorejava.Thesimplefactisin mostinterviewsthetechnicalquestionsbarelittleresemblancetoourday-to-day programming.Ivefoundmostinterviewprocessesdonteveninvolveaprogramming stage.Insteadcompanieslovetoaskobscurethreadingquestionsoraskyoutowritejava codeonawhiteboardtoreverseastring.Whetherthesearegoodinterviewquestionsor notisntthesubjectofthisbook.Thesimplefactisyouhavetobepreparedforthem, whichmeansspendingsometimetorevisethebasiccorejavaprinciples.

Ihopeyoufindtheeverythingyouneedinhere.Ifyouhaveanyquestions,queries,orjust wanttohaveachatthenyoucanemailmeonhello@corejavainterviewquestions.com.I willalwaysrespond.

Ifyourenotalreadyamember,dontforgettoheadto www.corejavainterviewquestions.comandsignuptothemailinglist.Itspackedwithtons ofvaluableinformationandgoodies.

Andlastbutnotleast:Goodluckwithallyourinterviews.Imsureyouregoingtoknock themoutthepark.

SamAtkinson,authorofJavaInterviewBootcamp.

Part1:SoftSkillsandProcess

DespitethisbeingaJavafocussedbook,Ihonestlythinkthefirsthalfofthisbookisgoing toprovideyouwiththemostvalue.YoureaJavadeveloper.Youhavetohavesomeidea whatyouredoingalready(Ihope).Thesecondhalfofthisbook,focusedoncoreJava andrelatedquestions,servesasagreatwaytoreviseandhelprelearnsomeareasthat youvenottouchedinsometime.

However,thesimplefactisthatformostcandidatesthestruggleisntwiththetechnical sidebutwiththesofterskills.Weignoretheimportanceofahandshakeorastrongfirst impressionatourperil.Thesearetheareasthatasgeekswesuckat.Wedontliketalking tootherpeopleorgivingpresentations.Yes,thesearegeneralisationsbutbasedonthe candidatesIvemettheytendtoringtrue.

Workhardonthisfirstsection.Readittwiceandmakenotesasyougothrough.Think aboutwhatstuffyoudidntknowthatyouneedtostartdoingandthinkaboutwhere youreweakandneedtoimprove,thengoawayandpractice.Whetheritbewitha colleagueorlovedone,actuallytaketheactiontotrythingsoutbeforetheinterview.Do thisandIguaranteeyouwillstandyourselfinthebeststeadforyourhiringjourney.

TheInterviewProcess

Perhapsyoureafreshgradoutofuniversityandyouveneverlookedforajobbeforeand nowyouhaveabsolutelynoideawhatyouredoing.Alternativelyitmayjustbeenawhile sinceyoulastmoved.Inmyexperiencedevelopersfallintooneoftwocategories: extremelyfickle,movingjobsevery1-2years,orinsanelyloyalandremainingwithfirms forwellover8years.Ifyoureinthatlattergroupinparticularthenitcanbedaunting venturingoutintotherealworldagain.

Thefirstsectionsofthisbookgoesintogreatdetailoneachoftheindividualstages associatedwiththeinterviewprocess,butfirstletstakealookattheprocessasawhole froma50,000ftlevel.

Stage1:Applyingforjobs

Thefirststeponthejourneytobetteremploymentissimplygettingyourresumeonto someonesdesk.Howdoyoudothisthough?

Dependingonyourindustry,thefirstportofcallisprobablytoarecruiter.Recruitersact asthemiddlemanbetweencompaniesandpotentialhires,withtherecruitingcompany gettingpaidbasedonthemsuccessfullyplacingacandidateintoarole.Particularlyin financerecruitersaretheonlyoptionforgettingyourCVseen,asmostfirmsdonthave aneasywaytodirectlysubmityourCV.

Recruitershaveprosandcons.Theyhaveaccesstotheentiremarket,theyknowwhat rolesareavailableanditsavesyouhavingtomanuallysearcharoundforjobroles.This savesalotoftimeandeffort.Theyhandletheinteractionwiththenewfirmsoyoudont needtowritecoverlettersorcontactpeopledirectly.Onthereversethough,notall recruitersarebuiltequal.Somearebrilliantandwillonlysubmityouforrolestheythink youllexcelat;theywillguideyouthroughthewholeprocessandbeunderstandingand workwithyoutogettherightrole.However,therearealotouttherewholackintegrity andarelaserfocusedongettingyouintoajob,whateveritis,sothattheycangetpaid.

Thebestbetistospeakwithfriendsandcolleagueswhohavebeenthroughtheprocessto seewhotheywouldrecommend.IpersonallycanhighlyrecommendiKas (http://www.ikasinternational.com/)whohaveofficesinLondon,NewYork,Australia, SingaporeandHongKong,andBAHpartners(http://www.bahpartners.com)whoare exclusivelyHongKong.

Ifarecruiterisnotanoptionthenbepreparedtoworkextrahard.Youregoingtohaveto manuallyhuntforrolesandsubmitapplicationsandcoveringletters.Buthowdoyoufind theroles?Thereareanumberofplacesonlineyoucangototofindroles: http://careers.stackoverflow.com/

MonthlywhoshiringthreadatHackerNews(https://news.ycombinator.com) LinkedIn.Itsagoldmine.Ithasjobsdirectlyadvertisedonthesite,butyoucanalso searchforcompaniesyoulikeandfollowthemastheywilladvertiseroles.Searchfor termslikeJavaJobsinthegroupssectiontofindgroupswherecompaniesdirectly advertiseroleto.

Jobsitesandjobboardslikejobaware.com,indeed.com,craigslist Thisisnotafunprocess.Youwillbemadetofilloutyourbasicdetailsoverandover again,andyourelikelygoingtoneedtowritecoverlettersforeachrole.Butthisdoes meanyoucanveryspecificallytailoryoursearchtoparticularfirms,rolesorareas.

Stage2:Interviewing

Everyfirmhasadifferenthiringprocess.Whilstonecompanymayinterviewyoufaceto faceforanhourbeforemakingadecisionanotheronemayhaveyougothrough7stages oftestsandinterviewswithdifferentlevelsofseniority.Ifpossible,askwhattheprocess isfromtheearliestopportunity.Yourrecruiterorthehiringmanagershouldbeabletotell you.Thisshouldgiveyouthemostopportunitytoprepare.