Entry level software engineer interview




















On each trait, the candidates were rated on a three point scale: Fail, Pass, or Exceed. We chose this system because it is simple, and allowed us to give credit to candidates who were particularly strong in a given area while acknowledging that excellence across the board was not completely necessary.

We did not attempt to predict the future for any of our candidates but rather evaluated them on what they presented through the interviews.

Deciding the technical skills to evaluate was a long process. We decided the qualities we would look for in associates were:. The thing we decided we would not test, which we do in our other candidates, was:. Given these requirements, we used our standard interview questions, but with some scaffolding to help candidates define the problems space and scope their work. We kept the standard phone screen question we use for general engineering candidates for our Associates, but provided a sample function signature and basic tests, where a general engineering candidate is given an empty editor.

Also, we chose to completely scrap whiteboard coding and assigned homework instead. Our homework for general engineers mimics a real world problem and expects the candidates to come back with a tested solution to that problem.

Instead, we used an algorithms question that we had previously used as a white-boarding exercise. We created test cases for the problem so that the candidates would know what was expected of them and would not need to worry about setting up a new project and test case. To get a read on systems design, we present general candidates with a broad problem and expect them to diagram a system as a solution.

We used the same question for our Associates, but described the basic components of the system then asked them to describe what one of the components would look like. To mitigate these problems, we batched interviews together with a consistent subset of the engineering team to make easier comparisons.

We also clearly defined the pass and fail states to reduce any ambiguity. Amazingly well. We were impressed with the overall quality of all our candidates and had a difficult time deciding which of the Associates we would be able to bring on. I am so surprised and humbled by the response to this article! Thank you all for reading. If you like the idea of working on a team with smart, thoughtful people, Clover is hiring in both our San Francisco and Jersey City offices!

Take a look at our careers page to learn more. We ended up with a final cohort of seven associates, four of which came through the interview process. The others were former interns, or transfers from other teams. Experiences from our technology team on building a whole new kind of insurance company. Visit to cloverhealth. Sign in. Archive CloverHealth. Sara Follow. First, we decided what qualities we wanted our Associates to have.

Some of the qualities we looked for in our associates in particular were: Resilience : Learning on the job is hard and we assumed that the associates would make mistakes and struggle through difficult concepts. How did you handle it? What are some projects you're currently working on?

Related: Common Interview Questions and Answers. When applying to an entry-level position as a software engineer, most employers that understand you may have limited industry experience.

Interviewers might show an interest in your education, previous internships and other relevant experience so they can gauge how much knowledge you currently possess and if you're a suitable candidate for additional on-the-job training. Here are some questions they might ask you about your experience and background:. What is your experience working on technical projects as part of a team?

What was the development process of one of your previous projects? When was a time you had to take lead on a project? How would you remove duplicates from an array in place? When reviewing a team member's code, what's the most important thing to check? How do you stay up-to-date on your software engineering skills? Tell me a time you showed initiative when working on a software engineering project. Related: 19 Career Paths for Software Engineers. Because software engineering requires so much technical knowledge, your interviewer may ask you to answer questions designed to test your knowledge on specific coding and programming concepts.

Here are some examples of the in-depth questions you may hear:. How do you appropriately populate a linked list in C? How do you remove multiple duplicates from an array in place if there is more than one duplicate?

What is a bucket sort algorithm and how would you implement it in a project? How comfortable are you with languages like Java, C , or Python? What are the different model types available in SDLC? How would you go about designing a scalable application? Explain what an abstract class is. Why would you use it? When preparing for a software engineering interview, review sample answers to common questions so you can have an idea of how you might respond in a similar situation.

Here are a few questions with instructions on how to give a good response and an example answer:. Your interviewer might ask you about the coding languages you use to learn more about who you are as a programmer and developer. If you've taught yourself a language, it may reveal enthusiasm for programming that can appeal to employers.

An interviewer may ask this question to understand more about your commitment as a software developer and how motivated you are to continue your education. Improve your answer by describing your specific experience or the reasons behind your preferences for certain languages. I've found both languages apply in many contexts and I still enjoy making math-based games like I used to before I started earning my degree.

Your interviewer might want to know how well you understand designing technology for other people. In answering this question, try to show that you know how to consider the needs of the company's customers and stakeholders. Your answer may differ from the example based on your own preferences.

Take the time you need to collect your ideas so you can explain the thought behind your process. Example: "When completing a programming task, I first like to understand the project in its entirety. I take into consideration the time frame, the cost and the end user's desires to ensure I'm including business strategic objectives in my plan. After I've collected all the requirements, I use these in my design and frequently revisit the goal of the assignment to make sure I'm on track.

Development and coding are undoubtedly important, but ultimately worthless if I've rushed integration and testing. During this phase, I think it's important to revisit the goals I set out when I started the assignment.

Once I've fully implemented and delivered the program, I stay alert to any necessary bug fixes or additional features that need to be deployed. I'm constantly learning and adjusting my process to meet the needs of my specific assignments. Your interviewer may ask you to break down a complex concept in a way that's easy to understand. Being able to explain highly specific, technical processes in simple terms can show excellent communication skills and thorough understanding of a topic.

Try to make your answer as basic as possible and avoid using specialized vocabulary in your description. APIs exist to allow programs to communicate with one another. For example, if you wanted to schedule a hair appointment on a salon's site and have that appointment show up in your Google calendar, an API would allow the salon's server to communicate directly with Google's. APIs allow users to complete an action without leaving the website.



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