Android is the most popular mobile platform currently. A career in android app development would be many fresh graduate’s dream job. Well, not so fast. The first skill you need to have is the skill of cracking the android app developer interview.
Several things are known by all like the importance of having a well written resume, being honest, using a good body language, reaching the site early etc. But, most will be ignorant about ways that could make them stand out or face job interviews confidently.
The following tips will help you in preparing for an Android app developer interview in a better way.
1. Be Prepared for the Whole Interview Experience
Attending the interview is not just about being prepared to answer the technical questions alone. While you have to work your way around that, nailing the non-technical and non-verbal part has got a huge impact on the success of your overall performance at the interview.
You should be prepared to answer all those friendly questions along with the uncomfortable ones like why you were jobless for a certain period. You should be prepared for the tricky questions as well. For e.g. if the interviewer asks you, if you are more comfortable working with a team or alone, you should answer the question taking into consideration the nature of the company.
So many candidates leave the interview without asking further questions to the interviewer, thinking that it’s not their business or that the interviewer might feel irritated. This is not a recommended practice as showing your curiosity in knowing the details convey your interest in proceeding further.
2. Be Yourself and Don’t Bluff
Whatever you know, answer it confidently. If you are asked a question that you don’t know, tell them that you are not sure and then continue with the answer. Never try to explain a wrong answer confidently. That can make your interviewer doubt on your correct answers also.
3. Keep Updated about the Latest News and Trends in the Industry
Even though you might not be able to have a detailed knowledge about everything, it will always give you an upper hand when you are aware about the latest trends and technology in the android app development industry. So, listen to tech news constantly and make it a habit to research about similar topics. You can follow known bloggers and watch Google I/O. This will give the interviewer an idea about how interested you are in the field.
4. It is not Enough to know the Languages Alone
It is often a misconception that having an in-depth knowledge about the programming language is what makes you a top developer. Well, this is definitely not so. Make sure that you have enough idea about the android app development process as a whole – from conception of a project idea to marketing tactics. Even possessing a certain level of entrepreneurial spirit will prove beneficial in a developer’s career.
5. What Exactly do you Know about the Company?
This tip can seem so obvious, but most are careless even to go through the company’s website before appearing for the interview. Research well about the company’s background so that you don’t have to face an embarrassing situation while attending the interview. Speak about your interest in working with them. Always remember that this is a chance which you could cleverly use to impress the interviewer.
6. Develop an App to Showcase your Skills
Rather than explaining your skills and capabilities, it is better to show them in real. You can either develop a new app or focus on improving your college project if that is good enough. You can keep your project updated when you advance with your skill set and experience. The point here is to show than to tell; giving a reason for the interviewer to feel convinced is your own responsibility.
7. Data Persistence
Every application needs to store data either as a cloud file, template files, temporary cache, etc. Since mobile platforms are resource constrained, it requires more care while choosing the right strategy. During an interview, be confident to talk about the alternate persistence strategies and also how you can combine different storage options. Having a deep knowledge of hard technical details can be more important than just knowing the theoretical generalities.
8. Knowledge on tools
It’s quite certain that bugs might occur while app development. Your speed in determining where and what went wrong can portray that how good you are as a developer.
You might be asked to debug a problem within a sample app during an interview. So, be sure that you are familiar with the common templates for detecting such vulnerabilities.
9. Know what you’re doing
A vague idea and understanding of technical concepts cannot get you much farther in an interview. If you don’t know something, don’t be afraid to say so. Know the purpose behind every code and functions during development and how it contributes to solve problems.
Overall, maintain a good attitude, no matter what happens at the end. Take every chance as a learning experience to sharpen your interview skills for the next time. Good luck!
Please feel free to share any more ideas you might have.