How to prepare for a Java programmer interview

While some new programmers might doubt Java's usefulness in today's tech world, it's an increasingly common option for encoders looking to work as a developer. There are more than nine million Java developers globally, and more than three billion Java smartphones are operating today. The recent success of Java8 is a positive indicator that language will dominate the development of software for years to come.

Hiring managers will advise a student that Java is one of the most in-demand skills they can learn. The question is, how do students better plan for the extremely tough interview questions as they want to get their job done?

Going in, students should know that they may be challenged on any version of Java to date and that certain developer work interviews are done at least in part in writing. This means that the interviewee would be forced to reply on a whiteboard or paper.

Here is an example of how part of the interview could go, and the answers proposed are:

Q: Describe what all the various sections of the main() function declaration represent, and describe what each component is doing.

A: Public, static, void, main, string[] and args. The public ensures that the process is visible everywhere. Static means that you don't need an instance of the class to call the process. Void means that the procedure does not return anything. Main is simply a predefined method name for how to start a Java program, and String [] means that the function can consider a string list as a method argument. Args is the function parameter name – the programmer may use any name. The parameter should not be named 'args' by any clause.

Q: Why is it safer to store confidential data (passwords, social security information) in a string array?

A: Character arrays are reusable objects. You can set the character list to 'blank' after someone has done it, and it won't be stored in memory. Strings are static and are still contained in the String pool. Anyone that has access to a similar memory dump will find classified information.

Q: What is the difference between the Java sleep[] method and the wait[] method? What are they used for?

A: Sleep[] is a blocking procedure that either keeps the display or locks the shared object for a fixed amount of milliseconds, whereas wait[] is just a way to interrupt the line. Sleep[] is mainly used for polling or verifying precise performance, while wait[] is more commonly used in multi-thread systems to achieve synchronization and prevent race conditions.

There are two rules for answering every question from the interview. Firstly, listen closely to the questions and ask for clarity if you don't understand—do not make conclusions about what the interviewer is searching for. Second, listen to the clues. Don't overlook a hint if you expect one; an interviewer might drop a hint to drive the interviewer in the right direction if he or she thinks he or she is a good candidate for the role.

Veterans of the IT Job Field know that applying for a Java programming role is not as easy as sitting down and answering questions. The technical coding part of the interview can be equivalent to a complex puzzle or an investigation. With some good Java books, professional Java coders will train themselves for this challenging process and best equip themselves with the information and interviewing skills required to succeed. Pragra’s Java programming course can be the best way to prepare you for a Java programming interview. This course will help you become a proficient Java programmer in just 16 weeks.