Java Programming 24-Hour Trainer, 2nd Edition

Lesson 37Java Technical Interviews

Technical job interviewing is a game with well-defined rules. I’ve worn the hats of both interviewer and interviewee many times over my Java career. In this lesson I share with you my views on hiring Java developers and on preparing for technical interviews.

Regardless of whether the IT job market is hot or not at any given time, there are some rules and techniques that can increase your interview success rate. The process of getting a job consists of three separate activities:

1. Getting the interview
2. Interviewing successfully
3. Considering the offer

I can’t stress enough how important it is to work on each of these tasks separately, one step at a time! Let’s discuss them one by one.

Getting the Interview

Your résumé is the most important thing in the first step. Unless you are a well-known Java guru (if you were, you wouldn’t read this book) your résumé is your main weapon for getting an interview. Adjust the résumé for each position you are applying for. No, I’m not asking you to lie, but you have to highlight your skills that match each particular job opening you’re applying to. Make sure it’s short and to the point (not more than two pages long).

If you are applying for a Java developer’s position, nobody needs to know the details of that Visual Basic project from 10 years ago. Always update your résumé based on the feedback you receive from recruiters or more experienced programmers.

There is a summary section on each résumé, and many ...