10 Things Every Programmer Dreads During an Interview
Ah, the programming interview. That special kind of torture where you’re expected to solve complex algorithms on a whiteboard while simultaneously charming your potential future colleagues. As someone who’s been on both sides of the interview table more times than I care to count, I’ve experienced firsthand the unique brand of anxiety that comes with these high-stakes encounters. So, let’s dive into the top 10 things that make every programmer’s palms sweat during an interview.
1. The Dreaded “What’s Your Greatest Weakness?” Question
When Honesty Might Not Be the Best Policy
We’ve all been there. The interviewer leans back in their chair, fixes you with a penetrating gaze, and asks, “So, what’s your greatest weakness?” Suddenly, your mind goes blank. Do you go with the classic “I’m a perfectionist” cop-out? Or do you admit that you sometimes forget to comment your code and future you hates past you for it?
I once answered this question by saying, “I tend to get so focused on solving a problem that I forget to eat or sleep.” I thought I was being clever, showing my dedication. The interviewer looked concerned and asked if I had considered seeing a doctor about that. Not my finest moment.
2. The Live Coding Challenge
When Your Fingers Forget How to Type
Picture this: You’re sitting in front of a computer, the interviewer watching your every move, as you’re asked to reverse a binary tree or implement a quicksort algorithm. Suddenly, you forget how to declare a variable. Heck, you’re not even sure you remember how to type.
I once blanked so hard during a live coding challenge that I wrote for (i = 0; i < array.length; i++) as four (eye = 0; eye < array.longth; eye++). The interviewer politely asked if I was trying to invent a new programming language.
3. Explaining That Project from Last Year
When Past You Didn’t Leave Good Documentation
“Can you walk us through this code you wrote for your previous company?” they ask, pulling up a GitHub repo you haven’t looked at in months. You squint at the screen, wondering if a gremlin snuck into your GitHub account and replaced your beautiful, well-commented code with this indecipherable mess.
Pro tip: Always leave comments for future you. Future you will thank past you, especially during interviews.
4. The Unexpected Algorithm Question
When You’re Asked to Solve P vs NP in 5 Minutes
You’re cruising through the interview, feeling pretty good about yourself. Then the interviewer drops this bomb: “So, how would you solve the traveling salesman problem in O(n) time?” Your brain short-circuits as you try to remember if that’s even possible.
I once had an interviewer ask me to explain the time complexity of bogosort. I started laughing, thinking it was a joke. It wasn’t. Awkward silence ensued.
5. The “Tell Me About a Time You Failed” Question
When You Have to Admit You’re Not Perfect
This question is a minefield. You want to show that you can learn from your mistakes, but you don’t want to admit to anything too catastrophic. Do you talk about that time you accidentally pushed to production at 4:59 PM on a Friday? Or the time you spent three days debugging only to realize you had a typo in a variable name?
I once shared a story about a major failure, only to realize halfway through that the person I was talking about making a crucial mistake was sitting on the interview panel. Note to self: always check LinkedIn before interviews.
6. The Salary Expectations Dance
When You Don’t Want to Lowball or Overshoot
“What are your salary expectations?” They might as well ask, “How much do you think you’re worth as a human being?” It’s a delicate balance between not undervaluing yourself and not pricing yourself out of the job.
I once blurted out a number that was way too low in a moment of panic. The interviewer looked surprised and said, “That’s… less than we were planning to offer.” Lesson learned: always do your research beforehand.
7. The Culture Fit Assessment
When You’re Not Sure If You’re Quirky Enough (or Too Quirky)
Tech companies love to talk about culture fit. But what does that even mean? Should you mention your collection of Star Wars figurines? Your passion for extreme ironing? Your ability to quote entire episodes of “The IT Crowd”?
I once tried to show I was a “culture fit” by making a joke about Python. It fell flat. Turns out, it was a strictly Java shop. Know your audience, folks.
8. The “Do You Have Any Questions for Us?” Moment
When Your Mind Goes Blank
You’ve made it through the technical questions, the behavioral assessment, and you’re feeling pretty good. Then they ask, “Do you have any questions for us?” Suddenly, all the carefully prepared questions you had fly out of your head.
In a moment of panic, I once asked, “So, uh, what do you guys do here?” The interviewer blinked and said, “Did… did you not read our website?” Not my proudest moment.
9. The Resume Deep Dive
When You Have to Explain That Gap Year
“I see you have a gap in your employment history here. Can you tell me about that?” They ask, pointing to the year you spent trying to launch your artisanal kombucha business before realizing you actually hate kombucha.
I once had to explain a six-month gap where I was listed as “Freelance Developer.” In reality, I had spent most of that time trying to teach my cat to use the human toilet. (It didn’t work, in case you’re wondering.)
10. The Dreaded Whiteboard
When You Have to Prove You Can Code Without Auto-Complete
There’s something about standing in front of a whiteboard that makes every programmer forget basic syntax. Suddenly, you’re not sure if a for-loop uses parentheses or square brackets, and you’ve forgotten how to spell “function.”
I once got so flustered during a whiteboard challenge that I wrote “function” as “funktion.” The interviewer asked if I was trying to start a coding-themed disco band.
Conclusion
Remember, even the most seasoned developers get nervous during interviews. The key is to prepare as much as you can, be honest about what you know (and what you don’t), and try to relax. Every interview, good or bad, is a learning experience.
And hey, if all else fails, you can always fall back on the age-old programmer’s excuse: “It works on my machine.”
Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to go prepare for my next interview by practicing my whiteboard handwriting and researching the latest memes about JavaScript frameworks. You never know when that knowledge might come in handy.