Already immersed yourself in full-stack development and landed that all-important interview? Let’s take a look at some full-stack developer interview questions.
When preparing for an interview as a full-stack developer, there are many things to consider. It can be a vital role no matter the industry you’re applying into.
While the web has grown more complex and systems more complicated than ever before, 55% of developers identify as full-stack developers, according to a 2020 Stack Overflow Survey.
Coding Dojo is here to take you through popular interview questions for a full-stack developer, ensuring you have the necessary skills and know-how before heading into the interview room.
What Is a Full-Stack Developer?
A full-stack developer works within the entire depth of a computer system application. The terminology has been around since the early days of the internet when systems and applications were much simpler, and one person could easily navigate the entire site-building process.
Your job includes working within both the front and back end of websites.
The front end is what service users and website visitors see and interact with – the back end comprises servers, programming, and code.
A full-stack developer is well versed in both arenas, able to design interfaces on the front end and run programs in the back – with strong working knowledge of a variety of technologies such as HTML and JavaScript.
7 Helpful Full-Stack Developer Interview Questions and Answers
It goes without saying to answer these full-stack interview questions honestly – but make sure you do your research for the specific company you’re interviewing for, too.
1. What is your go-to programming language?
Familiarize yourself with the company’s programming languages, but first answer with your preference, whether that’s Java, Python, or Ruby.
If the company uses a language that isn’t your favorite or less familiar to you, explain your range of knowledge and your ability to learn new programming languages. Full-stack developers work with multiple languages and ideally, there are a few languages you enjoy working with.
The best examples to give demonstrate your ability to work in the back end and design web pages in the front end.
2. Can you define DevOps?
While a relatively new term in IT, DevOps could be vital to the company you’re interviewing with. It is a practice that involves collaborative working across development and IT departments to produce quicker and more efficient results.
3. What is multi-threading?
Multi-threading is the process of enhancing CPU performance that allows multiple users to manage it simultaneously.
Multiple threads are executed simultaneously in the same program while using the same processing capacity.
4. How would you make a website as efficient as possible?
Many potential practices can increase website efficiency. Optimizing assets, reducing duplicate code, utilizing browser caching, and reducing DNS lookups are key ways to optimize a website.
5. Tell us what CORS is?
Full-stack developers should be familiar with CORS – Cross-Origin Resource Sharing – the process of accessing resources located outside of a given domain.
Using CORS, web script integration can be implemented easier with the external content of the original domain.
6. What is Continuous Integration?
Continuous Integration is a practice where full-stack developers implement specifically designed and automated codes for testing. This helps identify errors and is done multiple times per day during testing.
7. What was the last thing you coded?
A good coder is always coding – recall the last project you worked on and give your interviewer the full breakdown of your work’s programming languages, processes, and methodology. This is an opportunity to show your expertise as a full-stack web developer.
The Importance of Knowing the Answers to These Full-Stack Developer Interview Questions
To be successful in your full-stack developer interview, you’ll need to be able to answer these key questions (and any variations that may come up). It’s your chance to showcase your knowledge and skills in a competitive industry.
Depending on your experience, you’ll need to demonstrate the applicable knowledge of your role in the ever-growing industry and how you’ll fit in with the company you’re interviewing for. Show off your intricate knowledge of the technical aspects of being a full-stack developer.
Your Full Stack Developer resume got you the interview – now it’s time to follow that up and impress so you can land an ideal tech job.
How to Prepare for a Full-Stack Developer Interview
Research and preparation are key if you want to ace your interview. Full-stack developer skills are very diverse and you’ll need a thorough understanding of all aspects of the role. As the demand for such skilled developers is high, the competition will be tough. We’re here to help you fulfill your potential.
Remember that you have to fit the company as much as the company fits you. Do the research, be true to yourself, and be confident that the job and work culture is right for you.
Most companies won’t be seeking 100% perfection – but at the very least someone ready to hit the ground running. Make sure you give yourself every edge over other candidates that you can.
Top 10 Required Full-Stack Developer Skills
1. Frontend Development Skills (*List HTML, CSS, Reactjs, Ajax, Jquery)
A full-stack developer needs to be well-versed in many programs for web design at the service user end – HTML, CSS, Reactjs, Jquery, and more.
2. Backend Frontend Development Skills (*List Node.JS, Ruby on Rails, Python, SQL, Flask)
Backend development knowledge is the remaining knowledge that defines a developer as ‘fully stacked.’ Competency in programming languages such as those below are key full-stack developer skills:
- Node.JS
- Ruby on Rails
- Python
- SQL
- Flask
3. Git and GitHub
While many similarly-named programs within the dev world have little in common (Java vs JavaScript), Git and Github are much closer than most.
Git is a popular version control system at the heart of many high-profile projects, installed and maintained on your local system. GitHub is an entirely cloud-based database that allows users to track and share your Git control products outside your local server.
4. Backend Development Languages
Most websites worldwide use one of only a small number of backend development languages, the most popular ones utilizing open-source communities.
- PHP
- Rust
- Java
- Ruby
- Python
5. Web Architecture
Web architecture knowledge is key for full-stack developers. Understanding how the structure of a website (and the wider web as a whole) is constructed and utilized allows websites to respond to demand and makes it easier to integrate new functionalities.
6. Database Management Systems
Database Management Systems (or DBMS) are essentially computerized data management systems. Full-stack developers write code that performs relational mapping to fetch data from the database.
7. Design Fundamentals
This is an area where you can show your versatility – with working knowledge of the fundamentals of web design, you’re showing your eye for detail at the service user end as well as the technical backend code side of things.
8. REST and SOAP
Knowledge of these web service communication protocols is key to showing you’re up-to-date with web development.
The original approach to the web interface, SOAP (Simple Object Access Protocol), has been taken over by REST (Representational State Transfer).
9. HTTP and Rest
Knowing the difference between HTTP and REST could set you apart from the rest – while the two terms are used interchangeably, HTTP is a well-defined protocol that exhibits REST features.
10. NPM
Short for Node Package Manager, NPM is the package manager for JavaScript programming language and is a recommended feature in Node.js. It allows the consumption and distribution of JavaScript modules available in the registry.
Coding Dojo’s Full Stack Development
Now you’re versed in Full Stack Developer interview questions, are you ready to tackle that all-important interview? Follow our steps above and be sure to check out our further resources on full-stack development.
If you’re looking to enhance your full-stack development and master the fundamentals of web building, Coding Dojo offers an excellent full-stack developer course among other bootcamps online and in person.
Coding Dojo cannot guarantee employment, salary, or career advancement. Not all programs are available to all states. REQ1920181 4/2023