How to Pass a .NET Interview: Tips from Those Who Hold It

Are you preparing for a .NET job interview and feeling a bit nervous? Don’t worry, even the most skilled candidates can struggle during the interview process. Technical questions, behavioral scenarios, and leaving the right impression can all be difficult to manage. However, fear not: with the right preparation and mindset, you can impress potential employers and secure a dream job.

In this article, we've changed places with our practical interviewers and asked them 5 questions on how to prepare well for the job interview. So, let's dive in!

What you expect from candidates in general?

Lucian: We help our customers build enterprise-level software products. This is why our (current and future) colleagues need to have high technical skills, but also the professional maturity to tackle the complexities of these products. We understand that IT powers businesses across the world. Our software engineers know how to integrate the business's challenges and demands with their passion for software development and build products that solve real-world problems.?

What advice can you give to candidates in terms of self-presentation??

Lucian: First of all, you can revise your CV before the interview a few times and make sure you include your core skills there. During the interview, demonstrate that you truly understand the projects you have previously worked on. Be prepared to provide insights on its technical aspects, as well as its functionality. I can say that our company is more interested in people who will not just follow instructions, but who are able and willing to think and act on their own. Also, we believe teams almost always accomplish more than individuals. It would be great to show how you helped your teammates maximize their performance.

What tech topics do you recommend to brush up on before the interview??

Slava: First, software development principles and design patterns. SOLID principles and “Gang of Four” patterns knowledge are crucial for a .NET developer and a software engineer in general. Try to think of the practical part and find answers to the questions. What problem does it solve? Why should code units have only one responsibility? Why shouldn't high-level policies depend on low level implementations? Why may we want to use the Decorator or the Strategy?

What technology stack does the candidate need to have?

Slava: Well, of course you have to be familiar with .NET and have the ability to use as much power as the framework gives you. Some good starting points would be ASP.NET REST APIs and Entity Framework, as these parts of .NET are most widely used. In addition to that, I’d emphasize the importance of understanding relational databases, as this is something you’ll be using in your work frequently. It’s a good idea to spend some time practicing designing table structures, using different types of relationships (one-to-many, many-to-many).

What main advice do you have for those who are planning to interview soon?

Lucian: Be honest about what you know and what you don't know - nobody knows it all.

And don’t forget that the interview is a two-way street. Focus not only on showing your skills and expertise, but also on determining if the company you're interviewing for is the right place for you.

Slava: Stay calm and remember that the person on the other side of your screen is your partner. Consider an interview a talk with your friend on some nerd stuff and not a school exam.