Senior developers, get ahead of your interview!

We've piled up common technological skill questions to help you ace your next senior developer job interview.?Why? Because you’re in demand.

Companies are competing to headhunt the most experienced senior software developers around the globe. Honestly, recent employment data is on your side with more than 1.6 million job openings in your field last year alone. The number is only expected to rise 25% annually. But you probably already knew that. So, why are you not being called back??

Stand out from the mere 1.8% unemployed developers by August of this year to choose whom you work with, instead.?

The actual picture: You have a right to be frustrated?

Many engineers are struggling to secure an interview for the most desirable positions right now. Recruiters cold-open, you go into one or two rounds of interviews, maybe even complete cumbersome tests, only to be told you aren’t the right fit. How can that be? On top of that, you clearly see the same position reposted time and time again!?

Does the above ring close to home??

Our hiring managers are spilling the beans on crucial tech skills to help senior developers succeed in their job search. Let’s get some answers.??

Why many companies are failing to find the right developer for their needs:

First, hiring managers have already outlined that many candidates simply lack much-needed technical qualifications. They’re also mentioning a soft skill combination to that, but we’ll get to those in our next issue. To hone in on much-needed tech skill visualization, recruiters are precisely looking for more advanced skills in:?

• DevOps Engineering?
• Cloud Computing, and?
• Data Privacy & Cybersecurity?

We’re going more in-depth into each of these categories below.??

Before that, please just note hiring managers can’t typically pinpoint deficiencies in any of these areas until a skills assessment or panel interview is conducted. This is why a lack of any of the above can take a while to define in your recruitment process.?

An industry-wide and normalized lack of feedback to candidates can’t be helping in keeping these shortcomings from recurring, either. We acknowledge that.?

Here’s how to considerably improve your job market hunt:

Start by shaping your resume, of course. On top of that, preemptively craft answers to some of the most important interview questions related to tech skills. Let's get to the juice we promised now.?

Most Important Technical Skills for Mid-level and Senior Engineers?

Naturally, technical skills are the key qualification for mid-level engineering positions and above. Those can be divided into three categories, as we presented above:?

1. DevOps Engineering?

DevOps is fundamental in Agile development. Check if you can explain how you apply DevOps concepts to your work. Do you have real-world examples you can recall on command???

Top candidates emphasize their DevOps background on their resumes and during the interview process.??Therefore, it helps to explain how you’ve combined development and operations into a single, integrated engineering team in past projects, for instance.??

Also, make sure to mention crucial benefits associated with DevOps, such as:?

• Reduced time to market?
• Lower development costs?
• A higher likelihood of success?
• Better quality software that meets end-user needs?

It’s also helpful to clarify how you’ve considered deployment and maintenance operations during software development in the past. This is crucial information for non-technical panel members, especially for those interested in a long-term relationship. ?

Due to above, focus on your ability to work within a DevOps framework. Describe past development projects in which you were involved as much as possible. Also, clearly express how you collaborated with maintenance and customer support teams post-deployment.?

2. Cloud Computing?

Cloud computing is one of the fastest-growing niches in IT. It became even more important with the emergence of COVID-19 and widespread remote work.??

If you aren’t already versed in this area, aim to develop at least a basic competency in it. Otherwise, use the interview process to demonstrate your skills with the following cloud development tools:?

Expect interviewers to ask for details on how you’ve used at least two to three cloud development tools in the past. As you may already know, you can also anticipate being tested on these tools during your skills assessment. Normally, candidates should demonstrate more than a passing familiarity with these.??

Common areas of knowledge sought here include mastery of each as well as a grasp on their benefits. Show a command on how each improve quality, save time, and simplify code to reduce vulnerabilities.

Companies are usually seeking professionals with first-hand experience on how these tools relate to data storage, networking, computing, and database management. ?

Aside from the above, a basic understanding of the four primary deployment models for cloud computing (private, public, community, and hybrid) can be fruitful. Special focus can be placed on how developers integrate user access, cybersecurity, and overall cloud architecture into their set of skills. ?

3. Data Privacy & Cybersecurity?

The rise of cloud computing means data privacy is now an essential skill for all software engineers, whether cybersecurity is their precise area of expertise, or not. ?

Hiring managers and executives tend to believe data privacy is a shared responsibility of every member of an engineering team. It’s very likely you’ll encounter a project manager, supervisor, or team lead who specializes in data privacy during your hiring process. Be ready to address or demonstrate competence by hopefully showcasing a strong background in this area.?

We also recommend you learn at least one of the two most common security methodologies:

• NIST CF?
• HITRUST CSF?

Have one or more cybersecurity certifications under your belt? Make sure those are a part of your LinkedIn qualifications, portfolio, and/or resume.?

And there you have it!??

We hope this set of tips and tricks can help you breeze through your next tech interview to stand out from the competition!??

Care to give our job openings a try? Check out our open positions!?