Whether you want to hire an in-house or freelance Java developer, there are several critical questions you must ask your shortlisted candidates. These questions will help you identify developers with the necessary skills and experience for your project.
This article offers you the top Java developer experience interview questions you should ask during the interview. You should also consider using a Java developer job description template to simplify the process.
Experience Interview Questions for Java Developers
As you prepare to hire Java developers for your business, remember that knowledge and experience of Java is an essential skill for a developer. So, make sure the person you hire has deep knowledge of this server-side language because it’s necessary for both front-end and back-end development. Here are some critical experience interview questions you have to ask your Java developers:
What Platforms Does the Java Programming Language Support?
This interview question is important because it tests the interviewee’s basic knowledge of Java and can help introduce several more complex Java-related answers. For instance, Java supports several platforms, including Windows, Mac OS, and more common examples of Linux/UNIX.
But, an experienced Java developer knows that they are only supposed to give a simple list of supported platforms that demonstrate their knowledge of the types available.
What’s Java Architectural Neutral?
Java Architectural Neutral (JAN) is one of the most vital concepts in Java, and any experienced developer must be familiar with it. For instance, they should understand JAN is a Java compiler that outputs architecture-neutral objects executed in several processors supported by Java.
What Does an ‘Object’ in Java Mean?
This question helps test the interviewee’s knowledge of Java-related jargon and components. An object in Java is an average run time entity with a state stored in fields. Also, it has a defined behavior. The right candidate should display their deep understanding of this concept by defining it clearly in their answer.
What Does ‘Class’ in Java Mean?
By correctly defining ‘class’ in Java, your interviewee displays their extensive knowledge of this concept in Java development. Their definition of the concept should be clear and concise, emphasizing the function of a ‘class.’ For instance, they should say that the class serves as the framework for creating and understanding the methods and behaviors the class defines.
What Consideration Do You Make When Creating an Exception in Java?
The right candidate should be ready to demonstrate their knowledge on this subject by offering several considerations they’ve made when creating exceptions. For instance, they should mention the parent relationship, which implies that the definition of all exceptions should be children of a ‘throwable’ class.
They must also show that they understand that handle-or-declare rules automatically apply checked exceptions, and to write this exception, you have to extend the Exception class. Also, to write a runtime exception, the developer has to extend the RunTimeException class.
What is Encapsulation?
An experienced Java developer understands that encapsulation applies to various Java processes. Therefore, the best way to answer this question is to define it collectively, proving they know different Java processes.
For instance, they can say that encapsulation in Java makes fields in a class private, offering access through methods only, thus hiding data fields from the sight of anything outside the class.
Why Do You Use a ‘Package’ in Java?
This question offers the interviewee an opportunity to speak from experience. The most experienced candidates will understand that using the STAR method helps them explain a complex professional situation, their role in the tasks leading to resolution, the actions taken, and the results acquired. They should understand that creating a package method brings together sub-packages, classes, and interfaces. It makes searching easy, prevents naming disputes, and offers measured access to content.
What Are JAR and WAR Files?
This question helps to demonstrate the interviewee’s knowledge of various Java file types. Therefore, they should define the two acronyms and describe their differences. For instance, they should explain the two in the following manner: JAR stands for Java Archive File, while WAR stands for Web Archive File. JAR files combine multiple Java files, while WAR does the same for web files like XML.
What Is a Final Class in Java?
This question shows if the candidate understands the basic definition of the final class and how to apply it. Here, the technique used by the final class can’t be overridden or inherited.
What Steps Do You Take to Start a New Development Project?
Although everyone plans their tasks differently, there are specific tasks that every experienced Java developer must follow, especially when working on a complex project. For instance, they should gauge the project’s scope, set their success criteria, identify possible risks, come up with SMART (specific, measured, agreed, realistic, time-framed) milestones, optimize the allocation of resources, and create a baseline.
Finally, apart from familiarizing yourself with experience interview questions, you should also choose a suitable Java developer job description template when you are creating your job description and become familiar with the average rates for freelance Java developers.
