Forem: Primawan Satrio Bindono

Software engineer interviews 101

Primawan Satrio Bindono — Sun, 05 Jun 2022 16:05:12 +0000

This post is intended for you who have just entered the market and for the experienced one as well because even an experienced software engineer who has 7+ years of experience who hasn't done some prep would be caught off guard.

Previously I've written the tips on how to pass the coding interviews test, and this time I would dig deeper into each topic.

Disclaimer: Why did I put 'Japan' on the tag? Because I'm only speaking with my own experience as a Tech Recruiter who work in a Japanese headhunter agency for ~3 years by the time I wrote this article.

Those interview processes are usually used by Japanese who accepts international employees, so not all Japanese tech companies will go through those kinds of processes.

The interview processes (including the preliminary tests) would be:

Take-home test - algorithm test
Take-home test - project assignment
Live coding test
System design interview
Manager/Head interview - cultural check

Quick note: some companies give algorithm test OR project assignment. As far as I've known, there is no companies who gives algorithm test and project assignment in the same time.

1. Take-home test - algorithm test.

On this test, they will check how you do 'basic' problem solving with your preferred programming language on doing the test. Why 'basic'? Because it will only cover the runtime and memory load.

The test will cover around array, tree, sorting, list, queue, etc. The questions will cover your DSA knowledge.
The deadline usually will be 1 week from the day you've got the test. Make sure you're familiar with the coding test platform and have adequate preparation before taking the test.
When you hit 'start', the countdown will start. The time span would be around 30-60 mins. And you sometimes will face more than one exercise test.

2. Take-home test - project assignment.

You can take many references as many as you can to do the project assignment. But since because of the more flexible time constraint, the test usually would be more complicated than the algorithm test.

The deadline would be one-two week. Sometimes due to the complexity of the test, you can't do it on the last one-two days before the deadline.
Usually there would be a specific request that needs to be done on the assignment. Make sure that component requested is on the assignment you will do. Eg: the data should be encrypted when it's stored, the password should be validated on the client-side, etc.
Make sure you made the documentation before you submit the test. Learn how to make good documentation, because it will show how you communicate in text with your teammates later.

3. Live coding test.

Similar to the algorithm test that you might have done before, but right now you will do coding in front of the team.

The interviewers want to look at how you solve the problem while communicating with your team.
Learn to think out loud, don't just do the code in your head. Tell the interviewers what you are gonna do, what is your ideas, and how to do it step by step.
Sometimes you will be stuck in the middle of the process, and it's fine. Don't hesitate to ask the interviewers for a clue.
Similar to the algorithm test, there would be a time limit. Usually, it will around 30-60 mins.

4. System design interview.

The questions would be around system architecture. Usually, there would be no coding involved in this round.

On this round, they will test your backend knowledge. How you ask the right questions and communicate would be playing the biggest part here.
Lead the discussions, ask actively. Eg: how much traffic would be expected?

5. Interview with the manager/head level.

Last but not least, cultural check with the manager/head level. Sometimes this round is happening in the early stage, sometimes in the late stage.

Make sure you know what is the product or scope of the work that you will do, what is the division that you will join, and look out on how is the culture there.
Some of the questions might revolve like this: “let's say, there are 2 colleagues are having an argument (e.g debating about a specific implementation approach), what would you do? which approach you will take?”
At the end of the interview, there would be a time to ask questions. Capitalize on this moment to impress the interviewer. You can use something like, “What are the top 2-3 problems you are currently trying to tackle?” And if you have the knowledge to solve the problem, try to communicate your proposed solution.

Useful links to prep for your interviews:

Back-end engineer prep https://www.techinterviewhandbook.org/
Grind 75. Solve 75 problems in LeetCode.
Front-end interview prep https://www.frontendinterviewhandbook.com/. Start from here
Learn all the things you need from the basic https://teachyourselfcs.com/
System design primer - all you need to know on designing a system https://github.com/donnemartin/system-design-primer
Grokking the system design interview (paid) https://www.educative.io/courses/grokking-the-system-design-interview?aff=x23W

Tips on how to pass interviews process in tech companies.

Primawan Satrio Bindono — Wed, 17 Mar 2021 18:21:55 +0000

When you are applying to a tech company, most likely you will get into a series of online coding tests, live coding tests, or even system design interviews.

Hypothetically, there would be those kinds of rounds you will be facing:

Online coding/take-home test.
"Tell me about yourself" round.
Live coding/pair-programming test.
System design/whiteboard exercise test.

Depending on the size and type of company you are interviewing at, the way they interview might differ. If the members would be still around 10~20 people, you could expect only two rounds of interviews (sometimes including an interview with HR). If the members are on >20 people or if you are applying for some higher-level position, you could expect you would having 3~4 rounds of interviews.

Let's get started immediately on breaking those down.

1. Online coding/take-home test.

These can range from completing timed exercises on HackerRank to completing a small project with written instructions from the interviewer themselves.

Regardless of the style of take-home assignment, there are a few things I think you should keep in mind to increase your chances of success:

Ensure you are in a distraction-free area for the entire allotted time
Put any distraction-prone devices away
Read all instructions to the problem(s), and then read them again If your assignment is timed and you don't think you will have enough time to finish, write comments throughout the assignment with what your next steps would be if you had more time.

Specifically, if it's a Hackerrank-type of a test, you only need to prepare yourself to refresh some basics such as Fibonacci sequence, etc.
If it's a take-home test, make sure you put documentation or explained your code. It will show that you have good attention to detail.

2. "Tell me about yourself" round.

This round could be with HR, or an intro with a tech lead.
If you are talking with HR. Make sure you point out those things:

Ethos or interests you share with the company
What excites you about software development
Future goals that (hopefully) this company can help fulfill (that is, technical and professional growth)

If you are interviewing with a tech lead, they would most likely ask about your previous experience. An effective framework for answering these types of questions is:

Give a quick overview of what the project is and the problem it solves.
Mention the technologies you used in this project.
Communicate any metrics that demonstrate any positive impact (like time-saving metrics, open-source contributors, number of active users).

If you tend to talk fast, take a deep breath before you answer and try to speak slowly and clearly. And try to be enthusiastic and answer questions fully, without rambling too much. Also, please make sure you put up an answer in a well-structured sentence.

3. Live coding/pair-programming test.

This session is usually the problem you are given is generally something you will see on the job at this company.

There are a few things to keep in mind if you have a session like this:

Try to stay calm and remember that you are interviewing here for a reason, they like you and see promise in you.
Communicate out loud as much as possible, even if you think you are talking too much. It’s better to over-communicate in these exercises than to sit in silence typing away at the keyboard.
Don’t be afraid to ask questions, they’re on your side! The interviewer has probably left out critical details on purpose to test your communication skills while working with other developers.

Ultimately, try and be conscious of the fact that this company sees promise in you on a personal and technical level. Be yourself and be confident!

4. System design/whiteboard exercise test.

Sometimes a company would prefer to take a look at your technical skills and ability to break down complex problems in more of an abstract way. The most common way of testing a candidate this way is by having them complete a system design/whiteboard exercise.

This method of interviewing might be the most talked about, and the most feared. If you are asked to use a whiteboard to solve a question remember this: they are usually far more interested in how you communicate your problem-solving process, not that you can solve the problem.

If the problem they give you seems really hard, that isn't because they are trying to stump you. They want to get a feel for how you tackle a hard problem. If you don’t end up solving the problem, that doesn't mean you blew your chance.

If you keep these things in mind during this exercise, it will increase your chances of impressing your interviewer:

Repeat the question back to the interviewer
Ask clarifying question about edge cases
Confirm optimal results of the problem
Write your code legibly (if it needed to code)
Communicate each step you take

If you answered the question successfully by the time the session ends, ask your interviewer if that was the solution they commonly got. If not, ask what other candidates have done or what you could have done differently. This shows that you are engaged and curious.

Ultimately, you could master a system design interview by enrolling in this course.

You could also read an e-book on Designing Data-Intensive Applications: The Big Ideas Behind Reliable, Scalable, and Maintainable Systems.

If you want freebies, you could take a look at this Github repo

Don't hesitate on asking the HR/recruiter what will be upcoming rounds of interviews would be. They would happily help you out!

If you failed on the first interview, that means you are learning! Passing a series of technical interviews isn't easy, and it's perfectly understandable.
Consider your 1st interview series process as a drill, and improve again on to the next one!

Good luck with your upcoming interviews!

One-year contemplation as a tech recruiter

Primawan Satrio Bindono — Tue, 27 Oct 2020 03:17:59 +0000

Hey everyone! Thanks for reading my second post here in dev. too!
After my 'graduation' from a unicorn tech company in Indonesia as a Product Management role, last year in October 2019 I took a role as a Tech Recruiter in a Japanese company. Some people say my role is an 'agent', or 'headhunter'. But headhunter seems creepy, so I prefer Tech Recruiter because it sounds cool 😎

Back to the topic, so this post is my contemplation session on what I've been learning for a year. What are my contemplation items?

1. A change of mindset from an engineer into a salesperson.

In my first 3 ~ 6 months, I've been very carefully picked candidates to scout/talk with. As the result, I usually land on good candidates that usually leads to passed the document screening process from clients.
But my KPI on 'scouting candidates' turns out not being that good because I don't scout/talk with many candidates.

What have I done to fix this:
I realized that not all good candidates could write their profile on Linkedin comprehensively, or perhaps doesn't have the time to compel their experience into their profile. So I tend to be less judgemental, and more open to a conversation to dig more into their experience.

2. From objective-based conversation only to relationship-forging conversation.

The recruiting business is trust-based. You provide a service by doing consultation and conversation with candidates, then match them with their preferences and within our recommendation. But sometimes because of our KPI, I tend to accomplish it as fast as possible. And I sometimes forget to the soul of consultation-business: an honest conversation

What have I done to fix this:
It's just like you are talking with your spouse or your bae. I need to be more empathetic towards my candidates. Give them attention, show them that you are listening and you are careful. It's a bit energy-draining, but it will build their trust in you.

3. Communicate the candidate status, even though there isn't any update from the clients.

I've just learned this from a Youtube Video, a talk from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PPfhZsAGsEI inspires me. From what I remember, he said things like this

if you are entrusted by someone to sells something they have, and if they are requesting an update, telling them that you are still doing your best to look for a buyer, will not show that you are incompetent. Instead, it will build trust and give ease to the customers that you are still handling their kinds of stuff dearly.

KPI tends to makes me focus on what matters in the business. After doing a consultation with one candidate, we need to move fast and consult one after another. And I sometimes only remember to contact a candidate again if one of those two things happen:

we have another opportunity for them to try on.
they are proceeding to the interview stage.

What have I done to fix this:
Spare my time around 1 minute (and it could be less) to give their update at least once a week, or if they are in an urgent needs to find a job, give the update once every 2-3 days even though I still couldn't have an update from the clients.

4. Understand their motivation, and build the conversation around that.

People changing their jobs do have different motivations. If I do understand what are they looking for, I can get their trust, therefore I could get their willingness to interview with all of their heart.
I previously do a blind-shot to send a cold message based on their skills matched with our clients' requirements.

What have I done to fix this:
Take a thorough look at their profile, their resume, and their conversation. Make sure they will get a good salary, what kind of job they want to after, and so on.

5. Learn how to tweak your thoughts through writings and speaking.

Honestly speaking, I've been always a straightforward person. It's good for some situations, but sometimes it's not good for building a rapport for some candidates that are still not interested to have a conversation with me.

What have I done to fix this:
Enrich your vocabulary, read some best practices on how to engulf your intention into a word that is not offending or feels like burdening them.

So yeah, I think that's it. I hope in the next year I could become a better and more humane tech recruiter for you. Feel free to hit me with any questions or comments!

Credits to https://www.sutrahr.com for my header image.

How to land a job as a software engineer in Japan?

Primawan Satrio Bindono — Wed, 08 Jul 2020 01:56:21 +0000

I've been receiving a lot of questions about how to get a job as a software engineering-related in Japan since I started working in Inbound Technology as a Career Advisor 9 months ago. And I think I need to write this article so people can easily know how-to by reading these FAQs.

Who is this article intended for?

People who have experience in software engineering (I'm not in charge of recruiting non-tech positions). If you want to explore for more general opportunities, you can contact Sarah for further information. If you are looking for more general opportunities in Japan and still want to read through this article, please start from number 4.
Any people around the world who are not currently in Japan, and wish to pursue their career overseas in Japan. Let's get started!

1. What are the general requirements for software engineers in Japan?

As per today I wrote this article, the highest demand from our clients is on PHP (yes you read it correctly, PHP), Java, and Go. Go is on the rise right now.

2. Do I need to be fluent in Japanese to apply?

If you have N2 JLPT certification, your chance would be huge! Because English is still not very common here, most Japanese still do not understand English. But if you prefer to use English as your daily communication, we also have several opportunities but let's say it's less than 5 companies for now. And it requires at least 4 years of experience in order to apply here.

3. Can a fresh-grads or junior level software engineer apply?

Absolutely! In order to apply as a fresh-grads or junior level, we need your Japanese proficiency at least N3 or N2 level.

4. How about the VISA requirements?

Please check whether the companies that you are applying to are providing you with the VISA sponsorship for foreigners, some are not. If the company that you are applying for is eager to provide you with the VISA sponsorship, then you are good to go. Currently, we have up to 20 companies who are available to provide VISA sponsorships.

5. I'm not graduated from any college, can I still apply for VISA?

Yes, you still can apply for VISA if you have at least 10 years of experience in the same respective field. But if you have a bachelor's degree, you are eligible to apply for VISA at once even if you don't have that 10 years of experience.

6. Do I need to have any specific resume to apply?

If you have Japanese proficiency, then yes! You need to make a 職務経歴書 (read: shokumu keireki-sho). It's a detailed resume that the Japanese usually use. Please check the template of 職務経歴書 here. There is a sample of English (with Japanese format) and also a Japanese resume there.

If you have any further questions on how to work in Japan, please feel free to shoot an email to primawan@satriocs.com. I would be glad to help you out!