Original work by Milecia McG, licensed translation by New Frontend.
You’ve reached an exciting stage in your job search! I made an appointment for the interview, made full preparations and attended the interview on time. The whole interview went smoothly. Then entered the “What do you need to know about our company?” This question and answer session. Before you leave the interview, make sure you know the answers to these questions.
How does project management work?
The answer to this question may change the way you think about your work. Not having a good project management process can lead to chaos. Make sure they explain how tasks are determined, who is responsible for handling tasks, and anything else you can think of.
If the other person is in an environment with poor task management, their description of the task management process will be very vague. A company with a good project management process should be able to briefly describe who is responsible for what, how to look at outstanding tasks, and how to find answers to questions.
How many projects do you expect me to work on in a month?
This question depends on the type of company you are interviewing with. If you know the company is only working on one project, ask them how many iterations (sprints) they do in a month. The reason for asking this question is to get a general idea of the average workload. The answer itself is neither good nor bad.
I have been told that one year of consulting experience is equivalent to 2-3 years of experience on a single project. This is because consulting often requires you to work on multiple projects from different clients at the same time, each with a different configuration, dealing with many different issues in a short period of time.
On the other hand, I’ve heard people say that working on a single project is good for tapping into a technology stack. Because the job is focused on a project, you can learn more advanced techniques in the technology stack.
How you interpret the response depends on what you want out of the job.
What is the process for managing code?
Some companies manage their files in a way that would surprise you. I know one company that uses email attachments as file backups! 😖 It’s always good to know what version management tools they use. Ask them if they use common tools like GitHub, Azure DevOps, etc.
It is possible that the other party will use some other tool, such as some proprietary software, but it is most likely related to Git. See if some form of code review is being done, such as requiring merge requests to pass before merging. Finally, don’t forget to ask about the deployment process! The company may or may not have some sort of automated workflow.
How long is a typical iteration?
While some companies don’t have a formal approach to tasks, as long as they follow a certain approach, it doesn’t hurt. There will be a certain way that the company handles the task list, and there will be a certain time limit on the task. That’s what you need to find out by asking questions.
Some companies iterate in weeks, some in months. The main thing you need to know is how much they expect you to accomplish in an iteration. Knowing the length of iteration cycles will give you an idea of the pace of your work. Short iterations mean you’ll be pumping out code fairly quickly, while longer iterations can leave you with a waiting period.
How many developers are there on a team?
The size of the development team will give you a lot of information if you want to know how many people to work with. You’ll learn if the team offers many opportunities for coaching, or if you’re expected to keep up with the team with little help.
If you don’t have a lot of developers on a big project, you’ll focus on getting things done quickly. If there are many developers on the team, you should have the opportunity to learn from other members and try different tasks. However, don’t assume that team size is an indicator of developer quality. Large teams can also be slower than small teams.
Do developers have time to learn on the job?
We all spend our spare time learning more than our jobs require. Companies are starting to realize that it’s a good idea to give employees time to learn. This little perk can tell you how much the company is willing to invest in your growth.
Even two or three hours a week is better than none. Maybe the company does pair programming, maybe the company has training sessions from time to time. Companies may even subscribe to courses on online training sites.
How long is a project typically?
This is another way to see how the other person works. Some projects last only a few weeks, others a few years. The answer itself is neither good nor bad. The main thing that needs to be explained is why the project lasts so long.
Some people like to move fast, some people don’t. You can tell a little bit about the business side of the company from this answer, as this often determines the size of the project budget.
Do you need to travel?
Usually web developers don’t need to travel, but not necessarily. Some companies require you to develop in situ, and you need to know this before you accept an offer. The answer to this question can also help you understand the company environment.
Resident development means they think you have the skills to handle clients, but it can mean you need to travel all the time.
How to deal with leave?
The question isn’t how many days you can take off, but how the business will function in your absence. Some R&D departments have a know-it-all, and if he’s not around, everyone has to pray that nothing happens. But it’s also a time for accidents.
Find out if they are cross-training, so there are enough people who know what the job is and don’t interrupt your vacation. Which brings us to the next question.
Is there a process for handling an emergency?
What if the server goes down? What if the database is corrupted? What if the app was hacked? There should be some sort of emergency process for dealing with these scenarios. You shouldn’t worry about the whole company freaking out because there’s no emergency process.
Ask how often the database is backed up. Ask about the company’s security measures. The answers to these questions will help you figure out how far the other person is thinking about the project.
Here are some of the questions I would ask. What you want from your job may be completely different, so ask different questions. Welcome to share with us.
Photo by John Schnobrich on Unsplash