My JavaScript Interview Experiences & Lessons

I am a web developer who loves coding in JavaScript. I get amazed by what technology has enabled us to do today. We are living in a world where our biological capabilities are no longer a limitation.

I believe that in the years to come, software engineers are going to create even more amazing experiences and capabilities to push humanity to the next level. We are on this journey together.

Why JavaScript?

Until 2019, I was working with various programming languages - C#, Java, and Ruby. Over time, I started thinking: why should I learn different programming languages? In my limited lifetime, if I try to learn everything, I will become a Jack of everything and a master of nothing.

So I realized that with Node.js, I can create back-end servers with JS, and with libraries like React, I can create fully-fledged front-end web apps. It made all the sense in the world to master JavaScript.

The 5 Lessons I Learned

Lesson #1: Startups are not an easy target

Big companies have this policy that if you fail the interview, you will not be allowed to give another interview within 6 months. So I started attending interviews with many startups.

My initial experience was very stressful and demotivating. I was asked to implement a Todo app with React & Redux. I wasn't still a Pro in Redux. So I failed. Then I attended an interview in MakeMyTrip. In the 2nd round, I was asked about "async rendering" - I didn't know about it. Boom!... Rejected.

Lesson #2: Domain doesn't matter. Skills do.

Since Cerner was a healthcare company, I thought if I attend interviews in another healthcare company, I might be given preference. WRONG! It actually didn't matter at all. They wanted skills, not experience. Even when I said I had a patent, it didn't matter if I did not answer the JS interview questions properly.

Lesson #3: Don't be in wait mode forever

In Feb 2019, I attended an interview at Oracle. After a 3.5 hour wait and multiple rounds, I cleared the interview. The director offered me the position. I waited a week, then a month. No signs of any email. One day the HR called and said they found another candidate with "lesser CTC".

The lesson: Don't wait for 1 opportunity even if you cleared all rounds. Keep the options at hand.

Lesson #4: Don't be over-confident

In April 2019, I gave an interview at IQVIA. Confidence had boosted in me as I had cleared the interview at Oracle. So I went there with the worst weapon possible - "over-confidence".

In the 1st round, I encountered a "beast". He asked the kind of questions that made me feel like I knew nothing about React.js. Over-confidence won that day. And I lost.

Lesson #5: Don't lose hope

After encountering the beast, I took a month's time to learn JavaScript like never before. I started understanding the event loop and how it actually works. Then I gave interviews at JP Morgan Chase and Tesco - and got offers from both!

But I kept questioning myself - "Is this it? What is the End game?"

I called my old teammate who already cracked an interview at a giant company. He said, let's try for 1 more - Walmart Labs.