Programming Interviews For Dummies

Chapter 7

Getting Ready for the First Ring

IN THIS CHAPTER

Preparing for your phone screen interview

Learning about the types of phone screens

Understanding how to pass your phone screen with flying colors

Congratulations! Your résumé and cover letter were a hit, you got a phone call from the company, and you set up an appointment for your phone interview — better known as a phone screen. A phone screen only rarely gets you the job, but it can easily lose you the job.

So, this is a situation where you’re playing not to lose. In this chapter, you learn what that means as you prepare for your phone screen. We start by showing you the basics of preparing for your screen and follow that up with a discussion about the types of phone screens you can encounter.

Once you’re properly prepared, we finish this chapter by helping you answer both technical and experience questions. We also show you how to code in a live, high-pressure environment; what to do if the company assigns you homework at the end of the call; and how you can avoid disqualifying situations.

Ready to ace your phone screen?

Preparing for Your Phone Screen

When you start preparing for your phone screen, you need to ask ...