Landing a web development job is an impressive accomplishment. It’s the payoff for the work you put into learning how to build websites and web applications. But first, you have to make it through a Web Developer interview.
During your interview, you’ll want to impress your interviewer with concise, accurate answers. This can be a scary process, and it can be hard not letting your nerves get the best of you — especially if it’s your first interview.
Fortunately, a little preparation goes a long way. If you know what type of questions you’ll face during your interview, you’ll be able to practice them ahead of time and be in a much calmer state of mind when the day comes.
To help you prepare, we’ve created this list of common Web Developer interview questions. The questions below are designed to assess your behavioral and technical skills, and practicing them before your upcoming interviews will help you feel confident and ready to impress the hiring manager.
Behavioral Web Developer interview questions
Part of the interview process will include behavioral questions which help the interviewer discover what type of person you are and whether you’re a good fit for the company’s culture. These types of questions are common in many interviews, not just those for Web Developers.
Tell me about a project you’re proud of
This question gives you the perfect opportunity to show the interviewer your ambitions, how you view success, and how you think when working on a project. Show your interest in the technology you worked with, and if anyone helped you complete it, mention their efforts as well. Doing so will show how well you work with a team.
Tell me about a project that disappointed you and what you would change about it
Web Developers are expected to learn from their mistakes. You may have taken on more than you could handle in a project, but letting the interviewer know what you would change shows them you learn as you go and don’t continue making the same mistakes.
How do you keep up with the latest trends in web development?
Web development changes. Many of the front-end frameworks we have now were just getting their start a decade ago. The interviewer who asks this question wants to know that you continue to learn and keep up with the latest technologies. Here, you could mention development blogs you subscribe to, programming Twitter accounts you follow, or the latest book you read on new technology.
Technical Web Developer interview questions
Along with behavioral questions, you’ll also be asked about your proficiency with and understanding of technical skills and concepts during your Web Developer interview. After all, the interviewer needs to know if you can do the job. These questions will test your knowledge of HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and other specific technologies the company may use.
Here are some general web development questions you may be asked and a typical answer for each:
How many ways can CSS be used?
There are three ways of using CSS.
- Inline CSS: CSS can be included in an HTML style attribute to affect only that element.
- External CSS: A link to an external CSS file is included in the document.
- Embedded CSS: CSS can be embedded in an HTML file using <style> tags.
What does a selector in CSS mean?
A selector in CSS is used to find and select HTML elements to style based on their attributes, including ID, class, name, and others.
What is CORS used for?
CORS stands for Cross-Origin Resource Sharing. It’s a mechanism that allows different resources to be requested from a server outside the current request domain.
What is responsive web design (RWD)?
Responsive web design involves designing a single website that looks good in multiple screen resolutions, from mobile apps to large desktop monitors. It’s usually done with breakpoints in CSS that define different styles depending on the screen resolution.
What is canvas used for in HTML5?
The canvas element in HTML5 allows developers to draw graphics easily. It’s used for simple graphics as well as interactive 3D graphics in JavaScript-based video games.
What elements support media in HTML5?
There are five elements that support media in HTML5:
- <audio>
- <video>
- <source>
- <embed>
- <track>
What is type coercion in JavaScript?
Type coercion is the automatic conversion of values from one data type to another. For example, if you created a string variable with the value of 9 and a number variable with the value of 1 and then use the + operator to concatenate the two values, JavaScript will coerce the 1 value into a string and return 91.
What’s the difference between ES5 and ES6?
This question could have multiple answers. It will help to know a few of them and list them to the interviewer:
- ES5 and ES6 are both versions of JavaScript. ES6 is the most recent and was introduced in 2015.
- ES6 has the same data types as ES5 but also added the new symbol data type.
- To define a variable in ES5, you use the var keyword. The var keyword is still available in ES6, but it’s recommended to use either const or let.
- In ES5, you must define a function using the function keyword. In ES6, you can use an arrow function to define a function without using the keyword.
- ES6 added destructuring functionality to ES5, making objects easier to handle.
Please explain big-O notation in simple terms
Big-O notation tells you how fast an algorithm will run. It shows how the runtime or space requirements of a method will grow along with input data. Instead of being measured in seconds, it’s measured in a value that represents the number of operations it will take for the method to finish.
Preparing for a Web Developer interview
Any skill takes some practice to master, and interviewing is no different. The questions and answers above should give you an idea of the questions you’ll face and get you started on preparing for a Web Developer interview.
But this is only the beginning. To learn even more, check out our complete guide on acing a technical interview and interview prep courses to prepare you for all types of interviews. And since a Web Developer interview could cover a lot of skills, you may also want to check out the following articles for even more detailed questions on the programming languages used for web development:
- 7 JavaScript interview questions to practice
- 7 top CSS interview questions to practice
- 7 HTML interview questions to practice
And good luck with your next interview!
