Front End Developer Interview Questions

Training to gain skills in front end web development is the first step to becoming a Front End Developer. The next steps for entering the profession are applying for work and getting an interview. The interview process allows employers to gauge not only the skills of a potential employee but also provides an opportunity to observe how that individual responds to the challenge of working within the field as well as how that person interacts with others. While not an exact science, an interview attempts to establish whether a candidate’s skills and capabilities meet the expectations set for the position by a specific organization.

What to Expect in a Front End Developer Interview

The job of a Front End Developer is very specific and typically involves collaboration among several Web Developers, usually working with Back End Developers and Full Stack Developers, whose duties overlap with front end web development. Front End Developers concentrate on the user interfacing aspect of web development. Front End Developers implement the coding that allows users to view and interact with web pages and apps through computers and smartphones on browsers like Chrome, Firefox, and Safari.

The Interview Process

The interview process for becoming a Front End Developer will likely involve three stages: 

• An initial scheduled phone interview that is usually set up after the candidate has applied for the position and been contacted by the employer about whether they are available for a conversation
• A follow-up phone interview or teleconference that typically attempts to gauge a candidate’s technical knowledge and fit for the available position
• And a final onsite interview that involves further questions and demonstrations of the candidate’s capability for the position. 

The Initial Screening Interview

An initial phone interview follows the candidate having applied for the posted Front End Developer position after being contacted by the organization offering the job. Anyone looking for work in a specific profession can find openings posted on any company’s career page or through online job sites like Indeed or LinkedIn. This first round interview is sometimes conducted by a recruiter representing the company, who has either contacted the candidate through email or a phone call about scheduling an interview to grasp the applicant’s interest and qualifications for the position following a review of the person’s application and resume. 

When applying for a position, it’s good practice to include keywords in the application and resume that match the job description. Of course, the keywords included must be skills that the candidate possesses. The wording is simply an exercise in matching up those skills with the wording used in the description in order to optimize the possibility of the organization and candidate corresponding.

The scheduled phone interview usually gauges the candidate’s interest and skill level for the position to establish whether the applicant meets the employer’s minimum qualifications. If so, the candidate will likely be invited to the next round, which may be another phone interview or a teleconference.

The Follow-Up Technical Interview

The follow-up interview is typically a technical interview that involves detailed questions about the candidate’s skills and qualifications for working as a Front End Developer. Many companies will give the prospect a project to see how they perform as well as how that person responds to supervision and constructive criticism. For example, the interviewee may be asked to solve a coding issue or discuss how to handle a problem in web design.

Candidates should expect to be asked basic questions about working in front end web development and their approach to working at the position. Companies are usually interested in individuals who demonstrate comfort with coding, JavaScript, and web design.

The Onsite Interview

The onsite interview represents the final stage of the interviewing process. This final interview usually takes place at a company’s location so that an organization can essentially size up the candidate in question. What sort of person is this? An organization might ask itself. Much of the resulting assessment may come from how the candidate chooses to appear for the interview.

How a person dresses for an interview is important in representing that individual. It’s important to show up attired in at least mid-level business apparel that includes a suit, a coat and tie, or a well-pressed dress or outfit, which certainly may not be how that person will be expected to dress as an employee but communicates that the candidate takes the interview seriously and respectfully.

The company looking to hire someone may use the onsite interview for observing how the candidate behaves, including how that person reacts to tough questions or the pressure associated with working as a Front End Developer.

The onsite interview typically involves more tasks meant to measure the candidate’s skills within a working environment along with indications about how that person may collaborate with coworkers. In other words, is the person a good fit for their organization?

Top Interview Questions for Front End Developers

Front End Developers are sought after by many companies eager to hire someone in the position. For individuals who possess skills in web building and web development, becoming a Front End Developer could be a good career fit. A Front Developer focuses mainly on aspects of web development that concern user interfaces and visual design but also involves collaborating with other Developers and Designers in creating websites and apps.

When interviewing with an organization for becoming a Front End Developer, a candidate should expect questions meant to gauge the knowledge and skills required for the position along with how that person might handle difficult circumstances related to the job. 

Listed below are a few possible interview questions that a candidate might be asked:

What Skills Do You Believe a Front End Developer Must Possess?

This question may be posed to gauge how a candidate perceives working as a Front End Developer.

How to Answer

The candidate should reply by discussing coding languages and programming languages associated with working as a Front End Developer as well as any associated web technologies with an emphasis on user interfaces. Along with discussing fundamental skills like HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, the candidate should bring up how JavaScript libraries and frameworks play a crucial role in front end web development.

What Role Does HTML Play in Front End Web Development?

This question might be posed to get a handle on a candidate’s knowledge of coding in web development.

How to Answer

With this type of question, it would be good to discuss how HTML and CSS are essential in web development. However, because this question asks specifically about HTML, the candidate might emphasize how the coding language itself provides the backbone for building websites and other web-based platforms. The interviewee may also mention the role of meta tags in coding, including their use in inserting content or keywords that could help in guiding online searches to web pages although this method is not used as much as in the past. Discussing detailed knowledge about HTML coding could help in demonstrating the candidate’s knowledge of coding and web development.

How Is JavaScript Used in Front End Web Development?

An interviewer might ask this question to see how much a candidate knows about the programming language and its various libraries and frameworks.

How to Answer

The candidate might want to discuss how JavaScript provides the driving force in front end web development. JavaScript benefits from a variety of libraries and frameworks that perform different functions. Because of this, the programming language provides a wide range of possibilities in front end web development that a candidate must be able to distinguish.

What Steps Would You Suggest for Optimizing the Front End of a Web Page?

This question might be asked in order to get an idea about a candidate's creativity in developing websites as well as whether those ideas are practical.

How to Answer

This type of question offers the candidate the opportunity to demonstrate creativity within a stringently disciplined occupation. Developing websites requires an understanding of the fundamentals for coding that have to be followed in order to create a functional website or web product. Optimization means developing a website to reach its most effective level, which can either improve how well that site functions or appeals to its target users. Optimizing certain aspects of a website means reaching its maximum potential. 

This optimization must be executed within the fundamental structure required in building a functional website. The response to this type of question allows a candidate to demonstrate creativity, which can be an asset in any line of work for any industry.

Ending the Interview

Finishing an interview on a strong note is important in landing the job. Many interviews usually end with the candidate being asked questions about the organization or the interview. The response should come from knowing as much as possible about the organization, which means thoroughly researching any company that has been applied to as well as knowing as much about the position applied for as possible.

Knowledge of the company and the position applied for allows a candidate to answer or ask important questions about a company’s performance standards, expectations and goals, challenges that can be expected with working at the position, or what direction the company plans to take in the future. Showing knowledge and interest in an organization can create a connection between the company and the candidate that can end the interview on a harmonious note.

Learn the Skills to Become a Front End Developer at Noble Desktop

People have several options for learning to become a Front End Developer, which include in-person and live online training courses, bootcamps, and certificate programs that provide real-time hands-on instruction. Noble Desktop offers several live online Web Development courses.

For example, with hardly any prior coding experience, an individual could complete the Front End Web Development Certificate and get headed in the right direction for their new career with training in how to build the user side of a responsive website. This course aims to keep class sizes small so that students can receive tailored advice and guidance from their instructors.

If you would like to learn about designing websites or email programs from coding with HTML, CSS, or JavaScript, you can train for the Web Design Certificate. In addition, this course will teach you how to build websites using WordPress.

If you would like to learn about more options for building websites or apps from scratch through skills in front end web development, Noble Desktop provides information on their Learn Front End Web Development page, which can guide you through learning about several options for becoming a Front End Developer, including what free resources are available and career