My Experience Interviewing at 8 Backend Entry-Level Companies (and Why I Got Rejected)
I applied to 8 companies for entry-level backend roles from the second half of last year to early this year. The result: I passed the document screening at 5 and received a final offer from 1.
I tried to summarize the common patterns among the places that rejected me.
1. Giving vague answers to CS questions
2. Not being able to explain why I used a certain technology in a project
3. Talking about troubleshooting experience by only giving the result and omitting the process
Number 2 was especially significant. I just said I used it because “a lot of people seem to use it these days,” and the interviewer’s expression immediately hardened. After that, when I prepared explanations comparing alternative technologies and why I chose it, the reaction changed completely.
Number 3 is the same. The key was how I discovered the incident, what hypotheses I formed, and in what order I narrowed things down. In the end, even at the company that gave me an offer, that story was what we talked about the longest.
For those preparing now, I’d suggest focusing on “experiences you can explain” rather than your portfolio.