3rd-Year Backend Developer Job Change Experience (Application → Final Round)

I prepared for a job change for three months and recently moved. I'm writing this up in the hope that it helps those who were frustrated by the lack of information, just like I was.

1. Application

For experienced hires, I felt that impactful sentences in the resume matter more than the portfolio. Instead of "developed payment API," I added numbers like "improved payment failure rate from 3% to 0.8%," and my application pass rate changed dramatically.

2. Coding Test

There's wide variation by company, but generally it's around lower Gold to early Platinum level. Some companies include SQL questions, so be prepared.

3. Technical Interview

They look at depth. In particular, they keep asking "why did you do it that way?" It's good to organize your thoughts on why you chose that option among alternatives and what other options you considered.

4. Culture Fit

This really is case by case. I think this is actually where a lot of candidates get filtered out.

I negotiated salary after the final offer and raised it by about 20% compared to my previous company. Best of luck to everyone preparing.