Books » The Best Book on Kung Fu Tech Interviews

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Description

In Kung Fu Tech Interview, author and front-end software developer Derek Gaw guides readers through different tech interviews such as those conducted by recruiters at Amazon, Zynga, Facebook, Google, and Twitter.

Derek not only breaks down interview styles for individual companies and positions, but he tells readers how to use the skill-set you already have. Sure, a strong resume helps, but an interview is a perfect opportunity to demonstrate your technical chops and innovative ideas.

From phone interview to face-to-face conversations, this book has the best tech interview tips and advice out there to date. As a former employee of both Amazon and Zynga, Derek tells readers exactly what interviewers are looking for, and how to get there. What's the most engaging question to ask your interviewers? What is the most difficult tech interview question? Kung Fu Tech Interview divulges them all.

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FAQs

I don’t have a formal CS education. Can I still get a job at a top tech company?

Yes! Formal CS training is mainly focused on theory, things like algorithmic analysis, computational runtime, and data structures. I’ll let you in on a secret: most interviewers (myself included) are more interested in candidates who have actual hands-on website-building experience than theoretical training. As an interviewer, I want people who can show me the websites they’ve already built.

I’m applying to top tech companies, but not Zynga or Amazon. Is this book useful for me?

Yes! While every company has its own set of “go to” questions, the overall interview approach is very similar from company to company. Of course, the chapters focused on Amazon and Zynga will be most helpful to developers interviewing at these specific companies. But whether you’re applying for a job at Facebook or Zynga, Google or Amazon -- or any other company -- the tips in this book will help you to prepare for and ace your interview.

I’ve applied for tons of jobs but no luck. Can this ebook help me to land an interview?

If you don’t have the right skill-set -- or a good resume that highlights these skills -- it’s going to be tough for you to stand out from the competition. But my book can help you get on the right track. I detail the necessary skills and experience you need to land an interview. Follow my advice to shore up your knowledge gaps and get some hands-on experience. Then you’ll be on your way!

I’ve been on tons of interviews and feel like I know what to expect at this point. So what does this book offer that I don’t already know?

Congratulations on scoring tons of interviews! But , if you’ve been on tons of interviews and haven’t landed a job yet, then something is wrong. Maybe you’re not giving the best answers? Maybe you’re not fully demonstrating your expertise or your flexibility or a team approach? My book will help you to assess where you may be falling short and show you how to ace your next interview.

I’m interviewing for tech positions other than front-end developer. Does this book cover the interview process for all tech positions?

Yes. The advice I give is applicable for a wide-range of tech positions from front-end to back-end developers to mobile.

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Letter From The Author

You’ve got the technical chops. But you’re worried about putting your best foot forward. How can you prove yourself during the interview process and land the job you want?

There are so many talented developers competing for the same jobs at top companies like Amazon, Zynga, Facebook, Google, and Twitter. How can you rise above the competition?

I know how you feel, because I was you: a tech ninja (if I do say so myself!) with desire and drive. I dreamed of getting my foot in the door of an awesome company. I was eager for real opportunities to further hone my craft and to work with other top developers.

And I did it! I scored jobs at both Amazon and Zynga.

But I don’t just work as a developer. I also get to participate in the hiring process. I have interviewed tons of tech hopefuls looking for a break -- just like you.

Participating in the interview process has been painful. Seriously. I’ve watched applicant after applicant sweat the interview process. I’ve seen candidates with great potential bomb their phone interviews. I’ve marveled at how unprepared and lost so many potential hires were.

Now that I’m through the looking glass, I can see all the mistakes applicants make, from being surprised by behavioral questions to not being prepared to demonstrate their programming skills.

For example, to weed out the unqualified and focus on top-tier candidates, we screen for 4 things: can you write for a loop, use a conditional, do basic math, and do you understand Booleans? These are basic skills, right? Right?!

You’d be surprised by how many developers falter.

This goes to show: “what you don’t know can destroy you!” To ace your tech interview, you need to know what you’re going to be asked and what interviewers are really looking for. My book gives you the insider knowledge you need to get a leg up in any tech interview.

I don’t want to see any more qualified candidates suffer! So I decided to share my interviewing secrets with you so you can walk into your next tech interview feeling confident.

In my book, you’ll find secrets like:

• Think you don’t need to know how to support IE 6 anymore? Wrong! There are quirks that you need to know: the IE box model and how different browsers handle a trailing semicolon or trailing comma.
• In a phone interview, you will encounter project-oriented conceptual questions. You’ve got to have good answers for: “Describe encapsulation” or “Tell me about multiple inheritances.”
• At any tech interview, you can bet on being asked: “If you could change something about the site, what would it be?” Do your homework; be ready to give a thoughtful answer.
• Want to make a lasting impression on your interviewer? Ask the #1 most engaging question: “What do you like best and worst about your job?”
• 95% of Amazon interviews are decided upon in 1 day. That means you have just 1 day to show everything you’ve got.

And lots more!

Sure tech interviews can be grueling, but, with my help, you can breeze through the interview process (or at least survive it!) and get the job that you deserve.

In short: it’s not just about having the right skill-set. You need to know how to prepare, what to expect, and how to shine. My ebook will be your personal guide through your tech interview, every step of the way.

It’s guaranteed to improve your chances of landing that coveted spot working for a top company.

So let’s get started!

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Things You'll Learn:

• How to appraoch on-site interviews
• 3 phone interview tips that most applicants don’t know, including have your computer with you!
• What you need to know about JavaScript
• What to expect in a phone interview
• The 7 most common interview questions
• The back-end questions a front-end developer needs to be able to answer
• How to come up with “good-enough” solutions -- fast
• Essential debugging tools that you need to have experience with
• The importance of contributing to open source software
• Whiteboard practice tips - use your whiteboard to work out brain teasers
• What to do if you don’t know an answer
• Blogs you need to read
• The 4 basic skills on-campus interviewers screen for
• The question that Amazon will ask you -- and you need to answer well
• Personality types that all the best companies want on their teams
• jQuery - if you’re a front-end developer and you don’t know it, something’s wrong!
• How to maintain your composure
• Top questions for mobile developers
• Preparing for optimization questions
• Asking clarifying questions: how and why
• The key to articulating your development process
• The best way to tackle fit interview questions
• Nailing your secondary phone interview (interviewers will focus on your weak spots from interview 1 -- so review your notes)
• The best questions to ask your tech interviewer
• An insider’s look at what really goes on behind closed interview doors

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Table of Contents Click on the links below to read actual chapters from the book for free!

1. Tech Interview Applicants
   • Qualities Of Successful Tech Interview Applicants
2. Technical Interview Prep
   • Interview Prep For Front End Developers
   • The Top 10 Resources For Tech Interview Prep
3. Software Developer Application Breakdown
   • Looking Into The Amazon Interview Process
4. Acing Phone Screen Interviews
   • What To Expect In A Phone Screen Interview
   • 3 Phone Interview Tips That Applicants Don’t Know About (Or Don’t Do Well)
5. On-Site Technical Interviews
   • Face Front End Engineering Interviews - Analysis Of An On-Site Interview Day
   • The Lightbox: A Crucial Tech Interview Question
   • Tackling Fit Interview Questions & Answers
   • The 7 Most Common Interview Questions
6. Zynga Interviews
   • Zooming Into The Zynga Interview

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