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OO & Java Interview Q&A

1. What is the difference between procedural and object-oriented programs?- a) In procedural program, programming logic follows certain procedures and the instructions are executed one after another. In OOP program, unit of program is object, which is nothing but combination of data and code. b) In procedural program, data is exposed to the whole program whereas in OOPs program, it is accessible with in the object and which in turn assures the security of the code.
2. What are Encapsulation, Inheritance and Polymorphism?- Encapsulation is the mechanism that binds together code and data it manipulates and keeps both safe from outside interference and misuse. Inheritance is the process by which one object acquires the properties of another object. Polymorphism is the feature that allows one interface to be used for general class actions.
3. What is the difference between Assignment and Initialization?- Assignment can be done as many times as desired whereas initialization can be done only once.
4. What is OOPs?- Object oriented programming organizes a program around its data, i. e. , objects and a set of well defined interfaces to that data. An object-oriented program can be characterized as data controlling access to code.
5. What are Class, Constructor and Primitive data types?- Class is a template for multiple objects with similar features and it is a blue print for objects. It defines a type of object according to the data the object can hold and the operations the object can perform. Constructor is a special kind of method that determines how an object is initialized when created. Primitive data types are 8 types and they are: byte, short, int, long, float, double, boolean, char.
6. What is an Object and how do you allocate memory to it?- Object is an instance of a class and it is a software unit that combines a structured set of data with a set of operations for inspecting and manipulating that data. When an object is created using new operator, memory is allocated to it.
7. What is the difference between constructor and method?- Constructor will be automatically invoked when an object is created whereas method has to be called explicitly.
8. What are methods and how are they defined?- Methods are functions that operate on instances of classes in which they are defined. Objects can communicate with each other using methods and can call methods in other classes. Method definition has four parts. They are name of the method, type of object or primitive type the method returns, a list of parameters and the body of the method. A method’s signature is a combination of the first three parts mentioned above.
9. What is the use of bin and lib in JDK?- Bin contains all tools such as javac, appletviewer, awt tool, etc., whereas lib contains API and all packages.
10. What is casting?- Casting is used to convert the value of one type to another.
11. How many ways can an argument be passed to a subroutine and explain them?- An argument can be passed in two ways. They are passing by value and passing by reference. Passing by value: This method copies the value of an argument into the formal parameter of the subroutine. Passing by reference: In this method, a reference to an argument (not the value of the argument) is passed to the parameter.
12. What is the difference between an argument and a parameter?- While defining method, variables passed in the method are called parameters. While using those methods, values passed to those variables are called arguments.
13. What are different types of access modifiers?- public: Any thing declared as public can be accessed from anywhere. private: Any thing declared as private can’t be seen outside of its class. protected: Any thing declared as protected can be accessed by classes in the same package and subclasses in the other packages. default modifier : Can be accessed only to classes in the same package.
14. What is final, finalize() and finally?- final : final keyword can be used for class, method and variables. A final class cannot be subclassed and it prevents other programmers from subclassing a secure class to invoke insecure methods. A final method can’t be overridden. A final variable can’t change from its initialized value. finalize() : finalize() method is used just before an object is destroyed and can be called just prior to garbage collection. finally : finally, a key word used in exception handling, creates a block of code that will be executed after a try/catch block has completed and before the code following the try/catch block. The finally block will execute whether or not an exception is thrown. For example, if a method opens a file upon exit, then you will not want the code that closes the file to be bypassed by the exception-handling mechanism. This finally keyword is designed to address this contingency.
15. What is UNICODE?- Unicode is used for internal representation of characters and strings and it uses 16 bits to represent each other.
16. What is Garbage Collection and how to call it explicitly?- When an object is no longer referred to by any variable, java automatically reclaims memory used by that object. This is known as garbage collection. System. gc() method may be used to call it explicitly.
17. What is finalize() method?- finalize () method is used just before an object is destroyed and can be called just prior to garbage collection.
18. What are Transient and Volatile Modifiers?- Transient: The transient modifier applies to variables only and it is not stored as part of its object’s Persistent state. Transient variables are not serialized. Volatile: Volatile modifier applies to variables only and it tells the compiler that the variable modified by volatile can be changed unexpectedly by other parts of the program.
19. What is method overloading and method overriding?- Method overloading: When a method in a class having the same method name with different arguments is said to be method overloading. Method overriding : When a method in a class having the same method name with same arguments is said to be method overriding.
20. What is difference between overloading and overriding?- a) In overloading, there is a relationship between methods available in the same class whereas in overriding, there is relationship between a superclass method and subclass method. b) Overloading does not block inheritance from the superclass whereas overriding blocks inheritance from the superclass. c) In overloading, separate methods share the same name whereas in overriding, subclass method replaces the superclass. d) Overloading must have different method signatures whereas overriding must have same signature.
21. What is meant by Inheritance and what are its advantages?- Inheritance is the process of inheriting all the features from a class. The advantages of inheritance are reusability of code and accessibility of variables and methods of the super class by subclasses.
22. What is the difference between this() and super()?- this() can be used to invoke a constructor of the same class whereas super() can be used to invoke a super class constructor.
23. What is the difference between superclass and subclass?- A super class is a class that is inherited whereas sub class is a class that does the inheriting.
24. What modifiers may be used with top-level class?- public, abstract and final can be used for top-level class.
25. What are inner class and anonymous class?- Inner class : classes defined in other classes, including those defined in methods are called inner classes. An inner class can have any accessibility including private. Anonymous class : Anonymous class is a class defined inside a method without a name and is instantiated and declared in the same place and cannot have explicit constructors.
26. What is a package?- A package is a collection of classes and interfaces that provides a high-level layer of access protection and name space management.
27. What is a reflection package?- java. lang. reflect package has the ability to analyze itself in runtime.
28. What is interface and its use?- Interface is similar to a class which may contain method’s signature only but not bodies and it is a formal set of method and constant declarations that must be defined by the class that implements it. Interfaces are useful for: a)Declaring methods that one or more classes are expected to implement b)Capturing similarities between unrelated classes without forcing a class relationship. c)Determining an object’s programming interface without revealing the actual body of the class.
29. What is an abstract class?- An abstract class is a class designed with implementation gaps for subclasses to fill in and is deliberately incomplete.
30. What is the difference between Integer and int?- a) Integer is a class defined in the java. lang package, whereas int is a primitive data type defined in the Java language itself. Java does not automatically convert from one to the other. b) Integer can be used as an argument for a method that requires an object, whereas int can be used for calculations.
31. What is a cloneable interface and how many methods does it contain?- It is not having any method because it is a TAGGED or MARKER interface.
32. What is the difference between abstract class and interface?- a) All the methods declared inside an interface are abstract whereas abstract class must have at least one abstract method and others may be concrete or abstract. b) In abstract class, key word abstract must be used for the methods whereas interface we need not use that keyword for the methods. c) Abstract class must have subclasses whereas interface can’t have subclasses.
33. Can you have an inner class inside a method and what variables can you access?- Yes, we can have an inner class inside a method and final variables can be accessed.
34. What is the difference between String and String Buffer?- a) String objects are constants and immutable whereas StringBuffer objects are not. b) String class supports constant strings whereas StringBuffer class supports growable and modifiable strings.
35. What is the difference between Array and vector?- Array is a set of related data type and static whereas vector is a growable array of objects and dynamic.
36. What is the difference between exception and error?- The exception class defines mild error conditions that your program encounters. Exceptions can occur when trying to open the file, which does not exist, the network connection is disrupted, operands being manipulated are out of prescribed ranges, the class file you are interested in loading is missing. The error class defines serious error conditions that you should not attempt to recover from. In most cases it is advisable to let the program terminate when such an error is encountered.
37. What is the difference between process and thread?- Process is a program in execution whereas thread is a separate path of execution in a program.
38. What is multithreading and what are the methods for inter-thread communication and what is the class in which these methods are defined?- Multithreading is the mechanism in which more than one thread run independent of each other within the process. wait (), notify () and notifyAll() methods can be used for inter-thread communication and these methods are in Object class. wait() : When a thread executes a call to wait() method, it surrenders the object lock and enters into a waiting state. notify() or notifyAll() : To remove a thread from the waiting state, some other thread must make a call to notify() or notifyAll() method on the same object.
39. What is the class and interface in java to create thread and which is the most advantageous method?- Thread class and Runnable interface can be used to create threads and using Runnable interface is the most advantageous method to create threads because we need not extend thread class here.
40. What are the states associated in the thread?- Thread contains ready, running, waiting and dead states.
41. What is synchronization?- Synchronization is the mechanism that ensures that only one thread is accessed the resources at a time.
42. When you will synchronize a piece of your code?- When you expect your code will be accessed by different threads and these threads may change a particular data causing data corruption.
43. What is deadlock?- When two threads are waiting each other and can’t precede the program is said to be deadlock.
44. What is daemon thread and which method is used to create the daemon thread?- Daemon thread is a low priority thread which runs intermittently in the back ground doing the garbage collection operation for the java runtime system. setDaemon method is used to create a daemon thread.
45. Are there any global variables in Java, which can be accessed by other part of your program?- No, it is not the main method in which you define variables. Global variables is not possible because concept of encapsulation is eliminated here.
46. What is an applet?- Applet is a dynamic and interactive program that runs inside a web page displayed by a java capable browser.
47. What is the difference between applications and applets?- a)Application must be run on local machine whereas applet needs no explicit installation on local machine. b)Application must be run explicitly within a java-compatible virtual machine whereas applet loads and runs itself automatically in a java-enabled browser. d)Application starts execution with its main method whereas applet starts execution with its init method. e)Application can run with or without graphical user interface whereas applet must run within a graphical user interface.
48. How does applet recognize the height and width?- Using getParameters() method.
49. When do you use codebase in applet?- When the applet class file is not in the same directory, codebase is used.
50. What is the lifecycle of an applet?- init() method - Can be called when an applet is first loaded start() method - Can be called each time an applet is started. paint() method - Can be called when the applet is minimized or maximized. stop() method - Can be used when the browser moves off the applet’s page. destroy() method - Can be called when the browser is finished with the applet.
51. How do you set security in applets?- using setSecurityManager() method
52. What is an event and what are the models available for event handling?- An event is an event object that describes a state of change in a source. In other words, event occurs when an action is generated, like pressing button, clicking mouse, selecting a list, etc. There are two types of models for handling events and they are: a) event-inheritance model and b) event-delegation model
53. What are the advantages of the model over the event-inheritance model?- The event-delegation model has two advantages over the event-inheritance model. They are: a)It enables event handling by objects other than the ones that generate the events. This allows a clean separation between a component’s design and its use. b)It performs much better in applications where many events are generated. This performance improvement is due to the fact that the event-delegation model does not have to be repeatedly process unhandled events as is the case of the event-inheritance.
54. What is source and listener?- source : A source is an object that generates an event. This occurs when the internal state of that object changes in some way. listener : A listener is an object that is notified when an event occurs. It has two major requirements. First, it must have been registered with one or more sources to receive notifications about specific types of events. Second, it must implement methods to receive and process these notifications.
55. What is adapter class?- An adapter class provides an empty implementation of all methods in an event listener interface. Adapter classes are useful when you want to receive and process only some of the events that are handled by a particular event listener interface. You can define a new class to act listener by extending one of the adapter classes and implementing only those events in which you are interested. For example, the MouseMotionAdapter class has two methods, mouseDragged()and mouseMoved(). The signatures of these empty are exactly as defined in the MouseMotionListener interface. If you are interested in only mouse drag events, then you could simply extend MouseMotionAdapter and implement mouseDragged() .
56. What is meant by controls and what are different types of controls in AWT?- Controls are components that allow a user to interact with your application and the AWT supports the following types of controls: Labels, Push Buttons, Check Boxes, Choice Lists, Lists, Scrollbars, Text Components. These controls are subclasses of Component.
57. What is the difference between choice and list?- A Choice is displayed in a compact form that requires you to pull it down to see the list of available choices and only one item may be selected from a choice. A List may be displayed in such a way that several list items are visible and it supports the selection of one or more list items.
58. What is the difference between scrollbar and scrollpane?- A Scrollbar is a Component, but not a Container whereas Scrollpane is a Conatiner and handles its own events and perform its own scrolling.
59. What is a layout manager and what are different types of layout managers available in java AWT?- A layout manager is an object that is used to organize components in a container. The different layouts are available are FlowLayout, BorderLayout, CardLayout, GridLayout and GridBagLayout.
60. How are the elements of different layouts organized?- FlowLayout: The elements of a FlowLayout are organized in a top to bottom, left to right fashion. BorderLayout: The elements of a BorderLayout are organized at the borders (North, South, East and West) and the center of a container. CardLayout: The elements of a CardLayout are stacked, on top of the other, like a deck of cards. GridLayout: The elements of a GridLayout are of equal size and are laid out using the square of a grid. GridBagLayout: The elements of a GridBagLayout are organized according to a grid. However, the elements are of different size and may occupy more than one row or column of the grid. In addition, the rows and columns may have different sizes.
61. Which containers use a Border layout as their default layout?- Window, Frame and Dialog classes use a BorderLayout as their layout.
62. Which containers use a Flow layout as their default layout?- Panel and Applet classes use the FlowLayout as their default layout.
63. What are wrapper classes?- Wrapper classes are classes that allow primitive types to be accessed as objects.
64. What are Vector, Hashtable, LinkedList and Enumeration?- Vector : The Vector class provides the capability to implement a growable array of objects. Hashtable : The Hashtable class implements a Hashtable data structure. A Hashtable indexes and stores objects in a dictionary using hash codes as the object’s keys. Hash codes are integer values that identify objects. LinkedList: Removing or inserting elements in the middle of an array can be done using LinkedList. A LinkedList stores each object in a separate link whereas an array stores object references in consecutive locations. Enumeration: An object that implements the Enumeration interface generates a series of elements, one at a time. It has two methods, namely hasMoreElements() and nextElement(). HasMoreElemnts() tests if this enumeration has more elements and nextElement method returns successive elements of the series.
65. What is the difference between set and list?- Set stores elements in an unordered way but does not contain duplicate elements, whereas list stores elements in an ordered way but may contain duplicate elements.
66. What is a stream and what are the types of Streams and classes of the Streams?- A Stream is an abstraction that either produces or consumes information. There are two types of Streams and they are: Byte Streams: Provide a convenient means for handling input and output of bytes. Character Streams: Provide a convenient means for handling input & output of characters. Byte Streams classes: Are defined by using two abstract classes, namely InputStream and OutputStream. Character Streams classes: Are defined by using two abstract classes, namely Reader and Writer.
67. What is the difference between Reader/Writer and InputStream/Output Stream?- The Reader/Writer class is character-oriented and the InputStream/OutputStream class is byte-oriented.
68. What is an I/O filter?- An I/O filter is an object that reads from one stream and writes to another, usually altering the data in some way as it is passed from one stream to another.
69. What is serialization and deserialization?- Serialization is the process of writing the state of an object to a byte stream. Deserialization is the process of restoring these objects.
70. What is JDBC?- JDBC is a set of Java API for executing SQL statements. This API consists of a set of classes and interfaces to enable programs to write pure Java Database applications.
71. What are drivers available?- a) JDBC-ODBC Bridge driver b) Native API Partly-Java driver c) JDBC-Net Pure Java driver d) Native-Protocol Pure Java driver
72. What is the difference between JDBC and ODBC?- a) OBDC is for Microsoft and JDBC is for Java applications. b) ODBC can’t be directly used with Java because it uses a C interface. c) ODBC makes use of pointers which have been removed totally from Java. d) ODBC mixes simple and advanced features together and has complex options for simple queries. But JDBC is designed to keep things simple while allowing advanced capabilities when required. e) ODBC requires manual installation of the ODBC driver manager and driver on all client machines. JDBC drivers are written in Java and JDBC code is automatically installable, secure, and portable on all platforms. f) JDBC API is a natural Java interface and is built on ODBC. JDBC retains some of the basic features of ODBC.
73. What are the types of JDBC Driver Models and explain them?- There are two types of JDBC Driver Models and they are: a) Two tier model and b) Three tier model Two tier model: In this model, Java applications interact directly with the database. A JDBC driver is required to communicate with the particular database management system that is being accessed. SQL statements are sent to the database and the results are given to user. This model is referred to as client/server configuration where user is the client and the machine that has the database is called as the server. Three tier model: A middle tier is introduced in this model. The functions of this model are: a) Collection of SQL statements from the client and handing it over to the database, b) Receiving results from database to the client and c) Maintaining control over accessing and updating of the above.
74. What are the steps involved for making a connection with a database or how do you connect to a database?a) Loading the driver : To load the driver, Class. forName() method is used. Class. forName(”sun. jdbc. odbc. JdbcOdbcDriver”); When the driver is loaded, it registers itself with the java. sql. DriverManager class as an available database driver. b) Making a connection with database: To open a connection to a given database, DriverManager. getConnection() method is used. Connection con = DriverManager. getConnection (”jdbc:odbc:somedb”, “user”, “password”); c) Executing SQL statements : To execute a SQL query, java. sql. statements class is used. createStatement() method of Connection to obtain a new Statement object. Statement stmt = con. createStatement(); A query that returns data can be executed using the executeQuery() method of Statement. This method executes the statement and returns a java. sql. ResultSet that encapsulates the retrieved data: ResultSet rs = stmt. executeQuery(”SELECT * FROM some table”); d) Process the results : ResultSet returns one row at a time. Next() method of ResultSet object can be called to move to the next row. The getString() and getObject() methods are used for retrieving column values: while(rs. next()) { String event = rs. getString(”event”); Object count = (Integer) rs. getObject(”count”);
75. What type of driver did you use in project?- JDBC-ODBC Bridge driver (is a driver that uses native(C language) libraries and makes calls to an existing ODBC driver to access a database engine).
76. What are the types of statements in JDBC?- Statement: to be used createStatement() method for executing single SQL statement PreparedStatement — To be used preparedStatement() method for executing same SQL statement over and over. CallableStatement — To be used prepareCall() method for multiple SQL statements over and over.
77. What is stored procedure?- Stored procedure is a group of SQL statements that forms a logical unit and performs a particular task. Stored Procedures are used to encapsulate a set of operations or queries to execute on database. Stored procedures can be compiled and executed with different parameters and results and may have any combination of input/output parameters.
78. How to create and call stored procedures?- To create stored procedures: Create procedure procedurename (specify in, out and in out parameters) BEGIN Any multiple SQL statement; END; To call stored procedures: CallableStatement csmt = con. prepareCall(”{call procedure name(?,?)}”); csmt. registerOutParameter(column no. , data type); csmt. setInt(column no. , column name) csmt. execute();
79. What is servlet?- Servlets are modules that extend request/response-oriented servers, such as java-enabled web servers. For example, a servlet might be responsible for taking data in an HTML order-entry form and applying the business logic used to update a company’s order database.
80. What are the classes and interfaces for servlets?- There are two packages in servlets and they are javax. servlet and
81. What is the difference between an applet and a servlet?- a) Servlets are to servers what applets are to browsers. b) Applets must have graphical user interfaces whereas servlets have no graphical user interfaces.
82. What is the difference between doPost and doGet methods?- a) doGet() method is used to get information, while doPost() method is used for posting information. b) doGet() requests can’t send large amount of information and is limited to 240-255 characters. However, doPost()requests passes all of its data, of unlimited length. c) A doGet() request is appended to the request URL in a query string and this allows the exchange is visible to the client, whereas a doPost() request passes directly over the socket connection as part of its HTTP request body and the exchange are invisible to the client.
83. What is the life cycle of a servlet?- Each Servlet has the same life cycle: a) A server loads and initializes the servlet by init () method. b) The servlet handles zero or more client’s requests through service() method. c) The server removes the servlet through destroy() method.
84. Who is loading the init() method of servlet?- Web server
85. What are the different servers available for developing and deploying Servlets?- a) Java Web Server b) JRun g) Apache Server h) Netscape Information Server i) Web Logic
86. How many ways can we track client and what are they?- The servlet API provides two ways to track client state and they are: a) Using Session tracking and b) Using Cookies.
87. What is session tracking and how do you track a user session in servlets?- Session tracking is a mechanism that servlets use to maintain state about a series requests from the same user across some period of time. The methods used for session tracking are: a) User Authentication - occurs when a web server restricts access to some of its resources to only those clients that log in using a recognized username and password. b) Hidden form fields - fields are added to an HTML form that are not displayed in the client’s browser. When the form containing the fields is submitted, the fields are sent back to the server. c) URL rewriting - every URL that the user clicks on is dynamically modified or rewritten to include extra information. The extra information can be in the form of extra path information, added parameters or some custom, server-specific URL change. d) Cookies - a bit of information that is sent by a web server to a browser and which can later be read back from that browser. e) HttpSession- places a limit on the number of sessions that can exist in memory. This limit is set in the session. maxresidents property.
88. What is Server-Side Includes (SSI)?- Server-Side Includes allows embedding servlets within HTML pages using a special servlet tag. In many servlets that support servlets, a page can be processed by the server to include output from servlets at certain points inside the HTML page. This is accomplished using a special internal SSINCLUDE, which processes the servlet tags. SSINCLUDE servlet will be invoked whenever a file with an. shtml extension is requested. So HTML files that include server-side includes must be stored with an . shtml extension.
89. What are cookies and how will you use them?- Cookies are a mechanism that a servlet uses to have a client hold a small amount of state-information associated with the user. a) Create a cookie with the Cookie constructor: public Cookie(String name, String value) b) A servlet can send a cookie to the client by passing a Cookie object to the addCookie() method of HttpServletResponse: public void HttpServletResponse. addCookie(Cookie cookie) c) A servlet retrieves cookies by calling the getCookies() method of HttpServletRequest: public Cookie[ ] HttpServletRequest. getCookie().
90. Is it possible to communicate from an applet to servlet and how many ways and how?- Yes, there are three ways to communicate from an applet to servlet and they are: a) HTTP Communication(Text-based and object-based) b) Socket Communication c) RMI Communication
91. What is connection pooling?- With servlets, opening a database connection is a major bottleneck because we are creating and tearing down a new connection for every page request and the time taken to create connection will be more. Creating a connection pool is an ideal approach for a complicated servlet. With a connection pool, we can duplicate only the resources we need to duplicate rather than the entire servlet. A connection pool can also intelligently manage the size of the pool and make sure each connection remains valid. A number of connection pool packages are currently available. Some like DbConnectionBroker are freely available from Java Exchange Works by creating an object that dispenses connections and connection Ids on request. The ConnectionPool class maintains a Hastable, using Connection objects as keys and Boolean values as stored values. The Boolean value indicates whether a connection is in use or not. A program calls getConnection() method of the ConnectionPool for getting Connection object it can use; it calls returnConnection() to give the connection back to the pool.
92. Why should we go for interservlet communication?- Servlets running together in the same server communicate with each other in several ways. The three major reasons to use interservlet communication are: a) Direct servlet manipulation - allows to gain access to the other currently loaded servlets and perform certain tasks (through the ServletContext object) b) Servlet reuse - allows the servlet to reuse the public methods of another servlet. c) Servlet collaboration - requires to communicate with each other by sharing specific information (through method invocation)
93. Is it possible to call servlet with parameters in the URL?- Yes. You can call a servlet with parameters in the syntax as (?Param1 = xxx || m2 = yyy).
94. What is Servlet chaining?- Servlet chaining is a technique in which two or more servlets can cooperate in servicing a single request. In servlet chaining, one servlet’s output is piped to the next servlet’s input. This process continues until the last servlet is reached. Its output is then sent back to the client.
95. How do servlets handle multiple simultaneous requests?- The server has multiple threads that are available to handle requests. When a request comes in, it is assigned to a thread, which calls a service method (for example: doGet(), doPost() and service()) of the servlet. For this reason, a single servlet object can have its service methods called by many threads at once.
96. What is the difference between TCP/IP and UDP?- TCP/IP is a two-way communication between the client and the server and it is a reliable and there is a confirmation regarding reaching the message to the destination. It is like a phone call. UDP is a one-way communication only between the client and the server and it is not a reliable and there is no confirmation regarding reaching the message to the destination. It is like a postal mail.
97. What is Inet address?- Every computer connected to a network has an IP address. An IP address is a number that uniquely identifies each computer on the Net. An IP address is a 32-bit number.
98. What is Domain Naming Service(DNS)?- It is very difficult to remember a set of numbers(IP address) to connect to the Internet. The Domain Naming Service(DNS) is used to overcome this problem. It maps one particular IP address to a string of characters. For example, www. mascom. com implies com is the domain name reserved for US commercial sites, moscom is the name of the company and www is the name of the specific computer, which is mascom’s server.
99. What is URL?- URL stands for Uniform Resource Locator and it points to resource files on the Internet. URL has four components: http://www. address. com:80/index.html, where http - protocol name, address - IP address or host name, 80 - port number and index.html - file path.
100. What is RMI and steps involved in developing an RMI object?- Remote Method Invocation (RMI) allows java object that executes on one machine and to invoke the method of a Java object to execute on another machine. The steps involved in developing an RMI object are: a) Define the interfaces b) Implementing these interfaces c) Compile the interfaces and their implementations with the java compiler d) Compile the server implementation with RMI compiler e) Run the RMI registry f) Run the application
101. What is RMI architecture?- RMI architecture consists of four layers and each layer performs specific functions: a) Application layer - contains the actual object definition. b) Proxy layer - consists of stub and skeleton. c) Remote Reference layer - gets the stream of bytes from the transport layer and sends it to the proxy layer. d) Transportation layer - responsible for handling the actual machine-to-machine communication.
102. what is UnicastRemoteObject?- All remote objects must extend UnicastRemoteObject, which provides functionality that is needed to make objects available from remote machines.
103. Explain the methods, rebind() and lookup() in Naming class?- rebind() of the Naming class(found in java. rmi) is used to update the RMI registry on the server machine. Naming. rebind(”AddSever”, AddServerImpl); lookup() of the Naming class accepts one argument, the rmi URL and returns a reference to an object of type AddServerImpl.
104. What is a Java Bean?- A Java Bean is a software component that has been designed to be reusable in a variety of different environments.
105. What is a Jar file?- Jar file allows to efficiently deploying a set of classes and their associated resources. The elements in a jar file are compressed, which makes downloading a Jar file much faster than separately downloading several uncompressed files. The package java. util. zip contains classes that read and write jar files.
106. What is BDK?- BDK, Bean Development Kit is a tool that enables to create, configure and connect a set of set of Beans and it can be used to test Beans without writing a code.
107. What is JSP?- JSP is a dynamic scripting capability for web pages that allows Java as well as a few special tags to be embedded into a web file (HTML/XML, etc). The suffix traditionally ends with .jsp to indicate to the web server that the file is a JSP files. JSP is a server side technology - you can’t do any client side validation with it. The advantages are: a) The JSP assists in making the HTML more functional. Servlets on the other hand allow outputting of HTML but it is a tedious process. b) It is easy to make a change and then let the JSP capability of the web server you are using deal with compiling it into a servlet and running it.
108. What are JSP scripting elements?- JSP scripting elements lets to insert Java code into the servlet that will be generated from the current JSP page. There are three forms: a) Expressions of the form <%= expression %> that are evaluated and inserted into the output, b) Scriptlets of the form<% code %>that are inserted into the servlet’s service method, and c) Declarations of the form <%! Code %>that are inserted into the body of the servlet class, outside of any existing methods.
109. What are JSP Directives?- A JSP directive affects the overall structure of the servlet class. It usually has the following form:<%@ directive attribute=”value” %> However, you can also combine multiple attribute settings for a single directive, as follows:<%@ directive attribute1=”value1″ attribute 2=”value2″ . . . attributeN =”valueN” %> There are two main types of directive: page, which lets to do things like import classes, customize the servlet superclass, and the like; and include, which lets to insert a file into the servlet class at the time the JSP file is translated into a servlet
110. What are Predefined variables or implicit objects?- To simplify code in JSP expressions and scriptlets, we can use eight automatically defined variables, sometimes called implicit objects. They are request, response, out, session, application, config, pageContext, and page.
111. What are JSP ACTIONS?- JSP actions use constructs in XML syntax to control the behavior of the servlet engine. You can dynamically insert a file, reuse JavaBeans components, forward the user to another page, or generate HTML for the Java plugin. Available actions include: jsp:include - Include a file at the time the page is requested. jsp:useBean - Find or instantiate a JavaBean. jsp:setProperty - Set the property of a JavaBean. jsp:getProperty - Insert the property of a JavaBean into the output. jsp:forward - Forward the requester to a newpage. Jsp: plugin - Generate browser-specific code that makes an OBJECT or EMBED
112. How do you pass data (including JavaBeans) to a JSP from a servlet?- (1) Request Lifetime: Using this technique to pass beans, a request dispatcher (using either “include” or forward”) can be called. This bean will disappear after processing this request has been completed. Servlet: request. setAttribute(”theBean”, myBean); RequestDispatcher rd = getServletContext(). getRequestDispatcher(”thepage. jsp”); rd. forward(request, response); JSP PAGE:(2) Session Lifetime: Using this technique to pass beans that are relevant to a particular session (such as in individual user login) over a number of requests. This bean will disappear when the session is invalidated or it times out, or when you remove it. Servlet: HttpSession session = request. getSession(true); session. putValue(”theBean”, myBean); /* You can do a request dispatcher here, or just let the bean be visible on the next request */ JSP Page: 3) Application Lifetime: Using this technique to pass beans that are relevant to all servlets and JSP pages in a particular app, for all users. For example, I use this to make a JDBC connection pool object available to the various servlets and JSP pages in my apps. This bean will disappear when the servlet engine is shut down, or when you remove it. Servlet: GetServletContext(). setAttribute(”theBean”, myBean); JSP PAGE:
113. How can I set a cookie in JSP?- response. setHeader(”Set-Cookie”, “cookie string”); To give the response-object to a bean, write a method setResponse (HttpServletResponse response) - to the bean, and in jsp-file:<% bean. setResponse (response); %>
114. How can I delete a cookie with JSP?- Say that I have a cookie called “foo, ” that I set a while ago & I want it to go away. I simply: <% Cookie killCookie = new Cookie(”foo”, null); KillCookie. setPath(”/”); killCookie. setMaxAge(0); response. addCookie(killCookie); %>
115. How are Servlets and JSP Pages related?- JSP pages are focused around HTML (or XML) with Java codes and JSP tags inside them. When a web server that has JSP support is asked for a JSP page, it checks to see if it has already compiled the page into a servlet. Thus, JSP pages become servlets and are transformed into pure Java and then compiled, loaded into the server and executed.

OO UML Interview Q&A

1. What is UML? UML is Unified Modeling Language. It is a graphical language for visualizing specifying constructing and documenting the artifacts of the system. It allows you to create a blue print of all the aspects of the system, before actually physically implementing the system.
2. What is modeling? What are the advantages of creating a model? Modeling is a proven and well-accepted engineering technique which helps build a model. Model is a simplification of reality; it is a blueprint of the actual system that needs to be built. Model helps to visualize the system. Model helps to specify the structural and behavior of the system. Model helps make templates for constructing the system. Model helps document the system.
3. What are the different views that are considered when building an object-oriented software system? Normally there are 5 views. Use Case view - This view exposes the requirements of a system. Design View - Capturing the vocabulary. Process View - modeling the distribution of the systems processes and threads. Implementation view - addressing the physical implementation of the system. Deployment view - focus on the modeling the components required for deploying the system.
4. What are diagrams? Diagrams are graphical representation of a set of elements most often shown made of things and associations.
5. What are the major three types of modeling used? Major three types of modeling are structural, behavioral, and architectural.
6. Mention the different kinds of modeling diagrams used? Modeling diagrams that are commonly used are, there are 9 of them. Use case diagram, Class Diagram, Object Diagram, Sequence Diagram, statechart Diagram, Collaboration Diagram, Activity Diagram, Component diagram, Deployment Diagram.
7. What is Architecture? Architecture is not only taking care of the structural and behavioral aspect of a software system but also taking into account the software usage, functionality, performance, reuse, economic and technology constraints.
8. What is SDLC? SDLC is Software Development Life Cycle. SDLC of a system included processes that are Use case driven, Architecture centric and Iterative and Incremental. This Life cycle is divided into phases. Phase is a time span between two milestones. The milestones are Inception, Elaboration, Construction, and Transition. Process Workflows that evolve through these phase are Business Modeling, Requirement gathering, Analysis and Design, Implementation, Testing, Deployment. Supporting Workflows are Configuration and change management, Project management.
9. What are Relationships? There are different kinds of relationships: Dependencies, Generalization, and Association. Dependencies are relations ships between two entities that that a change in specification of one thing may affect another thing. Most commonly it is used to show that one class uses another class as an argument in the signature of the operation. Generalization is relationships specified in the class subclass scenario, it is shown when one entity inherits from other. Associations are structural relationships that are: a room has walls, Person works for a company. Aggregation is a type of association where there is a has a relation ship, That is a room has walls, �o if there are two classes room and walls then the relation ship is called a association and further defined as an aggregation.
10. How are the diagrams divided? The nine diagrams are divided into static diagrams and dynamic diagrams.
11. Static Diagrams (Also called Structural Diagram): Class diagram, Object diagram, Component Diagram, Deployment diagram.
12. Dynamic Diagrams (Also called Behavioral Diagrams): Use Case Diagram, Sequence Diagram, Collaboration Diagram, Activity diagram, Statechart diagram.
13. What are Messages? A message is the specification of a communication, when a message is passed that results in action that is in turn an executable statement.
14. What is an Use Case? A use case specifies the behavior of a system or a part of a system, �se cases are used to capture the behavior that need to be developed. It involves the interaction of actors and the system.

Most Common Interview Q&A

1. Tell me about yourself: - The most often asked question in interviews. You need to have a short statement prepared in your mind. Be careful that it does not sound rehearsed. Limit it to work-related items unless instructed otherwise. Talk about things you have done and jobs you have held that relate to the position you are interviewing for. Start with the item farthest back and work up to the present.
2. Why did you leave your last job? - Stay positive regardless of the circumstances. Never refer to a major problem with management and never speak ill of supervisors, co-workers or the organization. If you do, you will be the one looking bad. Keep smiling and talk about leaving for a positive reason such as an opportunity, a chance to do something special or other forward-looking reasons.
3. What experience do you have in this field? - Speak about specifics that relate to the position you are applying for. If you do not have specific experience, get as close as you can.
4. Do you consider yourself successful? - You should always answer yes and briefly explain why. A good explanation is that you have set goals, and you have met some and are on track to achieve the others.
5. What do co-workers say about you? - Be prepared with a quote or two from co-workers. Either a specific statement or a paraphrase will work. Jill Clark, a co-worker at Smith Company, always said I was the hardest workers she had ever known. It is as powerful as Jill having said it at the interview herself.
6. What do you know about this organization? - This question is one reason to do some research on the organization before the interview. Find out where they have been and where they are going. What are the current issues and who are the major players?
7. What have you done to improve your knowledge in the last year? - Try to include improvement activities that relate to the job. A wide variety of activities can be mentioned as positive self-improvement. Have some good ones handy to mention.
8. Are you applying for other jobs? - Be honest but do not spend a lot of time in this area. Keep the focus on this job and what you can do for this organization. Anything else is a distraction.
9. Why do you want to work for this organization? - This may take some thought and certainly, should be based on the research you have done on the organization. Sincerity is extremely important here and will easily be sensed. Relate it to your long-term career goals.
10. Do you know anyone who works for us? - Be aware of the policy on relatives working for the organization. This can affect your answer even though they asked about friends not relatives. Be careful to mention a friend only if they are well thought of.
11. What kind of salary do you need? - A loaded question. A nasty little game that you will probably lose if you answer first. So, do not answer it. Instead, say something like, That’s a tough question. Can you tell me the range for this position? In most cases, the interviewer, taken off guard, will tell you. If not, say that it can depend on the details of the job. Then give a wide range.
12. Are you a team player? - You are, of course, a team player. Be sure to have examples ready. Specifics that show you often perform for the good of the team rather than for yourself are good evidence of your team attitude. Do not brag, just say it in a matter-of-fact tone. This is a key point.
13. How long would you expect to work for us if hired? - Specifics here are not good. Something like this should work: I’d like it to be a long time. Or As long as we both feel I’m doing a good job.
14. Have you ever had to fire anyone? How did you feel about that? - This is serious. Do not make light of it or in any way seem like you like to fire people. At the same time, you will do it when it is the right thing to do. When it comes to the organization versus the individual who has created a harmful situation, you will protect the organization. Remember firing is not the same as layoff or reduction in force.
15. What is your philosophy towards work? - The interviewer is not looking for a long or flowery dissertation here. Do you have strong feelings that the job gets done? Yes. That’s the type of answer that works best here. Short and positive, showing a benefit to the organization.
16. If you had enough money to retire right now, would you? - Answer yes if you would. But since you need to work, this is the type of work you prefer. Do not say yes if you do not mean it.
17. Have you ever been asked to leave a position? - If you have not, say no. If you have, be honest, brief and avoid saying negative things about the people or organization involved.
18. Explain how you would be an asset to this organization - You should be anxious for this question. It gives you a chance to highlight your best points as they relate to the position being discussed. Give a little advance thought to this relationship.
19. Why should we hire you? - Point out how your assets meet what the organization needs. Do not mention any other candidates to make a comparison.
20. Tell me about a suggestion you have made - Have a good one ready. Be sure and use a suggestion that was accepted and was then considered successful. One related to the type of work applied for is a real plus.
21. What irritates you about co-workers? - This is a trap question. Think real hard but fail to come up with anything that irritates you. A short statement that you seem to get along with folks is great.
22. What is your greatest strength? - Numerous answers are good, just stay positive. A few good examples: Your ability to prioritize, Your problem-solving skills, Your ability to work under pressure, Your ability to focus on projects, Your professional expertise, Your leadership skills, Your positive attitude .
23. Tell me about your dream job. - Stay away from a specific job. You cannot win. If you say the job you are contending for is it, you strain credibility. If you say another job is it, you plant the suspicion that you will be dissatisfied with this position if hired. The best is to stay genetic and say something like: A job where I love the work, like the people, can contribute and can’t wait to get to work.
24. Why do you think you would do well at this job? - Give several reasons and include skills, experience and interest.
25. What kind of person would you refuse to work with? - Do not be trivial. It would take disloyalty to the organization, violence or lawbreaking to get you to object. Minor objections will label you as a whiner.
26. What is more important to you: the money or the work? - Money is always important, but the work is the most important. There is no better answer.
27. What would your previous supervisor say your strongest point is? - There are numerous good possibilities: Loyalty, Energy, Positive attitude, Leadership, Team player, Expertise, Initiative, Patience, Hard work, Creativity, Problem solver
28. Tell me about a problem you had with a supervisor - Biggest trap of all. This is a test to see if you will speak ill of your boss. If you fall for it and tell about a problem with a former boss, you may well below the interview right there. Stay positive and develop a poor memory about any trouble with a supervisor.
29. What has disappointed you about a job? - Don’t get trivial or negative. Safe areas are few but can include: Not enough of a challenge. You were laid off in a reduction Company did not win a contract, which would have given you more responsibility.
30. Tell me about your ability to work under pressure. - You may say that you thrive under certain types of pressure. Give an example that relates to the type of position applied for.
31. Do your skills match this job or another job more closely? - Probably this one. Do not give fuel to the suspicion that you may want another job more than this one.
32. What motivates you to do your best on the job? - This is a personal trait that only you can say, but good examples are: Challenge, Achievement, Recognition
33. Are you willing to work overtime? Nights? Weekends? - This is up to you. Be totally honest.
34. How would you know you were successful on this job? - Several ways are good measures: You set high standards for yourself and meet them. Your outcomes are a success.Your boss tell you that you are successful
35. Would you be willing to relocate if required? - You should be clear on this with your family prior to the interview if you think there is a chance it may come up. Do not say yes just to get the job if the real answer is no. This can create a lot of problems later on in your career. Be honest at this point and save yourself future grief.
36. Are you willing to put the interests of the organization ahead of your own? - This is a straight loyalty and dedication question. Do not worry about the deep ethical and philosophical implications. Just say yes.
37. Describe your management style. - Try to avoid labels. Some of the more common labels, like progressive, salesman or consensus, can have several meanings or descriptions depending on which management expert you listen to. The situational style is safe, because it says you will manage according to the situation, instead of one size fits all.
38. What have you learned from mistakes on the job? - Here you have to come up with something or you strain credibility. Make it small, well intentioned mistake with a positive lesson learned. An example would be working too far ahead of colleagues on a project and thus throwing coordination off.
39. Do you have any blind spots? - Trick question. If you know about blind spots, they are no longer blind spots. Do not reveal any personal areas of concern here. Let them do their own discovery on your bad points. Do not hand it to them.
40. If you were hiring a person for this job, what would you look for? - Be careful to mention traits that are needed and that you have.
41. Do you think you are overqualified for this position? - Regardless of your qualifications, state that you are very well qualified for the position.
42. How do you propose to compensate for your lack of experience? - First, if you have experience that the interviewer does not know about, bring that up: Then, point out (if true) that you are a hard working quick learner.
43. What qualities do you look for in a boss? - Be generic and positive. Safe qualities are knowledgeable, a sense of humor, fair, loyal to subordinates and holder of high standards. All bosses think they have these traits.
44. Tell me about a time when you helped resolve a dispute between others. - Pick a specific incident. Concentrate on your problem solving technique and not the dispute you settled.
45. What position do you prefer on a team working on a project? - Be honest. If you are comfortable in different roles, point that out.
46. Describe your work ethic. - Emphasize benefits to the organization. Things like, determination to get the job done and work hard but enjoy your work are good.
47. What has been your biggest professional disappointment? - Be sure that you refer to something that was beyond your control. Show acceptance and no negative feelings.
48. Tell me about the most fun you have had on the job. - Talk about having fun by accomplishing something for the organization.
49. Do you have any questions for me? - Always have some questions prepared. Questions prepared where you will be an asset to the organization are good. How soon will I be able to be productive? and What type of projects will I be able to assist on? are examples.

Good Questions To Ask When Recruiter Calls

1. How did you find me?
2. Is this a retainer or contingency assignment?
3. Are you dealing with the client’s HR people, or do you have direct contact with the hiring manager?
4. How long has the client been with you?
5. How many candidates have you placed with this client?
6. When will I find out the name of the principal or client company?
7. May I have a written job description?
8. Where is the position located?
9. Where is the company headquartered?
10. To whom does the position report?
11. Can you tell me about this executive’s management style?
12. Why is the position open?
13. What happened to the person who previously held this position?
14. Is this a new position?
15. How long has the position been open?
16. How long have you been working on the assignment?
17. What does the position pay?
18. Are here any pay or compensation constraints that I should take into consideration?
19. What can you tell me about the person who will be interviewing me?
20. What is his or her position, title, management style?
21. Who will make the final hiring decision?
22. After you present my resume, when can I expect to hear from you regarding the status of this position?
23. Can you describe, specifically, how the company navigates/balances work? and personal-life issues?
24. What might I do that would violate the culture of the company during my interview?

Good Question to Ask HR During Interview

1. Why do you enjoy working for this company?
2. What attracted you to this organization?
3. Can you describe the work environment here?
4. How do you describe the philosophy of the company or organization?
5. What do you consider to be the organization’s strengths and weaknesses?
6. Can you tell me more about my day-to-day responsibilities?
7. How soon are you looking to fill this position?
8. How do my skills compare with those of the other candidates you have interviewed?
9. I have really enjoyed meeting with you and your team, and I am very interested in the opportunity. I feel my skills and experience would be a good match for this position. What is the next step in your interview process?
10. Before I leave, is there anything else you need to know concerning my ability to do this job?
11. In your opinion, what is the most important contribution that this company expects from its employees?
12. Is there a structured career path at the company?
13. What are my prospects for advancement? If I do a good job, what is a logical next step?
14. Assuming I was hired and performed well for a period of time, what additional opportunities might this job lead to?
15. Do the most successful people in the company tend to come from one area of the company, such as sales or engineering, or do they rise from a cross section of functional areas?
16. I know that for the position for which I am interviewing, the company decided to recruit from outside the organization. How do you decide between recruiting from within and going outside?
17. How does this position relate to the bottom line?
18. What advice would you give to someone in my position?
19. What major problems are we facing right now in this department or position?
20. Can you give me a formal, written description of the position? I’m interested in reviewing in detail the major activities involved and what results are expected.
21. Does this job usually lead to other positions in the company? Which ones?
22. Can you please tell me a little bit about the people with whom I’ll be working most closely?
23. As I understand the position, the title as ________, the duties are _______, and the department is called ________. I would report directly to __________. Is that right?
24. Can you talk about the company’s commitment to equal opportunity and diversity?
25. Who are the company’s stars, and how was their status determined?
26. How are executives addressed by their subordinates?
27. What can you tell me about the prevailing management style?
28. If you hired me, what would be my first assignment?
29. Does the company have a mission statement? May I see it? Does the company have a mission statement? May I see it?

Good Questions To Ask Future Boss & Colleagues

1. Could you explain the company’s organizational structure?
2. What is the organization’s plan for the next five years, and how does this department or division fit in?
3. What specific skills from the person you hire would make your life easier?
4. Will we be expanding or bringing on new products or new services that I should be aware of?
5. What are some of the problems that keep you up at night?
6. What are some of the skills and abilities you see as necessary for someone to succeed in this job?
7. What would be a surprising but positive thing the new person could do in first 90 days?
8. What challenges might I encounter if I take on this position?
9. How does upper management perceive this part of the organization?
10. What are your major concerns that need to be immediately addressed in this job?
11. What do you see as the most important opportunities for improvement in the area I hope to join?
12. What are the attributes of the job that you’d like to see improved?
13. What are the organization’s three most important goals?
14. What is your company’s policy on attending seminars, workshops, and other training opportunities?
15. How do you see this position impacting the achievement of those goals?
16. What is the budget this department operates with?
17. What attracted you to working for this organization?
18. What committees and task forces will I be expected to participate in?
19. What have you liked most about working here?
20. How will my leadership responsibilities and performance be measured? By whom?
21. What are the day-to-day responsibilities I’ll be assigned?
22. Are there any weaknesses in the department that you are particularly looking to improve?
23. What are the department’s goals, and how do they align with the company’s mission?
24. What are the company’s strengths and weaknesses compared with the competition? (name one or two companies)
25. How does the reporting structure work here? What are the preferred means of communication?
26. What goals or objectives need to be achieved in the next six months?
27. Can you give me an ideal of the typical day and workload and the special demands the job has?
28. This a new position. What are the forces that suggested the need for this position?
29. What areas of the job would you like to see improvement in with regard to the person who was most recently performing these duties?
30. From all I can see, I’d really like to work here, and I believe I can add considerable value to the company. What’s the next step in the selection process?
31. How does this position contribute to the company’s goals, productivity, or profits?
32. What is currently the most pressing business issue or problem for the company or department?
33. Would you describe for me the actions of a person who previously achieved success in this position?
34. Would you describe for me the action of a person who previously performed poorly in this position?
35. How would you describe your own management style?
36. What are the most important traits you look for in a subordinate?
37. How do you like your subordinates to communicate with you?
38. What personal qualities or characteristics do you most value?
39. Could you describe to me your typical management style and the type of employee who works well with you?
40. Corporate culture is very important, but it’s usually hard to define until one violates it. What is one thing an employee might do here that would be perceived as a violation of the company’s culture?
41. How would you characterize the organization? What are its principal values? What are its greatest challenges?
42. How would you describe the experience of working here?
43. If I were to be employed here, what one piece of wisdom would you want me to incorporate into my work life?
44. What are a couple of misconceptions people have about the company?
45. Work-life balance is an issue of retention as well as productivity.
46. Can you talk about your own view of how to navigate the tensions between getting work done and encouraging healthy lives outside the office?
47. How does the company support and promote personal and professional growth?
48. What types of people seem to excel here?
49. Every company contends with office politics. It’s a fact of life because politics is about people working together. Can you give me some exams of how politics plays out in this company?
50. What have I yet to learn about this company and opportunity that I still need to know?
51. I’m delighted to know that teamwork is highly regarded. But evaluating performance of teams can be difficult. How does the company evaluate team performance? For example, does it employ 360-degree feedback programs?
52. What are the organization’s primary financial objectives and performance measures?
53. What operating guidelines or metrics are used to monitor the planning process and the results?
54. To what extent are those objectives uniform across all product lines?
55. How does the company balance short-term performance versus long-term success?
56. What kinds of formal strategic planning systems, if any, are in place?
57. Can you describe the nature of the planning process and how decisions concerning the budgeting process are made?
58. Can you identify the key corporate participants in the planning process?
59. How often and in what form does the company report its results internally to its employees?
60. In the recent past, how has the company acknowledged and rewarded outstanding performance?
61. What are the repercussions of having a significant variance to the operating plan?
62. Are budgeting decisions typically made at corporate headquarters, or are the decisions made in a more decentralized fashion?
63. I’m glad to hear that I will be part of a team. Let me ask about reward structures for teams. Does the company have a formal team-based compensation process?
64. Is the company more of an early adapter of technology, a first mover, or is it content to first let other companies work the bugs out and then implement a more mature version of the technology?
65. How does the company contribute to thought leadership in its market?
66. How advanced is the company’s commitment to knowledge management?
67. I was pleased to hear you describe the company’s branding strategy.
68. How does branding fit into the overall marketing mix?
69. How does this position contribute to the company’s goals, productivity, or profits?
70. According to (name source), your principal competitor, Brand X, is the best-selling product in the space. What does Brand X do better than your product?
71. Business Week magazine ranks the company second (or whatever) in its industry. Does this position represent a change from where it was a few years ago?
72. How accessible is the CEO (name him or her) to people at my level of the organization?
73. Does the CEO (name him or her) publish his or her email address?
74. I understand that the CEO is really approachable. Are there ground rules for approaching him or her?
75. Staff development is mentioned in your annual report as a measure on which executives are evaluated. What kinds of training experiences might I expect?
76. Is the department a profit center?
77. Can you please tell me about the people who will look to me for supervision?
78. Would I encounter any coworker or staff person who’s proved to be a problem in the past?
79. What happened to the person who previously held this job?
80. The incumbent was dismissed? How could the problems have been avoided?
81. The incumbent was promoted? I’m delighted to hear it. Would it be possible for me to talk to him or her?
82. What is the company customer-service philosophy?
83. Could you tell me about a time when the team/company went out of its way to provide knock-your-socks-off service?
84. The best companies rely on rich customer data to fuel personalized content and services. How is the company doing in personalizing its offerings?
85. Customers are expecting companies to protect their data. Does the company have a privacy policy for its Web initiatives, and how does the company balance the momentum for ever-increasing personalization with rising concerns for privacy?
86. How empowered are employees? How much of the company’s money can your people (including the ones with single-digit pay grades) spend on their own recognizance to satisfy a customer or address a work-process issue?
87. How often would I come into direct contact with real, living, breathing, paying customers?
88. What are the success factors that will tell you if the decision to bring me on board was the right one?
89. To make our working relationship successful - something we both want - we’ll need to be sure we have good chemistry together. How might we determine this, and then what action would you see us engage in to build that relationship?
90. If you and I were developing some sort of philosophical difference, how would you want to go about resolving it?

Good Questions to Ask During Management Interview

1. Could you please describe the management team to me?
2. Does the company have a Net-use policy?
3. Will I receive my assignments from IT or from the business unit?
4. Do developers have little contact with the business unit or significant contact?
5. Can you show or sketch me an organizational chart?
6. If for any reason you were unable to function as CEO, how would you like to see the company managed?
7. To whom does the chief information or technology officer report?
8. How would you describe the degree to which you want your heirs to have strategic or operational influence in the company until one of them is ready to assume the role of COO or CEO?
9. What are you hoping to accomplish, and what will be my role in those plans?
10. May I see a job description? What are the most important responsibilities of the job?
11. How much time should be devoted to each area of responsibility?
12. What is my spending/budget authority?
13. What initial projects would I be tackling?
14. What are the biggest technical challenges ahead for this department/ company?
15. Presuming that I’m successful on this assignment, where else might I be of service to the company?
16. Traditionally, companies have used IT to reduce bottom-line costs. But
17. I am excited about the use of IT to advance top-line opportunities such as creating new products and identifying new markets. Can you talk about how IT is used in this company to create top-line value?
18. What structured strategies for software testing have you found effective here?
19. Does the company use an IT steering committee?
20. If you put all the salespeople in a line from your best to the merely acceptable performer, what are the earnings of the 50th percentile? The 25th? The 75th?
21. Can you describe the performance of the sales team?
22. What is the commission structure, and what is my earning potential in 1, 3, 5, or 10 years?
23. What percentage of salespeople attain objectives?
24. What percentage of the current people are above and below their set goals?

Good Questions to Ask Before Getting Hired

1. I understand the company has experienced layoffs within the last two years. Can you review the reasons why they were necessary?
2. How were the layoffs handled in terms of notification, severance, outplacement services, etc.?
3. What rewards have you found effective in recognizing and rewarding exceptional work?
4. Are there formal metrics in place for measuring and rewarding performance over time?
5. How effectively has the company communicated its top three business goals?
6. I am a hard worker, and like to be around hard-working people. Am I going to be comfortable with the level of effort I find here?
7. Is the company’s training strategy linked to the company’s core business objectives?
8. How does your firm handle recognition for a job well done?
9. When was the last time you rewarded a subordinate for his or her efforts? What token of appreciation did you offer?
10. How does the firm recognize and learn from a brave attempt that didn’t turn out quite as expected?
11. If I were a spectacular success in this position after six months, what would I have accomplished?
12. How much freedom would I have in determining my objectives and deadlines?
13. How long has this position existed in the organization? Has its scope changed recently?
14. Do you foresee this job involving significant amounts of overtime or work on weekends?
15. What are the greatest challenges I will face in this position in furthering the agenda of the organization?
16. Are my tasks limited to my job description, or will I be performing duties outside the described job scope?
17. What’s the gross profit margin of the division I will be working in?
18. What percentage of the total profit from the company does it generate? Is it increasing or decreasing?
19. What’s your company’s “killer application”? What percentage of the market share does it have? Will I be working on it?
20. Can you give me some examples of the best and worst aspects of the company’s culture?
21. What makes this company a great place to work? What outside evidence (rankings or awards) do you have to prove this is a great place to work? What is the company going to do in the next year to make it better?
22. What would I see if I stood outside the front door at five o’clock?
23. Would people be smiling? Staying late or leaving early? Would everyone be taking work home?
24. Lots of your competitors have great products and people programs. What is the deciding factor that makes this opportunity superior? Are you able to say any things that you will do to make this a great experience for me if I accept the position?
25. Can you show me that the company has a diverse workforce and that it is tolerant of individual differences? Does it have affinity groups or similar programs that I might find beneficial? Is there a dress code?
26. Can you give me an example of any “outrageous conduct” this firm tolerates the competitors would not?
27. Does your company offer any “wow!” benefits? Does it pay for advanced degrees? Does it offer paid sabbaticals? On-site child care?
28. Relocation packages? Mentor programs? How are these superior to those of your competitors? What about job sharing? Flex-time arrangements? Telecommuting? Workout facilities?
29. When top performers leave the company, why do they leave and where do they usually go?
30. When was the last significant layoff? What criteria were used to select those to stay?
31. Does the company have a program to significantly reward individuals who develop patents/great products? Is there a program to help individuals “start” their own firms or subsidiary? Will I be required to fill out noncompete agreements?
32. How many approvals would it take (and how long) to get a new $110,000 project idea of mine approved? What percentage of employee-initiated projects in this job were approved last year?
33. How many days will it take for you (and the company) to make a hiring decision for this position?
34. Who are the “coolest” people on my team? What makes them cool? Can I meet them? Who is the best and worst performer on the team, and what was the difference in their total compensation last year? Sell me on this team and the individuals on it that I get to work with. What makes my closest coworkers fun great people to work with?
35. What is your “learning plan” for me for my first six months? What competencies do you propose I will develop that I don’t currently have?
36. Which individual in the department can I learn the most from? What can he or she teach me? Can I meet that person? Does the company have a specific program to advance my career?
37. Could I miss a day without your advance permission? What percentage of the people in this position telecommute? Has anyone in the group been allowed to take a month off (unpaid) to fulfill a personal interest?
38. Give me some examples of the decisions I could make in this job without any approvals. Can you show me the degree of autonomy and control I have in this position?
39. How many hours a week do you expect the average person on your team to work? How many hours does the average person in fact work? Are there work-life programs in place to promote a healthy work-life balance?
40. How will my performance be evaluated? What are the top criteria you use? What percentage of my compensation is based on my performance? Is their a process where the employees get to assess their supervisor? If I do a great/bad job in the first 90 days, how, specifically, will you let me know? What are the steps you would take to help me improve? How do you discipline team members?
41. What is the first assignment you intend to give me? Where does that assignment rank on the departmental priorities? What makes this assignment a great opportunity?
42. How many hours of your time can I expect to get each week for the first six months on the job? How often will we have scheduled meetings?
43. If I were frustrated about my job, what specific steps would you take to help me overcome that frustration? How about if you were frustrated with me? Can you show me examples of what you have done for others in your group in the past year to overcome any frustration?
44. What are the “wows!” of this job? What are the worst parts? And what will you do to maximize the former and minimize the latter? If I asked the incumbent what stinks about the job, what would he or she say? Can I talk to him or her?
45. What will make my physical work environment a fun and stimulating place to spend time?
46. What inputs do employees get in departmental decisions? In hiring and assessing coworkers?
47. Could I get a chance to see the team in action? Can I sit in on a team meeting? Shadow someone for a day?
48. What are the biggest problems facing this department in the next six months and in one year? What key competencies have you identified that I will need to develop in the next six months to be successful?
49. What do you see in me? What are my strongest assets and possible weaknesses? Do you have any concerns that I need to clear up in order to be the top candidate? What is the likelihood - maybe in percentage terms - that I’ll get an offer?

Popular Interview Q&A

Tell me about yourself. Use “Picture Frame Approach”	Answer in about two minutes. Avoid details, don’t ramble. Touch on these four areas: How many years, doing what function Education – credentials Major responsibility and accomplishments Personal summary of work style (plus career goals if applicable) Prepare in advance using this formula: “My name is…” “I’ve worked for X years as a [title]” “Currently, I’m a [title] at [company]” “Before that, I was a [title] at [company]” “I love the challenge of my work, especially the major strengths it allows me to offer, including [A, B, and C]”. Second, help the interviewer by focusing the question with a question of your own: “What about me would be most relevant to you and what this company needs?”
Did you bring your resume?	Yes. Be prepared with two or three extra copies. Do not offer them unless you’re asked for one.
What do you know about our organization?	Research the target company before the interview. Basic research is the only way to prepare for this question. Do your homework, and you’ll score big on this question. Talk about products, services, history and people, especially any friends that work there. “But I would love to know more, particularly from your point of view. Do we have time to cover that now?
What experience do you have?	Pre-interview research and PPR Career will help you here. Try to cite experience relevant to the company’s concerns. Also, try answering this questions with a question: “Are you looking for overall experience or experience in some specific area of special interest to you?” Let the interviewer’s response guide your answer.
According to your definition of success, how successful have you been so far? (Is this person mature and self aware?)	Be prepared to define success, and then respond (consistent record of responsibility)
In your current or last position, what were your most significant accomplishments? In your career so far?	Give one or two accomplishment statements
Had you thought of leaving your present position before? If yes, what do you think held you there?	Refer to positive aspects of the job, advancement opportunities, and what you learned.
Would you describe a few situations in which your work was criticized?	Give only one, and tell how you have corrected or plan to correct your work.
If I spoke with your previous boss, what would he or she say are your greatest strengths and weaknesses?	Be consistent with what you think the boss would say. Position the weakness in a positive way (refer to #12)
How would you describe your personality?	Keep your answer short and relevant to the job and the organization’s culture.
What are your strong points?	Present three. Relate them to that particular company and job opening.
What are your weak points?	Don’t say you have one, but give one that is really a “positive in disguise.” I am sometimes impatient and do to much work myself when we are working against tight deadlines.” Or “I compliment and praise my staff, but feel I can improve.”
How did you do in school? (Is the person motivated? What are his/her values, attitudes? Is there a fit?)	Emphasize your best and favorite subjects. If grades were average, talk about leadership or jobs you took to finance your education. Talk about extra-curricular activities (clubs, sports, volunteer work)
In your current or last position, what features did you like most? Least?	Refer to your satisfiers for likes. Be careful with dislikes, give only one (if any) and make it brief. Refuse to answer negatively. Respond that you “like everything about my current position and have acquired and developed a great many skills, but I’m now ready for a new set of challenges and greater responsibilities.”
What do you look for in a job?	Flip this one over. Despite the question, the employer isn’t really interested in what you are looking for. He’s interested in what he is looking for. Address his interests, rather than yours. Use words like “contribute,” “enhance,” “improve,” and “team environment.” Fit your answer to their needs Relate your preferences and satisfiers/dissatisfiers to the job opening.
How long would it take you to make a meaningful contribution to our firm?	“Not long, because of my experience, transferable skills and ability to learn.”
How long would you stay with us?	“As long as I feel that I’m contributing, and that my contribution is recognized. I’m looking to make a long term commitment.”
If you have never supervised, how do you feel about assuming those responsibilities?	If you want to supervise, say so, and be enthusiastic.
Why do you want to become a supervisor?	“To grow and develop professionally, to help others develop, to build a team and to share what I have learned.”
What do you see as the most difficult task in being a supervisor?	“Getting things planned and done through others and dealing with different personalities.” Show how you have done this in the past.
You’ve been with your current employer quite a while. Why haven’t you advanced with him?	Let’s assume the interviewer has a point here. That doesn’t mean you have to agree with the negative terms of the question. Answer: “What I like about my present position is that it’s both stable and challenging. But it’s true that I’ve grown about as much as I can in my current position. (This response also turns the issue of salary on its head, transforming it from What more can I get? to What more can I offer?)
Why are you leaving your present position?	Never answer with negative reasons, even if they are true. However, some companies have financial problems which may preclude you from staying with them. Frame your answer positively by answering why you want to move to the target company instead of why you left or want to leave your most recent job. For example, instead of answering, “I don’t get enough challenges at [company],” respond, “I am eager to take on more challenges, and I believe I will find them at [hiring company]. ”I’m not unhappy (at my present employer). However, this opportunity seems to be particularly interesting and I am interested in pursuing it further. Never personalize or be negative. Keep it short, give a “group” answer (e.g. our office is closing, the whole organization is being reduced in size). Stick to one response; don’t change answers during the interview. When applicable; best response is: I was not on the market when PPR Career contacted me and explained what you are doing, it peaked my interest.
Describe what would be an ideal working environment?	Team work is the key.
How would you evaluate your present firm?	Be positive. Refer to the valuable experience you have gained. Don’t mention negatives.
Do you prefer working with figures, or with words?	Be aware of what the job requires and position your answer in that context. In many cases it would be both.
What kinds of people do you find difficult to work with?	Use this question as a chance to show that you are a team player: “The only people I have trouble with are those who aren’t team players, who just don’t perform, who complain constantly, and who fail to respond to any efforts to motivate them.” The interviewer is expecting a response focused on personality and personal dislikes. Surprise her by delivering an answer that reflects company values.
How would your co-workers describe you?	Refer to your strengths and skills.
What do you think of your boss?	If you like him or her, say so and tell why. If you don’t like him or her, find something positive to say.
Why do you want to work in a company of this size. Or this type?	Explain how this size or type of company works well for you, using examples from the past if possible.
If you had your choice of jobs and companies, where would you go?	Refer to job preferences. Say that this job and this company are very close to what best suits you.
Why do you want to work for us?	You feel you can help achieve the companies objectives, especially in the short run. You like what you’ve learned about the company, its policies, goals and management: “I’ve researched the company and people tell me it’s a good place to work.”
What was the last book you read? Movie you saw? Sporting event you attended?	Think this through. Your answer should be compatible with accepted norms.
What are you doing, or what have you done to reach your career objectives?	Talk about formal courses and training programs.
What was wrong with your last company?	Again, choose your words carefully. Don’t be negative. Say that no company is perfect, it had both strengths and weaknesses.
What kind of hours are you used to working? (Does the person match job and criteria?)	“As many hours as it takes to get the job done.”
What would you do for us?	Relate past success in accomplishing the objectives which are similar to those of the prospective employer.
What has your experience been in supervising people?	Give examples from accomplishments.
Are you a good supervisor?	Draw from your successes. Yes, my people like and respect me personally and professionally. They often comment on how much they learn and develop under my supervision.
Did you ever fire anyone? If so, what were the reasons and how did you handle it?	If you haven’t, say so, but add that you could do it, if necessary.
How have you helped your company?	Refer to accomplishments.
What is the most money you ever accounted for? Largest budget responsibility?	Refer to accomplishments. If you haven’t had budget responsibility, say so, but refer to an accomplishment that demonstrates the same skill.
What’s the most difficult situation you ever faced on the job?	Remember, you’re talking to a prospective employer, not your best friend. Don’t dredge up a catastrophe that resulted in a personal or corporate failure. Be ready for this question by thinking of a story that has a happy ending – happy for you and your company. Never digress into personal or family difficulties, and don’t talk about problems you’ve had with supervisors or peers. You might discuss a difficult situation with a subordinate, provided that the issues were resolved inventively and to everyone’s satisfaction.
Describe some situations in which you have worked under pressure or met deadlines?	Refer to accomplishments. Everyone has had a few of these pressure situations in a career. Behavior-related questions aim at assessing a candidate’s character, attitude, and personality traits by asking for an account of how the candidate handled certain challenging situations. Plan for such questions by making a list of the desirable traits relevant to the needs of the industry or prospective employer and by preparing some job-related stories about your experience that demonstrate a range of those traits and habits of conduct. Before answering the questions, listen carefully and ask any clarifying questions you think necessary. Tell your story and conclude by explaining what you intended your story to illustrate. Finally, ask for feedback: “Does this tell you what you need to know?”
How do you handle rejection?	Rejection is part of business. People don’t always buy what you sell. The tick here is to separate rejection of your product from rejection of yourself: “I see rejection as an opportunity. I learn from it. When a customer takes a pass, I ask him what we could do to the product, price or service to make it possible for him to say yes. Don’t get me wrong: You’ve got to makes sales. But rejection is valuable, too. It’s a good teacher.”
In your present position, what problems have you identified that had previously been overlooked?	Refer to accomplishments
Give an example of your creativity.	Refer to accomplishments.
Give examples of your leadership abilities.	Draw examples from accomplishments.
What are your career goals?	Talk first about doing the job for which you are applying. Your career goals should mesh with the hiring company goals.
What position do you expect to have in two years?	Just say you wish to exceed objectives so well that you will be on a promotable track.
What are your objectives? (How does the person handle stress? What is their confidence level?)	Refer back to question #48 on goals.
Why should we hire you?	This may sound suspicious, negative, or just plain harsh. Actually, it’s a call for help. The employer wants you to help him/her hire you. Keep your response brief. Recap any job requirements the interviewer may have mentioned earlier in the interview, then, point by point, match your skills, abilities and qualifications to those items. Relate a past experience which represents success in achieving objectives which may be similar to those of the prospective employer.
You may be over-qualified or too experienced for the position we have to offer.	“A strong company needs a strong person.” An employer will get faster return on investment because you have more experience than required.
Why haven’t you found a new position before now?	“Finding the right job takes time. I’m not looking for just any job.”
If you could start again, what would you do differently?	No need to be self-revealing. “Hindsight is 20/20; everyone would make some changes, but I’ve learned and grown from all my decisions.”
How much do you expect if we offer this position to you?	Be careful. If you don’t know the market value, return the question by saying that you would expect a fair salary based on the job responsibilities, your experience and skills and the market value of the job. Express your interest in the job because it fits your career goals – Receptive to a reasonable and competitive offer – don’t talk $’s. It’s always best to put off discussing salary and let PPR Career handle that. ANSWER: I’m open to a competitive offer. I’d prefer to discuss the opportunity and allow my recruiter to handle any salary questions.