The Android Job Interview: cracking the (take home) code challenge or how to get your code to a senior developer level.

Part 1 of a 3 part series on how to (quickly) setup your code challenge code in a way that shows your next employer that you have knowledge of the fundamentals of professional grade Android development.

Recently I have been applying to Android Developer positions again. One of the challenges everyone will encounter when applying for a development job is that the employer will want to asses your technical skills.

There are a couple of ways that I have seen employers do this so far. Some I like better than others, both from the standpoint of the developer being able to show their skill as the employer being able to effectively asses the developer’s skillset.
To name a few:

• A coding challenge via a site like Codility where you have to solve a couple of (algorythmic) problems within a set time frame (usually 60–90 mins.)
• A live coding/pair programming session (usually up to an hour) where you’ll sit together with one or two developers from the hiring company and where you’re asked to solve/work on a common (Android related) task.
• A take home challenge to write a small Android app usually around common tasks like getting some data from the network that then needs to be displayed on a (overview & detailed) screen.
• Interview where you will be interviewed by one or two…