Impressing My First USA Java EE Developer Interviewer: A Tale of Determination and Hard Work

After completing a degree in Mechanical Engineering, the Founder of MyExamCloud AI shares his experience and journey in the software industry. His story serves as an inspiration for others to work hard and follow their dreams in their chosen field.

"Looking back at my college days, I realize how precious and fun-filled they were, especially with friends. However, after completing my degree, I faced the daunting task of finding a job. Coming from a startup college, there were no opportunities for campus placement, and I had to look for job openings on my own. While I had studied mechanical engineering, I was determined to switch to the software engineering field.

One of the most memorable experiences of my job search journey was my first overseas interview for a USA-based company as a Java EE Developer. This was a completely new territory for me, and I had never attended such an interview before. Wanting to impress the interviewer, I decided to create an enterprise application in Java EE using JBoss and MySQL. This was not just for the sake of the interview, but also because my current company had no experience in Java EE projects, and we were solely focused on developing Java Swing applications.

With only 15 days left before my scheduled interview, I knew I had to work smart and fast. I started by researching how to design and code for Java EE applications and came across Sun's certification exam for Sun Certified Enterprise Architect. This exam covered the essential aspects of designing a Java EE app based on given business requirements, as well as concepts of UML and design patterns.

I grabbed the exam syllabus from Sun's website and started studying it meticulously. Being familiar with JSP, Servlet and EJB coding, due to my previous experience, helped me to grasp the concepts quickly. The exam also delved into hardware sizing and deployment architecture, although cloud computing was not as popular back then.

As I progressed with my preparations, I downloaded a sample Java EE application called "Pet Store" from Sun's website. This app followed an MVC design and was named WAF (Web Application Framework). It demonstrated the testing of business processes and exhibited the typical characteristics of a complex software product, such as the use of different technologies (AJAX, Java EE, JSF), a complex structure, database connection, and legacy code. It was easy to understand from a user's point of view and proved to be an excellent example for me to learn from.

Next, I had to choose which Java EE application to design and present to my interviewer. Keeping in mind my background as a Mechanical Engineer in a small mechanical firm, I came up with my own business requirements for a sample Java EE app. My app would cater to the needs of a mechanical firm, where daily tracking of raw materials and product deliveries are essential. This idea struck a chord within me as it was something I had encountered and worked on earlier.

Following Sun's Java EE architect syllabus, I created a comprehensive use case document for my business requirements. To develop my app, I had to choose a framework, and I considered open-source options like Spring or Struts. In the end, I decided to create my own framework similar to "Pet Store". I implemented two controllers - one to handle presentation events on the presentation tier and another for business events on the business tier.

To cover all the Java EE components and APIs in my code, I realized I needed to include JMS in my app. I used JMS to send messages from the front-desk staff's PC to the server for updating the old XL file. This meant that whenever any changes were made to the existing XL file, it would be automatically updated on the server through JMS messages.

Now that the coding phase was complete, I started designing the front-end of my app. While I was not an expert in web designing, I managed to come up with an impressive design by playing around with HTML, CSS, and JS files.

With everything in place, the next challenge was to showcase my app to my interviewer. I tried different approaches, such as accessing through a static IP, but failed due to my poor internet connection. I then decided to rent a dedicated Linux server and host my app online, which proved to be successful.

In the remaining days, I prepared for my interview by fine-tuning my demo app and creating a visually appealing power point presentation. This presentation not only showcased my coding and design skills but also highlighted my thought process and approach to solving problems.

On the day of the interview, which was scheduled at midnight my local time, I was brimming with confidence and excitement. The interviewer was impressed with my demo Java EE app and presentation and asked me some simple questions about Java EE and design patterns. To my delight, I was selected in the first round itself.

Looking back at this experience, I am proud of the determination and hard work I put in to impress my interviewer. It goes to show that with the right attitude, dedication, and preparation, anything is possible. Not only did I impress my interviewer, but I also gained valuable knowledge and experience in the process. This was just the beginning of my journey as a Java EE Developer, and I am grateful for the opportunity that came my way."

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