You’re going for a mobile development interview. How can you show off your technical skills?

1 Know the basics

Before you apply for a mobile development job, make sure you have a solid grasp of the fundamental concepts and skills required for the role. Depending on the platform and the type of app you are developing, you may need to know different programming languages, frameworks, tools, and design patterns. For example, if you are developing for iOS, you should be familiar with Swift, Objective-C, Xcode, UIKit, and MVC. If you are developing for Android, you should know Java, Kotlin, Android Studio, XML, and MVVM. You should also be able to explain the mobile development lifecycle, from ideation to deployment, and the best practices for testing, debugging, and optimizing your apps.

2 Showcase your portfolio

One of the best ways to show off your technical skills is to have a portfolio of mobile apps that you have developed or contributed to. Your portfolio should include apps that demonstrate your proficiency in various aspects of mobile development, such as user interface design, data management, networking, security, performance, and accessibility. You should also provide links to the app stores where your apps are available, or to the source code repositories where your code is hosted. Be prepared to talk about the challenges, solutions, and learnings from each app project, and how you used specific technologies or techniques to achieve your goals.

3 Solve coding problems

Another common way to assess your technical skills in a mobile development interview is to ask you to solve coding problems or complete coding tasks. These problems or tasks may be related to the platform, the app functionality, or the general logic and algorithms. You should be able to write clean, efficient, and readable code that follows the coding standards and conventions of the platform. You should also be able to explain your code, justify your choices, and handle edge cases and errors. To prepare for coding problems, you can practice using online platforms like LeetCode, HackerRank, or Codewars, or review common mobile development interview questions and scenarios.

4 Demonstrate your knowledge

In addition to coding problems, you may also face theoretical or conceptual questions that test your knowledge of mobile development. These questions may cover topics such as mobile app architecture, design patterns, data structures, algorithms, frameworks, libraries, APIs, or tools. You should be able to explain these topics clearly and concisely, using relevant examples and diagrams if needed. You should also be aware of the latest trends and developments in mobile technology, and how they affect or improve mobile development. To demonstrate your knowledge, you can read blogs, articles, books, or podcasts about mobile development, or follow reputable sources and experts in the field.

5 Ask smart questions

During a mobile development interview, showing off your technical skills can involve more than just answering questions; asking smart questions can demonstrate your curiosity, interest, and enthusiasm for the role and the company. Asking questions can also help you learn more about the expectations, challenges, and opportunities of the job, and how you can fit in and contribute to the team. Some potential questions you could ask include: what are the main goals and features of the app or project; what are the biggest technical challenges or problems in mobile development; what tools, frameworks, libraries, or technologies do you use or recommend; how do you test, debug, and optimize mobile apps; and how do you collaborate and communicate with other developers, designers, testers, or stakeholders? Asking these types of questions can help you gain insight into the role and company.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?