It is crucial for any company to identify the correct person who will elevate your business to great heights with their impeccable coding skills. Any coder’s technical skills must be measured using rigorous tests; however, if you hail from a non-tech background as an interviewer, you must ensure that your hire is the best fit for your company. Having friends from a developer background can help you obtain the essential
questions with ideal answers. You have to verify a candidate’s skills so that you cannot be fooled by their long stories and claims of knowing C, C++, and Python. C is a well-defined and structured programming language predominantly used for System programming and compiler development. It is a robust language and has
been the foundation for several crucial applications. It can never be truly obsolete, so you need a candidate that is well-versed and fluent in C. You need to know that a good programmer will learn the basics of C and data structures very well. They will also have great expertise in advanced C topics such as structures, pointers, and unions. You can verify their skills using a C programming test. This test will include-
- Basics of C programming
- Knowledge of functions and control statements
- Proficiency in data structures
- Debugging and developing skills through a coding challenge
- Knowledge of pointers, unions, and structures
The test spans a time limit of 60 minutes, which involves rigorous pressure tests that will stimulate the programmer and help you gauge how he will function in the face of deadlines. The test will have questions such as.
- MCQ/MCAs with basics of C
- MCQ/MCAs testing concepts of data structures
- MCQ/MCAs, which include advanced topics such as structures, pointers, and unions
- Hands-on programming tests that have debugging challenges and development skills.
The traits that a good C programmer possesses are
1. Passion
A passionate programmer will be a great addition to your company because they will look for a paycheck and work diligently to solve your company’s problems. Passionate programmers will find their hobby converted into a job, which means they will never be averse to working on new technologies because they constantly explore new areas of tech and improved platforms.
They will always bring new ideas and take every problem as a new challenge to conquer. They will always be excited to better themselves with the latest technology.
2. Engaged in self-learning
The inception of programming languages is constantly changing and rapidly evolving. Your company may decide to adopt new technology at any point in time shortly. The potential candidate must learn new languages and platforms as fast as possible, meaning self-learning plays an important role. The best programmer is like a fresh mud blob that can be molded into a clay pot every time.
They should understand the core concepts quickly and grasp their knowledge as fast as possible so that they can start developing the new product. A programmer in constant need of guidance cannot be hired because they are not ready to learn independently. They can’t last long because they need someone else to explain the logic and syntax regularly. The programmer must be adept at handling upcoming platforms and technologies. A company can advance only if constantly changing, evolving, and innovating.
3. A focused programmer is a good programmer
A programmer well-versed in the intricacies of the task will know exactly how to stay focused on the job. Your company needs someone who is a passionate coder who is also in sync with its goals, whether short-term or long-term. They cannot go off tangent because that will waste the time and resources of your company. They will try to utilize unnecessary new technology and ideas and delay completing the project. A good programmer will know the difference between using a necessary technology instead of a great one but unnecessary for the task.
4. An expert in the sub-domain
Generalists are programmers with a solid foundation in computer science with a vast knowledge of several technologies. They may be well versed in one domain. An example is the web development area: a developer with expertise in the front end(UI) and back end (business development).
The problem with generalists is that they can be great utility players but are often not adept with improved and new technologies. There are such rapid developments in today’s technologies that it is impossible to be the best in new technology. This is why most companies are looking for specialized talent instead of generalists.
They require experts in a specific technology sub-domain the company uses and a strong foundation in their domain and the fundamentals. A web specialist would be a person who is a whiz at the front end but not good when it comes to the back end. Your company’s specialized demands are crucial to being met, which can be done by hiring technical talent.
5. Team spirit is crucial as well
Developers have different styles when it comes to the approach to a problem. It may be sporadic that a programmer will have the same approach as another programmer. Since programming is a reproducible logic, addressing the issue will differ when two developers have been given the task. The hired programmer must be good at adapting to the team’s requirements and work on a code that considers that other people will also work on the problem later on.
