DWS Java Developer Interview Questions
& Process

So, the whole interview thing took about 2 weeks from start to finish and I got the job! The people were really nice, but definitely wear a suit. You need to know your salary number. Be solid on Java OO design patterns and Java SE stuff; if you got OCJP or SCJP, you're probably good. Heads up, this is a consultancy, right? They usually hire when they think they've got a client contract lined up. If that falls through, you could get cut from the process. During the phone screen, they might be in a rush to get someone for a client that needs them fast. They'd probably rather hire you if you can start in like 4 weeks. Some folks might not make it because of their notice period. It's super client-driven, so you gotta ask them when they need people to start by. It's a good idea to get the best salary you can. Consultancies tend to give slow raises year over year, so it's best to start as high as possible. Maybe give them a range instead of a fixed number to be safe.

First, there was a quick 5-10 minute phone call with HR to talk about my background and what I'm looking for, including salary. Then, a 15-20 minute face-to-face HR interview discussing my experience, the new role, and salary, mainly to see if I'd be a good fit and communicate well. After that, a 4-hour aptitude test, which wasn't programming-related but tested attention to detail, patience, and concentration. For that, it's best to go in well-rested and focused. Finally, a 30-40 minute technical interview with a senior consultant, focusing on my experience and technologies used. They showed me some program examples and asked how to optimize them, and inquired about design patterns I've used and my reasons for choosing them. The whole process took about 2 weeks, and I received an offer letter within that time.

The process had three stages. Stage 1 was with HR, which felt unnecessary after already speaking with the hiring manager. Stage 2 was a tech interview. It was pretty high-level, covering a few common topics. Stage 3 was a written test with logical questions. It sounded boring to me, but others said it needed a lot of focus. Honestly, it seemed less demanding than getting a good score on IELTS.