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Right now, Google wants to interview me as a front end dev (I have an on site in a couple weeks). Thing is, I'm not; I'm a backend/ infrastructure person. But o

Right now, Google wants to interview me as a front end dev (I have an on site in a couple weeks). Thing is, I'm not; I'm a backend/ infrastructure person. But of their languages I knew Javascript the best. So they gave me a phone screen in that, which I passed; but can I handle an on site in something I haven't really touched in 5 years? Will I read as senior even if I pass?

mav3rick 8y ago
The hiring committee will not hold JS as the reason to keep you from being hired as a senior. Language is not a factor in hiring let alone level calibration.
- JimboOmega 8y ago
  It does sound like, per the other poster, I'll get asked a lot of front end dev questions , the kind that will be hard to answer since I have no recent front end experience (and the experience I did have was full stack anyway)
TACIXAT 8y ago
The interview is mostly algorithms. It's not gonna be front end trivia.
- chaosphere2112 8y ago
  The front-end interviews at Google are about half algorithms and half details about how web front-ends should work, be structured, web technology problems, browser performance, etc. It's an entirely different interview track from General SWE.
  - JimboOmega 8y ago
    How hard is it to ask them to switch me to something more backend? Is it impossible unless I know Another one of their languages?
    - didibus 8y ago
      Tell the recruiter you're a backend developer, and are interested in one of those positions instead. The backend interview lets you choose whatever language you want. You'll be asked algorithms, distributed design, code quality, and data-structure questions. Generally speaking, if you focus too much on a programming language / stack, it comes off as a sign that you're not a good fit, since you emphasize programmer skills, but they're looking for engineers. Except for particular roles, like front-end dev, where they're looking for programmers with experience in the technology stack itself.
  - TACIXAT 8y ago
    Good to know!

mav3rick 8y ago

The hiring committee will not hold JS as the reason to keep you from being hired as a senior. Language is not a factor in hiring let alone level calibration.

JimboOmega 8y ago
It does sound like, per the other poster, I'll get asked a lot of front end dev questions , the kind that will be hard to answer since I have no recent front end experience (and the experience I did have was full stack anyway)

TACIXAT 8y ago

The interview is mostly algorithms. It's not gonna be front end trivia.

chaosphere2112 8y ago
The front-end interviews at Google are about half algorithms and half details about how web front-ends should work, be structured, web technology problems, browser performance, etc. It's an entirely different interview track from General SWE.
- JimboOmega 8y ago
  How hard is it to ask them to switch me to something more backend? Is it impossible unless I know Another one of their languages?
  - didibus 8y ago
    Tell the recruiter you're a backend developer, and are interested in one of those positions instead. The backend interview lets you choose whatever language you want. You'll be asked algorithms, distributed design, code quality, and data-structure questions. Generally speaking, if you focus too much on a programming language / stack, it comes off as a sign that you're not a good fit, since you emphasize programmer skills, but they're looking for engineers. Except for particular roles, like front-end dev, where they're looking for programmers with experience in the technology stack itself.
- TACIXAT 8y ago
  Good to know!