In the current labor pool, thousands of developers use the C# language and are eager to join new, exciting tech companies. Choosing a new developer to join your team is a matter of finding the right, qualified candidate who possesses a mastery of the C# language and is a good fit for your organization.
When hiring C# developers, it’s essential to assess a range of skills the candidate may possess. These skills include hard skills, such as the ability to develop software in the C# language, and soft skills, such as the candidate’s ability to work well with others, contribute to the company, and work with their team harmoniously. Personality traits such as friendliness and optimism can be assessed, as well as the ability to take direction and criticism.
In this article, you'll read several interview questions and answers used to learn whether or not the candidates have the skills necessary for the job and are a good fit for your organization.
What Is a C# Developer?
C#, pronounced “C Sharp,” is a high-level, general-purpose, object-oriented programming language. The language was initially developed as an extension of the C programming language and is similar to the Java, C++, and C languages. A C# developer uses the C# language to create applications, software, or apps.
C# remains a popular programming language for developing a wide range of software for the .NET framework, particularly for internal software at companies and enterprise software solutions as opposed to commercial software. There are C# developers in the labor market who can help your company develop your next project, app, or program, ready to get hired today.
Entry-Level C# Developer Questions
Recruiting a developer online is a process of fielding candidates, verifying their credentials and skills, and asking the candidate a series of questions that can help you determine who is most likely to add value to your company. Ask the following questions to learn more about entry-level candidates.
Tell me why you’ve chosen to become a developer.
This question sets the interview's tone and lets the candidate shake off any nervousness. It is a common interview question that the candidate will likely expect to have to answer.
This question lets them tell you a little about their lives and gives a glimpse of their character. It is a chance to show you how important programming is to them while letting you see their enthusiasm for their chosen profession.
What is C#, and why have you chosen this language as your expertise?
Ask your candidate about their chosen profession, specifically the C# language. This question can get your candidate to speak about the language and its importance to them.
You can find out how much the candidate knows about the language, including its history, how it was developed, and why it was created. This answer can demonstrate their knowledge about how the language exceeds other languages or builds upon earlier languages, such as the C language.
What team projects have you worked on, and what was your role in them?
This question allows you to see how much of a team player the candidate is. You can glean some information from this answer and other answers about whether or not the candidate prefers to work on teams and if the candidate is likely to work well with others.
Mid-Level C# Developer Interview Questions
Below are some questions that can test the candidate’s knowledge of C#. The difficulty in these questions may differ depending on the experience of the developer you are hiring or if the employee will be in a lead role. More experienced developers may be asked difficult questions to test their knowledge and skills.
What does object-oriented mean, and how does it differ from other types of programming?
This is where the interview questions can get more technical. Breaking the question into two parts will allow you to learn about the candidate’s technical knowledge of object-oriented programming when approaching a block of code. It is a chance for the candidates to shine if they are experts in the programming language.
What is memory management in C#, and how is garbage collection used?
Garbage collection is a name for the memory management system in C#, which deallocates unused memory. This is an example of a technical question that a mid-level developer should know.
What is an abstract class, and how is it used in C#?
An abstract class is a base class that other classes can inherit from. Classes are declared with “abstract” before the instance of a class object. Mid-level candidates should be able to expand on this concept, as well as explain parent class, sealed class, and class programs.
Explain what LINQ is and how it is used.
Language-Integrated Query (LINQ) is a way to query data from different data structures or data types using a syntax similar to SQL. Mid-level developers should be able to use LINQ to get resources from various sources.
Which C# frameworks and libraries have you worked with?
There are many widely used libraries and tools for C# developers. This question can provide insight into knowledge of common language runtime, managed code and unmanaged code, and how the candidate can leverage resources to complete the job.
Senior-Level C# Developer Questions
Beyond just technical questions, questions for senior-level candidates can provide insight into the candidate’s advanced abilities, such as:
- Working on large-scale projects
- Leading teams and delegate tasks
- Formulating ideas for future projects
- How the candidate can add value to the company
Be sure to assess the candidate’s overall character throughout the interview process. You’ll want to evaluate their personality and leadership qualities, especially if hiring senior developers who will manage teams and delegate work. Ensure the candidate is someone the other team members will easily follow, get along with, and ultimately look up to for guidance and leadership.
Below are several interview questions to ask senior-level C# developers.
Have you worked on large-scale C# projects?
This question sets senior developers with more extensive experience apart and offers insights into how they deal with code organization and scalability in large projects. Ideally, senior developers will have the technical knowledge and the ability to delegate in these scenarios.
Have you worked on distributed systems?
This question lets the candidate discuss their experience building distributed applications with C#. It can show their capabilities with scaling and developing applications running on multiple networked computers or servers, such as web applications, data processing, or cloud computing.
What are some limitations with the C# language, and how do you get around them?
Not every programming language can do everything you want when developing software. Knowing the limitations of the language, software, and tools a developer uses can help them adapt and overcome challenges.
For example, C# is mainly dependent on the Windows platform. A .NET Core framework may be used on Mac machines to run code to get around this.
What are some projects you’ve developed in C#? Describe your workflow for these projects.
One of the most important questions to ask when fielding recruits to join your team is about projects the candidate has personally built or worked on using the C# language. The answer to this question shows that the candidate understands the abilities of the language and can use tools to create end products that show their software developing potential.
How can you use C# to add value to our company?
This question shows whether the candidate has real-world examples of how C# can help your company or if they have any ideas for future projects. It also allows them to explain and articulate technical projects in a way they may need to do with stakeholders or other non-technical team members.
Why Hire a C# Developer With Revelo?
When hiring your next C# developer, assess their skills, abilities, enthusiasm, and professional drive. If finding the right developer has been challenging, Revelo can help. Through our tech platform, we can assist your business in finding, hiring, and managing tech workers in US time zones. Developers are pre-vetted for soft, technical, and hard skills and English proficiency to ensure you’re getting top-notch talent. We also oversee compliance, payroll, and benefits so you can focus on growing your business.
Interested in hiring tech talent for C# development? Contact Revelo to get started today.