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Junior Software Engineer interview questionsFrontend Development round

A 60 min interview plan with a time-boxed script, what each question is for, and the signals to score against. Key skills: HTML, CSS, vanilla JavaScript, responsive design, DOM manipulation, event handling, accessibility, and performance.

Coding Challenge

45 min
What this section is for

Purpose

Assess problem-solving, coding skills, and proficiency in frontend technologies.

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Build a Responsive Image Gallery with JavaScript Design and implement a responsive image gallery that displays a grid of images. When an image is clicked, it should open a modal window displaying the image in a larger view along with its caption. The gallery should adjust the number of columns based on the screen size. Requirements: Use HTML, CSS, and vanilla JavaScript (no libraries or frameworks). Implement responsive design: For screens wider than 600px, display images in a grid of 3 columns. For screens 600px or narrower, display images in a single column. Clicking on an image opens a modal overlay with the larger image and caption. The modal can be closed by clicking a close button or clicking outside the modal. Follow-Up Questions: How would you improve the performance of your gallery for a large number of images? How can you make your gallery accessible to users with disabilities? What considerations are there for cross-browser compatibility?

What this question is for, and what to listen for

Purpose

Assess proficiency in HTML, CSS, JavaScript, DOM manipulation, and responsive design, as well as problem-solving skills and ability to write clean, maintainable code.

Signals to score

  • Understands the requirements clearly
  • Breaks down the problem into manageable parts
  • Writes semantic HTML structure
  • Utilizes CSS Flexbox or Grid for layout
  • Implements responsive design effectively
  • Manipulates the DOM using JavaScript
  • Handles events appropriately (clicks, modal open/close)
  • Considers accessibility features
  • Writes clean, well-organized code
  • Explains thought process and decisions

Follow-up questions

  • Can you explain how you plan to structure your HTML for the gallery?
  • How will you handle the responsiveness of the grid layout?
  • What methods will you use to manipulate the DOM for opening and closing the modal?
  • How would you ensure the modal is accessible?
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If you had more time, what features or improvements would you add to your gallery?

What this question is for, and what to listen for

Purpose

Assess the candidate's ability to reflect on their work, consider enhancements, and demonstrate critical thinking.

Signals to score

  • Identifies potential performance optimizations
  • Suggests adding lazy loading for images
  • Mentions adding keyboard navigation
  • Considers adding image captions or descriptions
  • Proposes enhancing accessibility features
  • Thinks about adding filters or search functionality
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Great job on the coding challenge!

What this section is for

Purpose

Provides positive reinforcement and transitions to the closing part of the interview.

Closing

10 min
What this section is for

Purpose

Thanks the candidate for their time, provides next steps, and leaves a positive final impression.

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Do you have any questions for me about the role or the company?

What this question is for, and what to listen for

Purpose

Gauge the candidate’s curiosity and interest in the role.

Signals to score

  • Asks thoughtful questions about the team or projects
  • Shows interest in company culture
  • Inquires about technologies used
  • Asks about opportunities for growth and learning
  • Demonstrates enthusiasm for the role

Follow-up questions

  • Are there any specific projects the team is currently working on?
  • What technologies would I be working with in this role?

Junior Software Engineer interviews — common questions

Who is this Junior Software Engineer interview plan for?
It is written for the interviewer, not the candidate: the hiring manager, engineer or panel member running the Frontend Development round for a Junior Software Engineer role. It gives you a 60 min script to follow in the conversation — 3 questions with what each one is for and the signals to score against — so you are not writing the round from scratch the night before.
What does the Frontend Development round assess?
This round is focused on: HTML, CSS, vanilla JavaScript, responsive design, DOM manipulation, event handling, accessibility, and performance. It works through Coding Challenge and Closing, scoring against 21 observable signals, with follow-up prompts on 2 of the 3 questions for going deeper where an answer is thin.
How is the 60 min split up?
Coding Challenge (45 min), Closing (10 min). The timings are there so the round stays on schedule and every candidate gets the same shape of interview — which is what makes two candidates comparable afterwards.
What other rounds should I run for a Junior Software Engineer?

A single round does not cover a whole role. The other rounds in this library for a Junior Software Engineer:

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