A SharePoint developer is a software developer who creates custom sites or servers using SharePoint. They could assist with branding, web development, technical support, and the design of customized features to meet a company’s needs. If you are considering a career in this field, you may benefit from reviewing common interview questions. In this article, Pritish Kumar Halder reviews a list of common interview questions that hiring managers may ask a SharePoint developer and provide example answers for reference.
General SharePoint developer interview questions
Although working as a SharePoint developer necessitates developing a specific technical skill set, recruiters may wish to ask general questions to get to know a candidate better. This sets the tone for the rest of the interview and allows the interviewee to be comfortable in the interview setting. Some common general questions for candidates include:
. What three words would you use to define your working style?
. What are your long-term professional objectives?
. How did your education prepare you for this role?
. What non-technical abilities could you bring to this role?
. Why are you interested in working for this particular company?
. What made you decide to pursue this career path?
. Why are you looking for a new job?
. What qualifications do you possess that other candidates may lack?
. Are you able to identify any professional flaws retrospectively? If so, elaborate.
. Are you able to identify any professional strengths retrospectively? If so, elaborate.
Interview questions about experience and background
It is necessary for interviewers to know about your previous work experience, educational background and other professional qualifications to understand how good a fit you are for the job role you are interviewing for. Some sections of the interview may focus on your previous work and educational experiences. These are examples of such questions:
. What SharePoint features do you use the most?
. What SharePoint knowledge base do you already possess?
. How have you adjusted to the program’s modifications with each update?
. Do you have any previous experience with this program?
. What certifications do you have that are relevant to this role?
. What type of projects have you previously used SharePoint for?
. Which version of SharePoint do you have the most experience with?
. Describe a moment when you had to troubleshoot a SharePoint issue. How did you come up with a solution?
. Can you give an example of when you used SharePoint to help your team solve a problem?
. Do you have other software application knowledge similar to SharePoint?
In-depth interview questions
Understanding the extent of your knowledge and your expertise in using SharePoint can be another crucial aspect of the interview. The interviewer might ask a series of questions to assess the extent of your knowledge and evaluate your skill level. These are some in-depth interview questions:
. Could you describe the distinction between a team and a communication site?
. What are the different sorts of SharePoint permissions? What are some ways you may use these to finish a project?
. Can you explain how to use this software to build a list within a column?
. What kind of hardware do you require to run this program?
. Can you describe the components of a SharePoint module?
. What are the new features and upgrades in the most recent version of this program and how can you work with your team to adapt to them?
. In SharePoint, how do you make a workflow?
. In SharePoint, how do you make a list?
. What choices do you have for integrating user authentication into this program?
. What are the SharePoint software requirements?
5 common SharePoint interview questions with sample answers
These are some common interview questions for SharePoint developers with sample answers for reference:
1. Do you have any soft skills that enable success in this role?
It is critical to provide factual information about your skill set when an interviewer asks this question. This inquiry aims to gather more information about your professional qualities and aids the interviewer in determining whether you are qualified for the position in question. Interviewers who may want to learn more about you may want to evaluate your soft skills, in addition to software knowledge.
Example: ‘Besides SharePoint, I have a wide range of teamwork and communication abilities. I have years of experience partnering with other qualified experts to work on several career-significant projects. In addition, I have developed a broad set of analytical skills that enable me to comprehend the requirements of my teammates, managers and clients.’
2. What features do you use to manage projects in SharePoint?
When an interviewer asks this question, they may be doing so to understand whether you know how to use a specific feature of the application. If a firm predominantly utilises SharePoint for project management workflows, their hiring manager may prefer picking candidates who have experience working with those specific workflows. Before your interview, perform research upon the company and its operations, to learn more about how they use the application.
Example: ‘To manage projects, I employ several distinct features in SharePoint. To assign duties and generate visible updates, I use dashboards and other scheduling tools. I customise the project and its component workflows so that different teams can focus on their respective duties alone. Once a project is completed, I usually include resources that track project-related data and contribute to generating feedback from internal and external stakeholders. Each feature adds a distinct element to the workflow and they collectively improve efficiency.’
3. How long have you been working with SharePoint?
While you might have mentioned this information on your CV, an interviewer may inquire about your experience to have you share more details. It is ideal to give a response that accurately portrays your unique experience with the tool. You can also share anecdotal references that illustrate how your experience has grown or developed over the years.
Example: ‘Although I have only officially worked as a SharePoint developer for eight years, I have ten years of experience working with the application. After graduating from college, I started using it at my first internship. That experience gave me the motivation to earn a professional certificate in software development. I have used my previous work experience and education to continually improve my understanding of the program.’
4. Imagine you are building a workflow. How are method activity and event activity different?
The interviewer may pose a hypothetical question to ‌observe how you apply your expertise on the job. It is critical to provide structured solutions to these types of inquiries. Your response can illustrate your knowledge, skills, and abilities.
Example: ‘Method and event activities relate to distinct components of the process when creating a workflow. A method activity refers to the developers’ unique tasks, such as assigning a workflow. An event activity works differently and occurs in response to something that has already happened. The reacting event action may include alerting the team to the update after I update the task. The update itself is a method actor. I finish method activities every day and track their respective event activities to make sure the entire team stays on track.’
5. What are the various versions of SharePoint?
Since you are interviewing for the post of SharePoint developer, the interviewers may ask you about multiple versions of the tool. Your response helps interviewers understand how well you know the platform and evaluate how seamlessly you can perform in the role. You can answer this question by illustrating your knowledge of multiple SharePoint versions and their unique features and uses.
Example: ‘There are two versions of SharePoint. SharePoint Online is a cloud-based version of SharePoint that comes as a service with Microsoft 365 or Office 365. The developer organization is in charge of installation, patching, and updating for this version. Enterprises and professionals can purchase a license based on the specific features they require. SharePoint On-premise is the other version of this tool, where users and subscribers are responsible for the entire project management process. Installation, patching, and updating happen when the user schedules it. To manage the SharePoint farm, an enterprise may require a dedicated administrative team.’
Reference: https://in.indeed.com/career-advice/interviewing/sharepoint-developer-interview-questions
