In this article, I share some common behavioral interview questions for software engineers.

The best way to use this article is to try answering these questions in English.

What attracted you to our company?

是什麼吸引你加入我們公司？

Example answer:

I've been following your company's work for some time, and I'm particularly impressed with the [mention a specific product or project, e.g., "your recent launch of the new AI-powered analytics platform" or "the open-source contributions you've made to the Rust community."] The innovation and technical excellence behind it are truly inspiring.

What specifically attracts me is the opportunity to work on challenging problems at this scale. Your company is at the forefront of [mention a relevant industry or technology, e.g., "building scalable, distributed systems" or "leveraging machine learning to solve real-world problems."] My experience with [mention a specific skill or experience, e.g., "optimizing large-scale databases" or "developing microservices architectures"] aligns perfectly with the work you're doing, and I'm confident I can make a meaningful contribution to your team.

Furthermore, I'm drawn to your company's culture. I've read about your focus on [mention a cultural value, e.g., "continuous learning," "collaboration," or "empowering engineers to take ownership."] This resonates with my own values, and I'm eager to join a team that is not only pushing technological boundaries but also fostering a supportive and growth-oriented environment.

be impressed with 印象深刻
My experience with ... aligns perfectly with... 我的經驗和...完全一致
be drawn to... 被某事或某人吸引或產生興趣
resonate with... 與...產生共鳴
be eager to... 渴望的

Why have you applied for this role and team?

你為什麼申請這個職位和這個團隊？

Example answer:

I’ve been following your company’s work in the [mention industry, e.g., fintech] space for some time, and I'm particularly impressed by your commitment to innovation and security. What specifically attracts me to this [mention the role, e.g., Senior Backend Engineer] position and this team is the opportunity to work on the [mention a specific project or domain, e.g., real-time transaction processing system].

My experience with [mention a specific technology or skill, e.g., building scalable APIs using Go and managing PostgreSQL databases] aligns perfectly with the responsibilities outlined in the job description. I noticed that this team is focused on [mention a team goal or challenge, e.g., re-architecting the existing monolith into microservices], which is a challenge I've tackled successfully in my previous role. I'm eager to apply my skills to solve similar problems here and learn from a team that's clearly at the forefront of this field.

Can you describe a challenging problem you faced on a project and how you solved it?

你能描述一下你在專案中遇到的一個難題以及你如何解決它?

面試如何回答「請分享你曾在工作上碰過的困難與挑戰，以及你是如何解決的」？

Example answer:

In one of my recent projects, I worked with a newly joined designer who was responsible for the design mockups, while I was the front-end engineer in charge of development. Since she was new to the team, we needed some time to adapt to each other’s working style.

The first challenge was that in our previous projects, our team had customized UI components and themes (such as fonts and color schemes) based on Material UI. These components could usually be reused across different projects. However, in this new project, the designer’s mockups had a completely different style, which meant our pre-built components and themes could not be reused directly. I discussed with my manager whether we should strictly follow the mockups. The benefit of doing so was that the product would look exactly like what the client had approved, but the downside was the extra development time. In the end, we coordinated with the client, and since they cared more about functionality than visuals, we decided to reuse our existing components and styles instead of fully redesigning everything.

The second challenge came after the mockups were finalized. I noticed that the designer mainly focused on the happy path and didn’t account for edge cases. For example, what if a bar chart contained a very large number of data points? For long data lists, should we use scrolling or pagination? For forms with many input fields, what are the validation rules? These were not clearly defined in the mockups. To address this, I reviewed the design in detail, listed potential issues, and helped her clarify them with the client.

The last challenge was adapting to a new design tool. Our company switched from Adobe XD to Figma because of a company policy. At that time, I wasn’t aware of the Dev Mode feature, so I had to develop using Design Mode, which slowed down my workflow. I communicated this with my manager, and he understood the situation and allowed me more time to complete the development.

From this experience, I learned the importance of clear communication, especially when working with new teammates who may bring habits from their previous jobs. It’s important to ask questions, clarify uncertainties, and also support new colleagues so that they can integrate into the team more smoothly.

coordinate with 與...協調、配合
account for 解釋（說明）、對...負責、佔據（數量或比例上）
clarify with someone 向某人釐清、說明或進一步了解某事
switch from... to... 表示從某個狀態/物轉換到另一個狀態/物
be aware of 意識到、察覺到
uncertainty 不確定性、不確定（或未知）的事物
integrate into 將...融入、使...成為一體、結合

How do you handle conflicts or disagreements within a team?

你如何處理團隊內部的衝突或分歧？

Example answer:

When conflicts or disagreements happen within the team, I always listen to others’ perspectives to make sure everyone feels heard. Then, I remain neutral and try to identify both the common ground and the differences between colleagues’ thoughts. After I take a deep dive to understand the situation, I propose potential solutions or compromises and encourage open discussion. If we can’t reach an agreement, it’s time to escalate the issue to our team lead. When solving this kind of problem, maintaining respect and clear communication is the key to handling conflicts effectively.

take sides 選擇某一方或偏袒某一方
deep dive (n) 深入地探討或仔細地研究
focus on shared goals 專注於共同目標
common ground 共同點

What are your strengths and weaknesses?

你的優點與弱點為何？

Example answer:

My strengths are that I always keep an open mind to explore new technologies and be open to others’ perspectives. If our projects require a deep dive into a new technology, I am willing to investigate it and share my knowledge with my teammates. In discussions, I share my thoughts when appropriate, but I also respect and follow my team lead’s instructions.

My weakness is that I am more sensitive to noise and smells than most people. For example, if there is noise around my working environment, it becomes hard for me to focus. Also, my nose gets irritated when I smell burning incense or paper offerings. I am aware that my colleagues don’t react as strongly as I do, so I think I am more sensitive than average.

To overcome this, I wear both earplugs and over-ear headphones to block out noise so I can stay focused. There were also several times when the smell of burning offerings entered our office. In those situations, I moved to our laboratory, which did not have the smell, so I could continue my work without being affected.

What Are Your Career Goals?

你的職涯目標是什麼？

Example answer:

回答職涯目標這個問題時，最好的策略是將你的個人目標與你所面試的公司和職位連結起來。

My short-term goal is to make a meaningful contribution to a high-performing team. I'm excited about this [mention the specific role, e.g., Backend Engineer] position because it will allow me to apply my skills in [mention a specific technology, e.g., building scalable microservices] while learning from the team's expertise in [mention another technology or domain, e.g., distributed systems]. I want to become a go-to expert in our core technologies and deliver impactful features that delight our users.

In the mid-term, my goal is to grow into a more senior role where I can take on greater ownership of key projects. I want to be a mentor to junior engineers and help shape the team's technical direction and best practices. I'm particularly interested in [mention a specific area, e.g., the architectural design process] and I believe your company's focus on [mention a company value, e.g., engineering excellence] would provide the perfect environment for me to develop these skills.

Looking ahead to my long-term career, I aspire to be a technical leader, either as a Staff Engineer or a team lead. I'm passionate about building great products and great teams. My ultimate goal is to solve complex, large-scale problems that have a significant impact on the business and the wider community.

take something on 接受（工作）;承擔（責任）
look ahead 朝前看，展望未來，作長遠打算