Preparing for a job interview can be arduous, especially if the job requires technical expertise. XML interview questions are mainly designed to gauge an applicant’s expertise in XML and familiarity with compatible languages. Managers typically look for developers who they think will be an asset to the company. Below are some of the questions one can expect during the interview.
Among the dozens of potential XML interview questions, the one most likely to be asked is “What is XML?” While the question seems too obvious, there are still applicants that can be taken off guard by it. When answering this question, the applicant should give a concise answer that covers the important aspects of XML. The interviewer may ask follow-up questions to see how well the applicant knows the XML basics.
Follow-up XML interview questions usually consist of questions like “What is required when using XML?” “What applications can benefit from XML?” and “Give the steps in parsing XML documents?” An applicant would normally be expected to answer these adequately because the questions typically relate to actual job responsibilities. To keep the answer from being too long, the examples given should be those that would normally relate to the company.
XML Interview questions also check the applicant’s knowledge of other markup languages. HTML is one language used extensively with XML, and interviewers typically inquire about a developer’s understanding of HTML’s association with XML. Questions such as “What is the difference between XML and HTML?” and “How do you convert XML into HTML?” are likely to be asked.
An XML developer is ideally well versed with parsers. DOM and SAX are parsers that are frequently utilized by IT companies. As a result, the applicant should expect to hear questions like “What is DOM?” and “How does DOM relate to XML?” This question may be followed by “What is SAX?” and “What is the difference between DOM and SAX?”
During the interview, a hypothetical problem may be presented for the applicant to solve using the principles of XML. Problem solving is an attribute favored by many IT employers. Sample problems might include creating a search engine for XML or imbedding HTML into XML.
Every IT job interview is an assessment of the applicant’s overall capacity in his or her chosen specialization. When answering XML interview questions, the applicant must ensure that his or her other strengths are highlighted as well. In some cases, confidence in the delivery of interview answers can allow an XML developer to stand out among the competition and receive a job offer.
