Be prepared to take a test based on the required skills for that role. These tests might require you to write code, demonstrate your creative abilities or simply show you have a grasp of the general skills necessary to become a developer. Essentially, says Kevin Dunne, vice president of strategy at QASymphony, companies will be want to measure you up against your resume, which means you need to be honest about your competency in each skill.
While you want to present your best self on your resume, be careful not to over promise on skills or accomplishments. A hiring manager might be miffed if you say you’re fluent in a programming language, but your test doesn’t measure up. “I would recommend highlighting technical proficiency and also mention experience around picking up and learning new languages and technologies. The worst thing that a developer can do is oversell themselves for a role they will not succeed in, as they will quickly find the way out the door and the organization will be back at square one trying to fill that position.”
Be honest and upfront, it’s OK to say you have some experience in a language but are eager and willing to learn more, Dunne notes. People get hired all the time even if they don’t fit every requirement on the job description, especially if you demonstrate an ability to catch onto new concepts quickly.