33 Enterprise Java Interview Questions And Sample Answers

Updated 2 December 2022

The Indeed Editorial Team comprises a diverse and talented team of writers, researchers and subject matter experts equipped with Indeed's data and insights to deliver useful tips to help guide your career journey.

Before interviewing for a job, it is ideal to set time aside to prepare commonly asked questions for the role and the organisation interviewing you, as this can improve your chances of receiving a job offer. As a developer interviewing for an Enterprise Java (J2EE) job, interviewers are likely to probe your knowledge of the application and your proficiency in using it. Understanding what kinds of questions to expect and how to answer them can help you impress your interviewer.

In this article, we look at some typical J2EE interview questions, ranging from general to technical, offer some sample answers and explore a few interview tips.

10 Enterprise Java interview questions

Enterprise Java interview questions are typically more general in the initial stages and become more technical as the interview progresses. This helps recruiters to first understand who you are and whether you are a good match for the organisation. They consider things like how compatible you are with the company culture and management systems, for example, besides how well you might fit in with other staff members. Here are some general questions that you can expect to encounter:

If you had to describe yourself in one word, which word would you choose?
How would you describe your work ethic?
How do you stay motivated at work?
What are your top three strengths?
What is your biggest weakness?
What interests you most about this line of work?
Why did you depart from your previous employer?
Do you work better as a leader, solo, or as part of a team?
How does getting this job fit in with your wider career goals?
Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

10 Enterprise Java interview questions on background and experience

Another round of interview questioning typically revolves around your background and experience, as this tells the employers how qualified you are for the position. Recruiters often refer to CVs and ask about specific qualifications and experiences, which makes it important to remember the contents of your CV accurately. Here are some background and experience questions that interviewers may ask:

How many years of experience do you have with coding in general?
How many years of experience do you have with J2EE?
What background experience do you feel is most relevant to the job?
What do you think is the most important skill for professionals such as yourself to have?
What were your primary duties in your previous position?
What professional achievement are you most proud of?
Do you hold any relevant certifications?
How many programming languages are you proficient in?
How do you inform yourself about industry developments?
Do you have any experience with leading IT projects?

10 in-depth Enterprise Java interview questions

To understand your technical knowledge and skills and how valuable you might be to the company, recruiters often ask more in-depth questions in the latter stages of interviews. This may include specific questions about practices in J2EE, or they may ask you to define some industry jargon. Questions such as these tell interviewers how capable you are and whether you require further training. Some in-depth Enterprise Java questions recruiters may ask you are:

What are the components of J2EE apps?
What are Java Server Faces?
What is Hibernate?
What are some of the limitations of Hibernate?
What is ORM, and what are its uses?
What does connection pooling mean?
What is a servlet?
Can you name the different kinds of JSP tags?
Can you define URN?
Can you define EJB?

Sample questions with answers

To help you prepare for your interview, here are some questions relating to Enterprise Java that recruiters may ask:

Do you plan to obtain any relevant certifications?

Recruiters may ask about your plans to develop your skills going forwards, as this helps them understand whether you plan to increase your value as an employee. Both you and your potential employer can benefit from you continuing your education, as you gain improved career prospects and your employer benefits from a higher standard of work. By explaining which certifications you plan to obtain and how this may help you to be a more valuable employee, you can demonstrate your long-term value to the interviewer.

Example: 'This year, I plan to enrol in the Certified Java Developer programme, as I believe this can enhance my skills and equip me to be a more valuable employee to the company. By continually advancing my skills, I hope to one day progress to a managerial position or to lead my own development team. I also take an annual J2EE exam to stay up-to-date with changes in the industry and refresh my knowledge of terms and practices.'

What do you know about the organisation and why does it appeal to you?

Questions such as these help recruiters figure out whether you have a genuine desire to work for the company because of your goals or passions. Employees who want to work for a company for reasons other than money can be more valuable to employers, as it means they are likely to be loyal to the organisation. You can research the company's background and its brand to get a sense of what they stand for and their mission, which you can use to inform your response. By offering a personalised explanation of why the company appeals to you, you can demonstrate an authentic interest.

Example: 'Two things stood out for me when I encountered your organisation during my job search. These are your dedication to sustainability business initiatives and the fact that you allow flexible working arrangements for employees. Both are extremely appealing to me, as I am also a proponent of green initiatives and I love the idea of flexible working. It is a great opportunity for me to work for a company that reflects my personal values in terms of sustainability, and the chance to work flexibly so I can pick up my children from school provides me excellent convenience.'

What has been the most significant challenge you have experienced using Enterprise Java?

Recruiters want to see how the information you have provided, in terms of skills and experience, applies in work-related situations. This helps them to gauge your problem-solving skills and see how you use your skills and experience practically. As a result, they may ask a question like this. Answer directly by describing a situation in which you experienced a problem and intelligently solved it.

Example: 'The most significant challenge for me was not a technical one, but rather a memory challenge. This is because I struggled to remember all the terms relating to J2EE, as there are many terms to memorise, along with their definitions. To help solve this problem, I began bringing a vocabulary notebook to work, so that whenever I forgot what a specific term meant, I can refer to my notebook for assistance. This minor change made a positive difference for me, and after lots of practice using Enterprise Java, I no longer required the notebook to remember the different elements.'

Tips to help prepare for an Enterprise Java interview

There are a few things you can do to help maximise your chances of success prior to your interview, some of which are:

Review your CV

Interviews invariably revolve around the candidate's CV, as this document contains the relevant information that the employer requires to make a decision. It is always a good idea to read over your CV prior to an interview so that its contents are fresh in your mind and you can quickly provide responses. You can also make an educated guess which questions recruiters may ask by looking at your CV. If your CV states you worked for a particular company for a number of years, you can expect recruiters to ask about your duties and accomplishments there.

Review the job description

The job description also contains much important information that can help you prepare for an interview, so it is a good idea to familiarise yourself with it. Like with your CV, you can use the job description to predict questions the interviewer may ask and then prepare responses. It is common for interviewers to ask about the required qualifications and how you meet them, before moving on to the desirable qualifications and asking about them, too. Formulate answers that show how you meet the necessary qualifications, as these are the most important ones to satisfy, followed by the desirable ones.

Please note that none of the companies mentioned in this article are affiliated with Indeed.