React Interview Guide E-Book

Sudheer Jonna

• Herausgeber: Packt Publishing
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 438

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2023

Beschreibung

Are you struggling with React job interviews, feeling hindered by the lack of knowledge or confidence? Look no further than the React Interview Guide. Complete with the latest features of the React library, this comprehensive solution will assist you in taking a definitive step forward in your career as a React developer.
This book systematically covers frequently asked questions and common edge cases encountered in React interviews. It goes beyond React to encompass other essential technologies in the React ecosystem, including routing, CSS, testing, and building Next.js apps. You’ll benefit from invaluable expert guidance, enabling you to address a wide range of React ecosystem questions swiftly as this book prioritizes interview readiness, sparing you the need to dwell excessively on individual topics before technical discussions.
By the end of this book, you’ll be thoroughly equipped to excel in any React interview, giving you an edge over your peers and significantly increasing your chances of securing your dream job.

Leseprobe

React Interview Guide

Learn all you need to know to ace any React interview and land your dream job

Sudheer Jonna

Andrew Baisden

BIRMINGHAM—MUMBAI

React Interview Guide

Copyright © 2023 Packt Publishing

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embedded in critical articles or reviews.

Every effort has been made in the preparation of this book to ensure the accuracy of the information presented. However, the information contained in this book is sold without warranty, either express or implied. Neither the authors, nor Packt Publishing or its dealers and distributors, will be held liable for any damages caused or alleged to have been caused directly or indirectly by this book.

Packt Publishing has endeavored to provide trademark information about all of the companies and products mentioned in this book by the appropriate use of capitals. However, Packt Publishing cannot guarantee the accuracy of this information.

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First published: November 2023

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Published by Packt Publishing Ltd.

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ISBN 978-1-80324-151-7

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To my wife, Poojitha, and my son, Viraj; without their support, this book would not have been completed as early as it has.

– Sudheer Jonna

To the programming tech community, for all the support and motivation; you are the innovators shaping the future. This book is a tribute to your outstanding dedication to making a living from working in tech. I hope this book serves to inspire the next generation of programmers to join this remarkable journey.

– Andrew Baisden

Contributors

About the authors

Sudheer Jonna is a lead software developer, writer, and solution architect within JavaScript and Java programming languages. Sudheer has worked on many large-scale applications, prioritizing robust architecture and high performance. He has extensive knowledge of single-page applications (ReactJS/VueJS/Angular), backend API development, SQL, and cloud and containerization technologies, enabling him to assist many developers in advancing their careers. He is also the author of four other books, and a blogger, speaker, and trainer.

Andrew Baisden is a software developer and technical writer skilled in using the JavaScript and Python programming languages. Andrew has worked for a variety of companies in various industries throughout his career. His skills and knowledge as a technical writer have helped and inspired many developers to start their careers in tech and advance their existing skills. He has an audience on social media of over 30K and actively contributes to the community.

About the reviewers

Anthony “Kharioki” Wagura is a software engineer with years of experience building across web, mobile, and blockchain teams, primarily in early-stage start-ups. With expertise in Javascript, React, React Native, GraphQL, NodeJS, and TypeScript, Anthony has built numerous web and mobile projects, including ticket management apps, ride-sharing platforms, e-commerce solutions, and fitness applications. Anthony is an active contributor to open source projects and has done a few talks on developing mobile applications with React Native. Most recently, Kharioki has been venturing into start-ups and has recently launched a start-up in the travel and tourism industry. His hobbies are woodworking and swimming.

Emmanuel Demey works with the JavaScript ecosystem on a daily basis. He spends his time sharing his knowledge with anyone and everyone, with his first goal at work being to help the people he works with. He has spoken at French conferences (such as Devfest Nantes, Devfest Toulouse, Sunny Tech, and Devoxx France) about topics related to the web platform, such as JavaScript frameworks (Angular, React.js, and Vue.js), accessibility, and Nest.js. He has been a trainer for 10 years at Worldline and Zenika (two French consulting companies). He is also the co-leader of the Google Developer of Lille group and the co-organizer of the Devfest Lille conference.

Venkat Rohith Saripalli is an experienced frontend developer with a strong grasp of various technologies such as React, Redux, Redux Saga, JavaScript, CSS, Sass, styled-components, responsive design, and web components. Rohith is also skilled in using Jest and Testing Library for testing applications. He also has a sound knowledge of TypeScript, Redux Toolkit, and Node.js, which he has utilized in his development projects.

Kirill Ezhemenskii is an experienced software engineer, a frontend and mobile developer, a solution architect, and the CTO at a healthcare company. He’s a functional programming advocate and an expert in the React stack, GraphQL, and TypeScript. He’s also a React Native mentor.

Table of Contents

Preface

Part 1: Getting Ready for Interviews

1

Bracing Yourself for Interview Preparation

Preparing your resume and cover letter

Differentiating between a resume and a cover letter

The significance of having an excellent resume and cover letter

Exploring types of resumes

Key elements of a good resume

Key elements of a good cover letter

Examining job descriptions

Identifying key skills and accomplishments

Common resume mistakes to avoid

Researching the company

Common cover letter mistakes to avoid

Building your GitHub profile or website portfolio

Benefits of building a GitHub profile or website portfolio for finding work

How to make your GitHub profile or website portfolio stand out from the rest

What kind of content you should include in your portfolio

Examples of innovative portfolio pieces and how they can help you land a job

Pros and cons of using a third-party portfolio building website versus DIY

Finding jobs to apply for

Understanding your career goals and targeting specific job postings

Utilizing job boards to search for relevant opportunities

Networking offline and online

Researching companies and learning about their current job openings

Using online resources such as Indeed to research salaries and more

Understanding the role of meetups and referrals

What meetups are and why they are important for job seekers

Tips on how to find the right meetup group for you

Benefits of attending meetups

How to get the most out of a meetup

The importance of referrals in getting a job

Tips on how to get referrals

Exploring interview tips

Preparing for a potential technical interview

Researching the company

Practicing your questions and answers

Dressing appropriately

Being confident

Following up after the interview

Summary

Part 2: Mastering the Core React Technical Interview

2

Understanding ReactJS Fundamentals and Its Features

Prerequisites to ReactJS

Introduction to ReactJS

What is React?

What are the reasons for choosing React for programming?

What are the major features of React?

Understanding JSX

What is JSX?

Why can’t browsers understand JSX?

What are the advantages of JSX?

Building views with elements and components

What are components?

What are the different ways to create components?

What is the difference between an element and a component?

What are pure components?

What is a higher-order component?

What are fragments and where do you use them?

Controlling component data using props and state

What are props in React?

Can you describe state in React?

What are the main differences between props and state?

How does React batch multiple state updates?

Can you prevent automatic batching?

How do you update objects inside the state?

How do you update nested state objects?

Understanding the importance of key props

What is a key prop and what is the purpose of it?

Learning about event handling

What are synthetic events?

How do you differentiate between React event handling and HTML event handling?

How do you bind event handlers in class components?

Understanding virtual DOM

What is virtual DOM?

How does virtual DOM work?

What is Shadow DOM?

What is the difference between Real DOM, virtual DOM, and Shadow DOM?

What is React Fiber?

Data flow and communication in React applications

Can you describe unidirectional data flow in React?

What are the advantages of unidirectional data flow?

How do you access DOM?

What are refs? How do you create refs?

What is the main purpose of refs?

How do you compare refs with state?

What are forward refs?

Managing state globally using the context API

What is prop drilling?

Can you describe context?

What is the purpose of context?

Understanding the server-side rendering technique

What is server-side rendering?

What is the main difference between server-side rendering and client-side rendering?

When do you need to use server-side rendering?

Summary

3

Hooks: Bring State and Other Features into Function Components

Introduction to Hooks and their purpose

What are Hooks?

What is the motivation behind Hooks?

Can you describe the rules of Hook usage?

Can I use Hooks inside class components?

Local state management using Hooks

What is the useState Hook?

Is it always recommended to use an updater function?

What is a useReducer Hook? How do you use it?

When should you use the useReducer Hook over the useState Hook?

Global state management using Hooks

How do you override context for a specific part of the component tree?

What would the context value be for no matching provider?

Performing side effects in React applications

How do reactive dependencies impact the logic inside the useEffect Hook?

How often are setup and cleanup functions invoked inside the useEffect Hook?

When should you remove an object or a function from dependencies?

What is the useLayoutEffect Hook? How does it work?

Optimizing the application performance

What is memoization? How can it be implemented in React?

Can you describe the useMemo() Hook?

What are the possible use cases of the useMemo() Hook?

What are common mistakes with the usage of useMemo? How do you rectify them?

When should you use the useCallback Hook instead of the useMemo Hook?

Accessing DOM nodes using ref Hooks

How do you avoid recreating the Ref contents?

Is it possible to access a ref in the render method?

How do you expose a subset of methods from a ref instance?

Learning about popular third-party Hooks

What is the useImmer Hook? What is its purpose?

Building your own Hooks

What are custom Hooks? How do you create them?

What are the benefits of custom Hooks?

Should you still consider using render props and HOCs?

Do you recommend moving effects into custom Hooks?

Troubleshooting and debugging Hooks

How do you debug custom Hooks?

Summary

4

Handling Routing and Internationalization

Technical requirements

Navigating screens and an introduction to React Router

What is the purpose of the React Router library?

How does navigating between screens work in React Router?

Routes, types of routes, and links

What types of routes can we use?

How do you create a route and a link?

Adding routes

Accessing URL parameters

Nesting routes

Dynamic routes

Error pages

Internationalization and localization

What is internationalization?

What is localization?

Adding translations and formatted messages

What are translations?

What are formatted messages?

Passing arguments and placeholders

How do we pass arguments?

How do we use placeholders?

Summary

5

Advanced Concepts of ReactJS

Exploring portals

What are portals? How do you create them?

What are the common use cases of portals?

How does event bubbling work inside portals?

What accessibility precautions are taken care of in portals?

Understanding error boundaries

What are error boundaries?

Is it possible to create an error boundary as a function component?

When do error boundaries not work?

Managing asynchronous actions with the Suspense API

What is the Suspense API? How do you use it?

Can I use the suspense component for any kind of data fetching?

How do you prevent unnecessary fallbacks during an update?

Optimizing rendering performance using concurrent rendering

How do you enable concurrent rendering in React?

Debugging React applications with the Profiler API

How do you measure rendering performance?

Strict mode

How do you enable strict mode?

Can you describe the list of development-only checks enabled by strict mode?

What functions are called twice in the double rendering process of strict mode?

Static type checking

What are the benefits of static type checking?

How do you implement static type checking in React applications?

React in mobile environments and its features

What is React Native?

What are the differences between React and React Native?

Can you describe the React Native architecture based on the threading model?

How do you perform navigations in React Native?

What are the benefits of the new architecture?

What is view flattening?

Summary

Part 3: Going Beyond React and Advanced Topics

6

Redux: The Best State Management Solution

Understanding the Flux pattern and Redux

What is the Flux pattern? Can you explain the data flow?

What are the advantages of Flux?

How do you differentiate Flux from MVC?

What is Redux?

What are the differences between Flux and Redux?

When do you need to use Redux?

Core principles of Redux, components, and APIs

What are the core principles of Redux?

How does Redux work? What are the main components of Redux?

Can I use Redux with non-React UI libraries?

What are the rules followed by reducers?

What is the difference between the mapStateToProps() and mapDispatchToProps() methods?

What is a store enhancer?

Redux middleware – Saga and Thunk

What is Redux middleware? How do you create middleware?

How do you handle asynchronous tasks in Redux?

What are the use cases of Redux Thunk?

What is Redux Saga?

How do you choose between Redux Saga and Redux Thunk?

Standardizing Redux logic using RTK

What is RTK?

What are the problems solved by RTK?

What is RTK Query? How do you use it?

Debugging applications using Redux DevTools

What is Redux DevTools?

What are the major features of Redux DevTools?

Summary

7

Different Approaches to Apply CSS in ReactJS

Technical requirements

Different ways to apply CSS

How do we import external style sheets?

How do we use inline styles?

How do we use Atomic CSS?

Exploring processors and CSS Modules

What are CSS processors?

How do we use CSS processors?

What are CSS Modules?

How do we use CSS Modules?

CSS-in-JS approach and styled-components and its usage

What is CSS-in-JS?

What are styled-components and how are they used in React projects?

How to use styled components in React applications

How do we use styled components?

Summary

8

Testing and Debugging the React Application

Technical requirements

Introducing React testing helpers

What is testing in software development?

How do we do testing in React applications?

How do you set up a test environment for a React application?

How do you choose a testing framework or library?

What are the fundamentals of React Testing Library?

Testing our software

How do we write tests for components, props, and events?

Managing data in our applications

How do we mock data for tests?

Why should we use mock data in tests?

Code execution using events and timers

What are events?

What are timers?

Using React DevTools for debugging and analysis

Summary

9

Rapid Development with Next.js, Gatsby, and Remix Frameworks

Using React as a full stack framework

What is Next.js?

What is Gatsby?

What is Remix?

Static site generation

Why should you care about SSG?

What are the advantages of using a static site generator?

Why are speed and performance so good in static websites?

Server-side rendering

What is SSR and why is it important?

How does SSR work? The fundamentals of SSR page loading

What are the advantages of SSR?

What are the disadvantages of SSR?

Adding page metadata

What is page metadata and why is it important for SEO?

What types of page metadata can be used for SSG?

SEO best practices

Summary

Part 4: Hands-On with Programming Tasks

10

Cracking Any Real-World Programming Task

Technical requirements

Preparing your development environment

Why do you need a good development environment?

What is the difference between an IDE and a text editor/code editor?

How do you set up a React development environment?

Choosing the right scaffolding tools or templates

What is scaffolding in programming?

How do you determine which project factors to take into account when creating a project?

Deciding on the application architecture

What do we need to think about when choosing an application architecture?

Testing your code

Why should you use version control while testing your code?

Which testing and change-tracking tools you should utilize for your code base?

Creating a Git repository with a README and sharing it

Why is creating a code repository with good documentation crucial?

How do you create a Git repository?

Summary

11

Building an App Based on React, Redux, Styled Components, and the Firebase Backend

Technical requirements

Scaffolding and configuring the project

Introducing Firebase services and configuring the application

What are the main features of Firebase?

How do you set up and configure Firebase for authentication and data storage?

Where do you put Firebase configuration securely in the project?

Implementing Firebase Authentication and its backend

How do you implement Firebase authentication for sign-in, sign-up, and sign-out scenarios?

How do you implement cloud store data operations? Can you explain data operations with any collection?

Building the Redux components for state management

How do you work with multiple reducers in a Redux application?

Building the presentation layer

How do you implement a custom button using styled-components?

Implementing business-specific UI components

Implementing application pages using UI components

Supporting internationalization

How do you achieve internationalization through an imperative API?

Implementing testing using the Vitest framework

Creating a Git repository with README documentation

Deploying the application for public access

Summary

12

Building an App Based on the Next.js Toolkit, Authentication, SWR, GraphQL, and Deployment

Technical requirements

Quick introduction to REST APIs

What tools can we use for testing our APIs?

Which features are available in a REST API?

What is the difference between requests and responses when making requests to a REST API?

Why is authentication important when using a REST API?

How can we use error handling when integrating with a REST API?

What is the difference between a REST API and GraphQL?

How do we fetch data using REST APIs and GraphQL?

Planning the application architecture including authentication, SWR, GraphQL, and deployment

Why are serverless frameworks such as Next.js a brilliant choice for building modern applications?

What authentication is available in Next.js applications?

How does SWR allow fast data retrieval?

How can GraphQL integration optimize our data fetching?

How do we deploy our Next.js applications online?

What strategies can we use for scaling and maintaining our application architecture as it grows?

Working on our coffee restaurant project

Building the business logic

Configuration files setup

Building the app

Building the presentation layer

Implementing testing

Creating a Git repository with README documentation

Deploying the application for public access

Summary

Index

Other Books You May Enjoy

Part 1: Getting Ready for Interviews

In this part, you will learn how to prepare yourself for React.js interviews. The chapter will cover how job seekers should prepare their résumés and cover letters, as well as covering the importance of having a GitHub account and portfolio website. Then, we will gain some knowledge about meetups and referrals and how they can help with finding work. We will finish by learning some additional interview tips.

This part has the following chapter:

Chapter 1, Bracing Yourself for Interview Preparation

1

Bracing Yourself for Interview Preparation

Finding a career that fits your abilities, interests, and objectives can be difficult in today’s ever-changing employment environment. It’s essential to devote time and energy to perfecting the art of interview preparation if you want to stand out from the crowd and obtain your ideal job. This chapter acts as your full road map, equipping you to confidently navigate the way to your next professional opportunity by providing useful guidance and essential insights into each stage of the interview process. In the next chapters, we are going to explore common interview questions for React developers as we get ourselves job-ready for working in this industry as JavaScript developers skilled in using the React framework.

As we go on an actual job hunt, we look at a number of resources to find chances, including LinkedIn, meetings, and referrals. We go through methods for utilizing your professional network, enhancing your internet profile, and accessing the untapped job market so that you have the knowledge and resources necessary to find a wide range of opportunities and develop enduring relationships. In this chapter, we will start by talking about your resume and cover letter, which are the foundation of your job application. These crucial records give prospective employers a summary of your qualifications and a look into your professional demeanor. To capture the hiring manager’s interest, we go into detail on creating appealing content, customizing your resume and cover letter to the job's needs, and improving their overall presentation.

Because we will be applying for React roles, it’s important that we tailor our resume appropriately so that it gives us the best chance of getting our resume in front of a hiring manager’s eyes. This can be achieved by including relevant buzzwords such as React, Redux, and Next.js, which are all related to the React ecosystem, strengthening our profile further as it becomes apparent that we are a candidate worth checking out due to the fact that we use the tools and technologies they most likely have on their job descriptions.

The next strategy to follow would be to have a process that can enhance our job search and make us more hirable. This can include doing things such as the following:

Having a GitHub profileCreating a personal website portfolio

This is especially important in the creative and technological sectors, where employers frequently want concrete evidence of your skill. We offer advice on the following areas:

Choosing projectsPerfecting your profileBuilding an interesting portfolio

With this information, we can showcase our technical expertise and also capture the essence of our individuality, which is great for highlighting our best work that makes us a stand-out candidate.

Finally, we provide priceless interview advice to help you succeed when it counts. We cover everything, leaving no stone unturned in our pursuit to ensure that you are well prepared for interviews, from preparing for behavioral and technical questions to mastering the art of communication and negotiation.

Starting this trip can be exciting and difficult, but if you have the correct attitude and follow the advice in this chapter, you can embrace the process and come out on top. So, be ready, and let’s start your road to mastering interview preparation.

In this chapter, we will cover the following topics:

Preparing your resume and cover letterBuilding your GitHub profile or website portfolioFinding jobs to apply forUnderstanding the role of meetups and referralsExploring interview tips

Preparing your resume and cover letter

We will be going through the process of creating a good resume and cover letter in this section, which is essential if you want to give yourself the best possible chance of doing well during the interview stage of your job search as a React developer. This is an area that can essentially have a big impact on whether or not you find yourself in a position where you have a constant stream of job opportunities coming your way. Having a good resume combined with an equally good cover letter is the first step to covering all of your bases—so to speak—by preparing you for any challenging outcome you might encounter.

Differentiating between a resume and a cover letter

We are now going to talk about the difference between a resume and a cover letter, so let’s get started. Essentially, a resume is a form of Word or PDF document that basically showcases a person’s work history. This is where you will be presenting all of your career experience up to the most recent date. Resumes can cover areas of interest such as your education, work experience, achievements, and skills. The main purpose of having a resume in the first place is to present your knowledge and qualifications to companies for whom you are trying to get hired, in the hopes that your profile will be strong enough to get you an interview. The first step is always to convince a hiring manager that you are a candidate worth shortlisting.

Cover letters, on the other hand, are documents that are no longer than one page. Their sole purpose is to accompany your resume, and both are oftentimes submitted at the same time for a role. A cover letter is not as formal as a resume, meaning that you can be a lot more expressive with your wording here. This is your chance to introduce yourself to the company and explain why above all else you are the stand-out candidate they should seriously consider hiring. We should use cover letters to highlight our best skills and experiences, with the goal of ultimately convincing the hiring manager and company that our resume and personality make us a potential good culture fit and that we deserve to be invited for an interview, at least so that we can prove ourselves. You can find a great example of a cover letter in Figure 1.1:

Figure 1.1: Cover letter

The significance of having an excellent resume and cover letter

Let’s now discuss the importance of having a good resume and cover letter and why they are essential for job searchers. It is far too easy to believe that you can make do with just a generic resume, believing that it is not a high priority and that your time would be better spent on other areas of the job search process such as doing job applications. We are going to break this down even further so that we can highlight the areas where having a stand-out resume and cover letter can work in your favor.

To do that, we will navigate the importance of making a good first impression, learn how to pass the screening process, understand which customizations to look into, learn how to sell your brand, and learn how to train yourself to go into an interview with confidence.

How to make a good first impression

When people meet us for the first time, they don’t really know anything about us. This essentially gives us a blank canvas where we are able to really sell ourselves to a new person and convince them that we are high value and worth getting to know. Resumes and cover letters are pretty much the introduction documents akin to saying “hi” to someone new or shaking hands when you have met someone new whom you would like to know. With well-written documents, we are able to set ourselves apart from the other candidates and hopefully put ourselves at the top of the shortlist.

In my experience, you need to be as friendly as possible and go into that interview with charisma and as much belief and positivity as you can create. Sometimes, it can be hard if, for whatever reason, you are feeling low or bad on the day, but you have to find a way to overcome it. I have gone to interviews when I was not feeling the greatest, and it negatively impacted the interview. Similarly, I have had interviews go well because I was in the right frame of mind on the day and knew what I was going to say. A strategy that works well for me is listening to music or meditating beforehand. Feeling relaxed or fired up for a challenge is really going to give you the strength you need to put your best persona forward on the day.

Passing the screening process

This is our time to show our potential new employer how good a professional we are. Resumes and cover letters are used to screen new candidates to see which ones are worth interviewing. If the content we are putting forward is poorly written, outdated, fake, or has too many grammatical, spelling, and other inaccuracies, then we are highly unlikely to get to the interview stage. In these instances, it can be common to experience rejections or even ghosting when you never hear back from them. Of course, there are many reasons why this could be happening; we just ran through a few scenarios.

I can remember an instance when I had a resume that had some spelling errors on it that I did not even notice and nobody mentioned. You would think that the spellchecker in Word would show them all, but that was not the case. I had some words that were all in capital letters, and the spellchecker did not see the typos. That’s why it’s essential that you double- and triple-check what you are writing. Even getting someone else to proofread it is a good option. They might spot something you missed.

Customizing your resume and cover letter

It’s now time for us to learn about customizations and how having a tailor-made resume and cover letter can increase your job prospects even more. If you create a tailor-made resume and cover letter for each role you apply for, then you can demonstrate that you have taken the time to read through their job description and that you are capable of showcasing how your current technology stack is a perfect match for the job. A custom profile is always going to stand out from a generic one. Sure—it might take a bit longer to create something custom for each application, but if that leads to even a few interviews, then it was clearly worth the effort.

I have had much success with doing this over the years, with my tailor-made resumes leading to more interviews compared to the generic ones that I just used everywhere. So, let’s say that I am applying for a React role. To better my chances of success, I would try to highlight all the React experience that I have. So, I would add links to projects that I have created in React either on GitHub or a live website. I am also a technical writer, so adding links to articles on React that I have published would help me stand out even more.

I could also take this a step further, and for each relevant role I could mention something about React, such as—for example—“integrated a Redux store and optimized the performance of the application, leading to faster load times for users.” Adding in keywords such as Next.js, Vercel, Netlify, AWS, and other technologies will improve our profile further because it shows that we are well versed in modern technical stacks.

Selling your brand

We are brands. This is an important concept that should be realized as we walk through life. Every time we meet somebody new, we have a chance to forge a new connection that can open up doors to even more life experiences. We use resumes and cover letters for marketing purposes because we are essentially selling ourselves and our ethos to new people. This gives us the chance to highlight our experiences, life achievements, and technical abilities, which are very hard to gauge from a normal job application.

This realization has led to me applying this mindset to everything in my life. Whether that is the content I create on social media or the emails that I send to clients, it’s all about having this brand and business professional ethos. People are more likely to believe in you if you can prove that you are a credible person.

Going in with confidence

When we put in the time and effort to create a well-made resume and cover letter, it can do wonders for our confidence. The more confidence you can show at the start, the higher the likelihood that you are going to perform well in the interviews. It really does make a difference when we go into something high on confidence, as opposed to feeling negative and downbeat. We attract what we put out into the world. The more positivity we can output, the more positivity that will come back our way.

I can’t think of many successful interviews I had when I went there downbeat and lacking confidence. People can really pick up on this energy, which is why it’s so important to be in the right frame of mind prior to going for that interview. There have been times when I was feeling low after facing multiple rejections and ghosting experiences, which happens to all of us. In those situations, it’s probably best to take a break from interviews, which is what I forced myself to do. The confidence will return over time. If you are getting burnt out, as I did, take a break.

In the next section, we will learn about the different types of resumes that we can create. Every job is different, so it’s important to learn about the variety of resumes that we have available to us and which ones are the most appropriate for each job.

Exploring types of resumes

It is critical to select a resume format that best emphasizes your talents and experiences and is relevant to the position you are looking for.

There are several varieties of resumes, such as chronological, functional, combination, targeted, and creative. Each one serves a different purpose. We are going to learn about the differences between them so that we can factor this in when it is time to create our own.

Chronological resume

The most popular resume format is a chronological resume. We can see an example of this type of resume in Figure 1.2:

Figure 1.2: Chronological resume

You start with your most recent position and go backward; it presents your employment history in reverse chronological order. This method displays your professional development and demonstrates how your talents have advanced over time. This style is well liked by job seekers and is my personal preference because it provides a concise and easy-to-understand account of employment history, enabling hiring managers to rapidly evaluate credentials and potential.

A normal chronological resume will begin with the candidate’s contact information in the header, then go on to a professional overview or objective statement, followed by a thorough listing of their job history. Each position will be documented with the title, employer, dates of employment, major duties and achievements, and any relevant skills or certifications acquired while holding that position.

Candidates with a solid work history and a distinct professional trajectory benefit most from chronological resumes since they can display their development and advancement over time. This style, however, might not be appropriate for persons who have little or no job experience, have had a long period of unemployment, or are trying to change careers or roles.

Functional resume

Instead of emphasizing your employment experience, a functional resume concentrates on your talents and competencies. We can see an example of this type of resume in Figure 1.3:

Figure 1.3: Functional resume

It showcases your successes and talents, and people have gaps in their employment history frequently choose to use this type.

A functional resume still includes the applicant’s employment history, but it is presented in a streamlined style without dates or job titles. Instead, the emphasis is on the accomplishments and talents that are most pertinent to the position they are applying for. Often, these abilities are categorized into groups, such as communication, leadership, problem-solving, and technical capabilities.

A quick synopsis or objective statement that emphasizes the applicant’s top qualifications might be included at the start of a functional resume. The resume’s last section could also include information about education and other relevant credentials. Although functional resumes can be an effective way to highlight a candidate’s abilities and accomplishments, some hiring managers might be wary of this style since it may be seen as an effort to hide a lack of experience or employment gaps. As a result, it’s crucial to make sure the functional resume is customized to the precise job needs and is presented in an open and truthful way.

Combination resume

This resume format incorporates aspects of both functional and chronological resumes. The resume includes a section on your job history as well as highlighting your accomplishments and talents. For job seekers with a varied work history, this style is especially helpful because it highlights both their previous experience and talents.

We can see an example of this type of resume in Figure 1.4:

Figure 1.4: Combination resume

With a combination resume, the candidate’s employment history is stated in reverse chronological order, but a summary of their most significant accomplishments and duties is given in place of a thorough description of each position. This enables the applicant to present their qualifications without going into too much detail.

A skills section is included after the work history section when the candidate outlines their main talents and accomplishments in a particular skill category. Technical ability, language ability, project management skills, and other talents can be included in this area, which is grouped in a way that is related to the position for which an application is being made.

A combination resume may also start with a summary or objective statement that highlights the applicant’s significant accomplishments and career objectives, and it may finish with information about the applicant’s schooling and other relevant credentials.

Targeted resume

A targeted resume is a kind of resume that is customized for a particular position or sector. It places emphasis on the knowledge and expertise that are most relevant to the position for which you are applying.

We can see an example of this type of resume in Figure 1.5:

Figure 1.5: Targeted resume

An applicant for a targeted position would often thoroughly read the job description before tailoring their resume to the position’s unique criteria. To highlight the applicant’s relevant experience and talents and to show how they fulfill the particular job criteria, it is necessary to make changes to the content and keywords in the resume.

A targeted resume style could start with an overview or objective statement that highlights the applicant’s strong education, training, and experience, as well as accomplishments that prove their suitability for the position. Although the candidate’s employment history and educational background will also be included, the emphasis will be on highlighting their most pertinent qualifications that match the job description.

In general, a targeted resume can be a good method to highlight a candidate’s skills and raise their chances of getting called in for an interview. It displays the applicant’s interest in the position and their capacity to customize their application to the requirements of the job, which hiring managers may view as a favorable indicator.

Creative resume

The advantage of using a creative resume is that it is intended to highlight your individuality and inventiveness. To stand out, it could use unconventional forms or incorporate visual design components. Creative resumes tend to be the most expressive forms of resumes as you can use your design skills to truly make you unique. These can be created using design tools such as Photoshop, Illustrator, Figma, and Canva, to name a few. There are also many online and template websites that can let us create these types of creative resumes.

Infographics, charts, photographs, and other design elements are all possibly included in creative resumes in a variety of formats. Candidates frequently utilize them in creative professions where a visual portfolio is crucial, such as graphic design, marketing, or advertising.

It is also possible to submit a creative resume in addition to a regular resume in order to give a more thorough and aesthetically appealing summary of the applicant’s experience and credentials. Ultimately, a creative resume can be a powerful tool for showcasing a candidate’s design prowess and originality, as well as for leaving a lasting impression on prospective employers. But it’s crucial to make sure the resume is still formal and simple to read and that it accurately and concisely conveys the candidate’s credentials and expertise.

Moving on, in the next section, let’s figure out some key elements of a good resume. It’s one thing knowing how to create a resume, but if we really want it to stand out from the crowd, then it’s important that we make it effective for our needs.

Key elements of a good resume

No resume is ever created equally, and although it can be common for resumes to be similar, it is well within our means to create a resume that can give us an advantage. We will now learn about some key elements that can help us make them less generic.

Firstly, it’s important that our resumes are well formatted and easy on the eye. Obviously, you should not have any spelling or grammatical errors because this can damage your image and credibility. It has to look professional. Bullet points tend to be the most effective way to describe each job role. Just break them down into points, and describe what you did in the role and how it had a positive effect on the business. Avoid writing paragraphs because they will make your resume too long, and hiring managers are more likely to avoid them because it slows down their shortlisting process. This is advice I received after talking to lots of hiring managers and recruiters. Overall, three to four bullet points tend to perform the best in this situation.

In most scenarios, we will be listing our work experiences in reverse chronological order. So, the most recent roles are at the top, and past roles are lower down. Keeping our resume updated and with as few gaps as possible is going to help us in the long run. To demonstrate our talents and abilities, it is a good idea to give particular examples of our successes. To measure our accomplishments, a possible solution would be to use figures and percentages to show the gains that we managed to achieve during our time working there. Putting in content that is related to React is essential because we are applying for React roles, after all. So, the more React-related experience that you can put in the experience section, the better. In one example, you could show how your experience has advanced. Let’s say that you worked on a code base that used the legacy class syntax, and then you updated it to use the latest Hooks syntax. That shows that you can work with legacy code bases and are familiar with the latest syntax too, and these are great traits for a programmer to have: problem-solving and being able to adapt to different situations.