[sqlburn]

Irrespective of the language or tier, a developer needs to know how to problem solve. You have to know how to get the requirements even if the customer doesn't know what they want. You have to be good at coming up with what-if scenarios. Then tell me how you pitched your solution to the customer. Did your solution resolve the customer's problem.

Remember, as a developer, everyone who asks you for "help" is your customer. Be it a CIO or your cube-mate.

If I am interviewing you, I want to know how YOU will solve my problem. Tell me about a time when you helped a customer solve a problem. What the problem was and how you gathered the requirements even when the customer didn't know what they wanted. Tell me how you helped a customer think about different what-if scenarios.

By you telling me a few stories like that, it will allow me to dive deeper into areas both soft and hard skills.

Having gee-wiz things in your portfolio is good but if that doesn't help the customer solve their problem, what good was it. Tell me how your gee-wiz things solved a customer's problem.