Microservices
Microservices is a modern way of building large software applications by breaking them down into smaller, independent pieces that work together. Think of it like a restaurant where instead of one huge kitchen doing everything, you have separate stations for salads, grilling, desserts, etc. - each specialized and working independently but creating a complete meal together. This approach makes it easier to update or fix parts of the application without disturbing the whole system. It's different from the traditional "monolithic" approach where all parts of the software are tightly connected in one big package. Companies like Netflix, Amazon, and Uber use this approach to handle their large-scale applications efficiently.
Examples in Resumes
Designed and implemented Microservices architecture for customer payment system
Led migration from monolithic system to Microservices based architecture
Built scalable Microservice solutions handling over 1 million daily users
Developed independent Microservices for user authentication and notification systems
Typical job title: "Microservices Architects"
Also try searching for:
Where to Find Microservices Architects
Online Communities
Professional Networks
Conferences & Events
Example Interview Questions
Senior Level Questions
Q: How would you handle communication between different microservices in a large system?
Expected Answer: A senior candidate should explain different communication methods like direct calls, message queues, and event-driven approaches. They should discuss trade-offs between reliability and speed, and mention monitoring and error handling strategies.
Q: How do you ensure system reliability when multiple microservices are involved?
Expected Answer: Look for answers about backup plans when services fail, monitoring system health, and strategies to prevent system-wide failures when one service has problems. They should mention concepts like circuit breakers and fallback options.
Mid Level Questions
Q: What are the main benefits and challenges of using microservices?
Expected Answer: Should discuss advantages like easier updates and scaling of individual services, and challenges like managing communication between services and ensuring consistent data across the system.
Q: How do you decide when to split a service into smaller services?
Expected Answer: Should explain how to identify when a service is doing too many things and how to break it down based on business functions or data management needs.
Junior Level Questions
Q: What is a microservice and how is it different from traditional applications?
Expected Answer: Should be able to explain that microservices are small, independent pieces of a larger application, unlike traditional applications where everything is connected in one large piece.
Q: What tools have you used to work with microservices?
Expected Answer: Should be familiar with basic tools for building and running microservices, such as Docker containers or cloud platforms, even if experience is limited.
Experience Level Indicators
Junior (0-2 years)
- Basic understanding of service architecture
- Experience with basic cloud platforms
- Knowledge of container basics
- Understanding of API concepts
Mid (2-5 years)
- Design and implementation of microservices
- Service deployment and monitoring
- Understanding of distributed systems
- Experience with multiple cloud services
Senior (5+ years)
- Architecture design for large systems
- Performance optimization and scaling
- System reliability and fault tolerance
- Team leadership and project planning
Red Flags to Watch For
- No understanding of basic service communication
- No experience with cloud platforms or containers
- Lack of knowledge about system monitoring and reliability
- Unable to explain basic deployment concepts
- No experience with handling distributed system challenges
