Typical IT job interview questions in Australia for junior and graduate roles follow a predictable pattern once you’ve been through a few. I bombed my first three IT interviews after arriving in Melbourne. Not because I couldn’t code or didn’t know my stuff technically, but because I had no idea how Australian tech interviews actually worked.
Back home, technical interviews were almost entirely about proving you could solve algorithm problems on a whiteboard. Here, I walked into my first interview prepared to reverse a binary tree, and the hiring manager spent 40 minutes asking me about a group project I’d mentioned on my resume and how I handled a disagreement with a teammate. I wasn’t ready for that.
I’m now in my second year of a Master’s in IT at the University of Melbourne, and I’ve been through interviews at startups, mid-sized companies, and one of the big four banks. I’ve had phone screens, technical assessments, pair programming sessions, and panel interviews. Some went well. Some were disasters. All of them taught me something.
So here’s everything I’ve learned about typical IT job interview questions in Australia for junior and graduate positions, including the exact questions I was asked and how I’d answer them now.
How Australian IT Interviews Are Structured
Before diving into specific questions, you need to understand the typical interview process for graduate and junior IT roles here. It’s usually not a single interview. Most companies use a multi-stage approach.
Stage 1: Initial screening. Usually a 20 to 30 minute phone or video call with a recruiter or HR person. They’re checking if you meet the basic requirements, can communicate clearly, and have realistic salary expectations. Technical depth is minimal here.
Stage 2: Technical assessment. This varies wildly. Some companies send a take-home coding challenge. Others use platforms like HackerRank or Codility. Some skip this entirely and do live coding in the next round. For graduate programs at larger companies, there might be an online aptitude test covering logical reasoning and numerical skills.
Stage 3: Technical interview. Usually 45 to 60 minutes with one or two developers or tech leads. They’ll dig into your technical knowledge, problem-solving approach, and often your past projects. Expect coding on a shared screen or whiteboard.
Stage 4: Behavioural and cultural fit. Sometimes combined with the technical round, sometimes separate. This is where they assess whether you’ll actually function well in their team. Don’t underestimate this part. I’ve seen technically brilliant candidates get rejected here.
Stage 5: Final round or panel. For graduate programs especially, there might be a final panel interview or assessment centre with group activities. Smaller companies often skip this.
Not every company follows this exact structure. Startups might compress everything into two conversations. Big corporates might stretch it across six weeks and four rounds. But the question types remain consistent.
Technical Interview Questions
Let’s start with what most people worry about: the technical stuff. For junior and graduate roles, they’re not expecting you to architect distributed systems. They want to see that you understand fundamentals and can think logically through problems.
“Can you explain [fundamental concept] in simple terms?”
This tests whether you actually understand something or just memorised a definition. Common concepts they ask about include OOP principles, REST APIs, databases, version control, and basic data structures.
Sample question: “Can you explain what an API is to someone non-technical?”
Sample answer:
“An API is basically a way for two different software systems to talk to each other. Think of it like a waiter in a restaurant. You don’t go into the kitchen and cook your own food. You tell the waiter what you want, the waiter takes that request to the kitchen, and brings back what you asked for. An API works the same way. Your app makes a request, the API takes it to another system, and returns the response. You don’t need to know how the kitchen works. You just need to know how to talk to the waiter.”
They love analogies. If you can explain technical concepts simply, it shows you genuinely understand them rather than just parroting textbook definitions.
“Walk me through a project you’ve worked on”
This comes up in almost every IT interview. They want to understand your actual hands-on experience, your role in team projects, and how you approach problems.
Sample answer:
“In my last semester, I worked on a web application for a course project. It was a task management tool, kind of a simplified Trello. We used React for the frontend and Node.js with Express for the backend, with MongoDB for the database. I was mainly responsible for the backend API and the user authentication system. The trickiest part was implementing JWT authentication properly. I initially had tokens expiring too quickly and wasn’t handling refresh tokens correctly, which meant users kept getting logged out. I spent a weekend reading documentation and watching tutorials until I understood the flow properly. The project itself wasn’t groundbreaking, but I learned a lot about how frontend and backend actually communicate and how to debug issues when you’re not sure which side is causing the problem.”
Notice what that answer does. It names specific technologies, describes your actual contribution versus the team’s work, admits to a struggle, and explains what you learned. That’s much better than “I built a full-stack application using modern technologies.”
“What programming languages are you comfortable with?”
Be honest about your proficiency levels. They’ll find out quickly if you oversell yourself.
Sample answer:
“Python is my strongest language. I’ve used it throughout my degree and for personal projects, so I’m comfortable with it. JavaScript I’d say I’m intermediate in. I can write functional code and I’ve built a few React projects, but I’d still need to look things up regularly. I’ve also done some work in Java for a mobile development unit, but I haven’t touched it in about a year, so I’d need time to get back up to speed with the syntax.”
“How would you approach debugging this issue?”
They might describe a scenario or show you actual code with a bug. This tests your problem-solving process, not just whether you can spot the error.
Sample answer for a described scenario:
“First, I’d try to reproduce the issue consistently. If it’s intermittent, I need to understand under what conditions it happens. Then I’d check the logs to see if there are any error messages or warnings around the time it occurs. If that doesn’t give me a clear direction, I’d isolate different parts of the system to narrow down where the problem is. For example, if it’s a frontend issue versus a backend issue, I’d check the network tab in dev tools to see if the API calls are returning what they should. Once I’ve narrowed it down to a specific area, I’d add some logging or use a debugger to step through the code. Honestly, a lot of debugging is just being systematic and not jumping to conclusions about what the problem is.”
“Write a function that does X”
Live coding is nerve-wracking, but for junior roles, they’re usually not expecting LeetCode hard problems. More often, they want to see you can write basic working code and explain your thinking.
Common tasks include reversing a string, finding duplicates in an array, FizzBuzz variations, simple sorting implementations, or basic CRUD operations.
How to handle live coding:
- Clarify the requirements before writing anything. Ask about edge cases, input types, and expected outputs.
- Think out loud. Even if you’re unsure, explain your reasoning.
- Start with a simple working solution, then optimise if there’s time.
- Test your code mentally or walk through an example before saying you’re done.
Sample approach:
“So you want me to write a function that finds the most frequent element in an array. Let me just clarify a few things. What should I return if there’s a tie? And can I assume the array always has at least one element? Okay, so if there’s a tie, return any of them. My first thought is to use a dictionary to count occurrences of each element, then find the key with the highest value. Let me write that out…”
If you’re not confident with live coding, practice on platforms like LeetCode or HackerRank. Focus on easy problems and explaining your approach rather than grinding hard problems.
“What’s the difference between X and Y?”
These comparison questions test whether you understand concepts beyond surface level.
Common comparisons:
- SQL vs NoSQL databases
- GET vs POST requests
- Compiled vs interpreted languages
- Synchronous vs asynchronous programming
- Stack vs heap memory
- Agile vs Waterfall
Sample question: “What’s the difference between SQL and NoSQL databases, and when would you choose one over the other?”
Sample answer:
“SQL databases are relational, meaning data is stored in tables with defined relationships between them. You have a fixed schema, so you need to know your data structure upfront. They’re great when you need complex queries, transactions, and data integrity. NoSQL databases are more flexible. They can store unstructured data like documents or key-value pairs, and you can change the structure without migrating the whole database. I’d choose SQL for something like a banking system where data consistency is critical and relationships are complex. I’d lean toward NoSQL for something like storing user activity logs where the data structure might evolve and you’re dealing with high volumes of writes.”
“How familiar are you with [specific technology]?”
If they ask about something you don’t know, don’t bluff. But don’t just say “I don’t know” and leave it there either.
Sample answer for something you don’t know:
“I haven’t worked with Kubernetes directly, but I understand conceptually that it’s for container orchestration, managing how containerised applications are deployed and scaled. I’ve used Docker for containerising applications, so I have that foundational knowledge. Kubernetes is definitely something I want to learn properly. If this role involves it, I’d be happy to upskill. I usually pick up new tools fairly quickly once I have a practical reason to use them.”
Behavioural Interview Questions
This is where many international students struggle, myself included. Australian workplaces put heavy emphasis on cultural fit, communication style, and how you work with others. Being technically brilliant isn’t enough if you can’t collaborate effectively.
For a comprehensive breakdown of these questions, read my guide on behavioural interview questions and the STAR method in Australia.
“Tell me about yourself”
This isn’t asking for your life story. It’s asking for a professional summary that explains why you’re here and what you bring.
Sample answer:
“I’m finishing up my Master’s in Information Technology at Melbourne Uni, specialising in software development. Before coming to Australia, I did my undergrad in electrical engineering in Bangladesh, where I got interested in programming through some embedded systems projects. Since then, I’ve shifted focus entirely to software. I’ve built a few web applications for coursework and personal projects, and I did a short internship at a startup last summer where I mostly worked on their Python backend. I’m looking for a graduate role where I can keep developing my skills in a professional environment and actually ship code that real users interact with.”
I’ve written a full guide on how to answer “tell me about yourself” in Australian interviews if you want more depth on this one.
“Tell me about a time you faced a technical challenge”
Use the STAR method here: Situation, Task, Action, Result. Keep it structured but conversational.
Sample answer:
“In my database systems unit, we had a group project to build a data pipeline that processed large CSV files and loaded them into a PostgreSQL database. The issue was that our initial approach was painfully slow. We were inserting records one by one, and it was taking over an hour to process a file that should have taken minutes. My task was to figure out why and fix it. I did some research and learned about batch inserts and connection pooling. I refactored the code to batch inserts in groups of 1000 and reuse database connections instead of opening a new one for each insert. The processing time dropped from over an hour to about three minutes. It taught me that the obvious approach isn’t always the efficient one, and sometimes you need to step back and understand what’s actually happening under the hood.”
“Describe a time you disagreed with a teammate”
They’re testing your conflict resolution skills and emotional intelligence. The wrong answer is “I’ve never had disagreements” or describing a fight where you were clearly right and everyone else was wrong.
Sample answer:
“In a group project last year, we disagreed about whether to use a library for a particular feature or build it ourselves. My teammate wanted to use the library because it would be faster to implement. I thought we should build it ourselves because the library seemed overkill for what we needed and would add unnecessary dependencies. We went back and forth a bit, and honestly, the conversation got a little heated. Eventually, I suggested we each spend an hour prototyping our approach and compare them. When we did that, it became clear the library actually was the better choice. It handled edge cases I hadn’t thought about. I learned that being attached to your own solution isn’t helpful. Sometimes you need to test assumptions rather than argue about them.”
“Tell me about a time you failed or made a mistake”
They want to see self-awareness and ability to learn from setbacks. Pick a real mistake, but not something so catastrophic it makes them worry about hiring you.
Sample answer:
“During an internship, I pushed a code change directly to the main branch without proper testing because I thought it was a minor fix. It broke the staging environment, and the team spent two hours figuring out what went wrong. I felt terrible. My supervisor wasn’t angry, but he sat me down and explained why we have processes like code reviews and staging environments. It was embarrassing, but it completely changed how I approach deployments. Now I’m almost paranoid about testing changes properly and following whatever process the team has in place, even for small fixes.”
For more on this type of question, check out my guide on talking about weaknesses in Australian interviews.
“How do you handle tight deadlines?”
Be realistic. Don’t claim you thrive under pressure and deliver your best work at 3am. That’s not sustainable and they know it.
Sample answer:
“I try to break the work into smaller tasks and prioritise what’s actually essential versus what’s nice to have. If a deadline is genuinely impossible, I’d communicate that early rather than waiting until the last minute. In my experience, managers appreciate knowing there’s a problem early so they can help solve it, rather than finding out when it’s too late. When deadlines are tight but doable, I just focus, limit distractions, and accept that maybe the solution won’t be as polished as I’d like. Done is better than perfect when you’re up against a deadline.”
“Why do you want to work for us?”
This requires company-specific research. Generic answers about wanting to work with “great people” or “interesting technology” fall flat.
Sample answer:
“I’ve been following your company since I read about your migration to microservices on your engineering blog. The way you approached breaking down the monolith and the lessons you shared about what went wrong were really interesting. I’m also attracted to the size of the company. Big enough to have proper engineering practices and learn from experienced developers, but small enough that I’d actually get to work on meaningful features rather than just maintaining legacy code. From looking at your tech stack, you’re using technologies I’m already familiar with but also some I want to learn, which seems like the right balance for where I’m at.”
“Where do you see yourself in five years?”
They’re assessing whether you’ll stick around and grow, or leave in six months. You don’t need a detailed career plan, just show some direction.
Sample answer:
“In five years, I’d like to be a solid mid-level or senior developer who can own features end-to-end and maybe mentor junior developers coming through. I’m not sure if I’ll end up going deeper on the technical side or moving toward tech lead or architecture roles. That probably depends on what I discover I’m good at and enjoy over the next few years. For now, I’m focused on building strong fundamentals and shipping quality code.”
Questions About Your Work Rights
If you’re an international student, this will come up. Be prepared and confident. Uncertainty about your work rights makes employers nervous.
Sample question: “What’s your visa situation?”
Sample answer:
“I’m on a student visa which allows me to work up to 48 hours per fortnight during semester and unlimited hours during university breaks. I’m finishing my degree in November next year, and I’ll be eligible for a post-study work visa after that, which gives me between two and four years of full work rights depending on my qualification. I have my VEVO check details if you need to verify my work rights.”
I’ve covered this in depth in my guide on explaining your visa status clearly in Australian job interviews.
Culture Fit and Soft Skills Questions
These feel less structured but they’re assessing something important: will you actually be pleasant to work with?
“How do you stay up to date with technology?”
Sample answer:
“I follow a few subreddits and newsletters, but honestly, I’ve found that trying to keep up with everything is overwhelming and not that useful. Instead, I go deep when I need to. If I’m starting a project with a framework I haven’t used, I’ll spend a day reading documentation and tutorials before writing code. I’ve also found that building side projects teaches me more than reading about new technologies. Actually using something exposes the parts that documentation glosses over.”
“Do you prefer working alone or in a team?”
There’s no right answer, but extreme preferences in either direction are red flags.
Sample answer:
“Both have their place. For heads-down coding or debugging tricky problems, I prefer some uninterrupted solo time. But I also really value being able to bounce ideas off teammates, especially when I’m stuck or designing something from scratch. Code reviews and pair programming have taught me a lot. I think the best environment is one where you have collaboration when you need it but also time to focus without constant interruptions.”
“How do you handle feedback?”
Sample answer:
“I try to listen and not get defensive, which isn’t always easy when someone’s criticising your code. But I’ve learned that code reviews aren’t personal. If someone suggests a better way to do something, that’s a learning opportunity. I’d rather get critical feedback and improve than have everyone nod politely while my code causes problems later. I also try to give useful feedback when reviewing others’ code, not just nitpicking style issues but actually engaging with the logic.”
Questions to Ask the Interviewer
Always have questions prepared. Asking nothing signals either disinterest or lack of preparation.
Good questions for IT interviews:
- “What does the typical onboarding process look like for new graduates?”
- “What’s the team structure? Who would I be working with day to day?”
- “What tools and technologies does the team use?”
- “How do you approach code reviews here?”
- “What does career progression look like for someone in this role?”
- “What’s the biggest challenge the team is facing right now?”
- “How much autonomy do junior developers have?”
- “What’s the deployment process like?”
Questions to avoid:
- Anything you could easily find on their website
- Salary and benefits in the first interview (unless they bring it up)
- Questions that make you sound like you’re already planning to leave
For more ideas, read my guide on questions to ask employers at the end of an interview.
Different Interview Formats
Phone and Video Screens
Keep your answers concise. Without visual cues, long rambling answers are even harder to follow. Have your resume and the job description in front of you. Find a quiet space with reliable internet. If you’re doing a video interview, check out my guide on online interview tips.
Technical Assessments and Take-Home Challenges
Read the requirements carefully. I once spent hours implementing features that weren’t asked for, trying to impress, and ran out of time for the actual requirements. Prioritise working code over perfect code. Comment your work where appropriate. If you make trade-offs, document them.
Panel Interviews
These are common for graduate programs. Multiple interviewers, sometimes with different focuses (technical, HR, hiring manager). Direct your answers to whoever asked, but make eye contact with everyone. Don’t let the format intimidate you. It’s the same questions, just more people listening. I’ve covered this in detail in my panel interview preparation guide.
Assessment Centres
Some large companies use these for graduate recruitment. You might face group activities, presentations, case studies, and multiple interviews in one day. The key is to be collaborative in group activities without being dominating, and to stay consistent across all interactions. They’re watching your behaviour all day, including during breaks.
What to Do After the Interview
Send a brief thank-you email within 24 hours. Nothing excessive, just acknowledging the conversation and reiterating your interest. If you haven’t heard back within their stated timeframe, follow up once. Don’t pester them.
I’ve written a full guide on what to do after an interview in Australia.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Not researching the company. At minimum, know what they do, who their customers are, and what technologies they use.
Over-preparing for algorithm questions. For most junior and graduate roles, basic competency is enough. Spend more time on behavioural prep.
Being too humble. Australian culture values humility, but underselling yourself in an interview means they won’t know what you can do. State your achievements clearly.
Being arrogant. The flip side. Nobody wants to work with someone who thinks they already know everything.
Talking too much. Answer the question, then stop. If they want more detail, they’ll ask.
Not asking questions. It signals lack of interest or preparation.
Frequently Asked Questions
How technical are graduate IT interviews in Australia?
For most graduate programs, technical interviews are moderate rather than intense. They’re usually testing foundational knowledge rather than expecting you to solve complex algorithms on the spot. You’ll likely face questions about data structures, basic coding problems, and explaining concepts clearly. The behavioural component often carries equal weight to technical skills for graduate roles.
Do Australian tech companies care about GitHub profiles?
Some do, some don’t. Having an active GitHub with personal projects can help, especially if you lack professional experience. But it’s not mandatory for junior roles. If you do share your GitHub, make sure it’s presentable. A few well-documented projects are better than dozens of abandoned repos with default readme files.
How long does the IT interview process usually take in Australia?
It varies widely. Startups might move from first contact to offer in two weeks. Large corporates and graduate programs can take six to eight weeks or longer, especially if there are multiple rounds and assessment centres. If you’re in a process, it’s reasonable to ask about expected timelines so you can manage other applications.
Should I follow up if I don’t hear back after an interview?
Yes, but give them time. If they said they’d respond within a week and it’s been eight days, a polite email is appropriate. Keep it brief: thank them for the interview, express continued interest, and ask if there’s any update on the process. One follow-up is fine. Multiple follow-ups become annoying.
What salary should I expect for junior IT roles in Australia?
As of 2025, graduate and junior developer salaries typically range from $60,000 to $80,000 depending on the company, location, and specific role. Melbourne and Sydney tend to pay higher but also cost more to live in. Graduate programs at large banks or consultancies often sit at the higher end. Startups might offer slightly lower base salaries but sometimes include equity.
Is it okay to say “I don’t know” in a technical interview?
Absolutely. Saying “I don’t know” is far better than making something up, which they’ll see through immediately. But don’t just stop there. Explain how you’d approach finding the answer or what you do know about related concepts. Intellectual honesty combined with problem-solving instinct is more impressive than pretending to know everything.
Final Thoughts
Typical IT job interview questions in Australia for junior and graduate roles test three things: can you actually code, can you communicate effectively, and will you fit into the team? The companies hiring graduates aren’t expecting experts. They’re looking for people with solid fundamentals, the right attitude, and potential to grow.
I walked into my early interviews thinking technical skills were everything. I learned the hard way that how you explain things, how you handle disagreement, and whether you seem like someone people would want to work with matter just as much. Maybe more.
If you’re preparing for IT job interviews, spend time on both technical prep and behavioural questions. Practice explaining your projects out loud. Research the companies you’re applying to. And remember that rejection is normal. Most people apply to dozens of roles before landing their first graduate position.
For more on breaking into the tech industry as an international student, check out my guides on getting your first professional IT job in Australia and what Australian IT recruiters look for. If your resume needs work, I’ve also put together a strong resume template for IT and tech jobs.
Typical IT job interview questions in Australia become predictable once you’ve seen enough of them. Prepare thoroughly, be honest about what you know and don’t know, and trust that the right opportunity will come. It did for me, eventually.