How To Hire A C Developer

C is a powerful language because it lets you work directly with the computer's hardware. This means you can control memory and access low-level resources which makes programs faster and more efficient compared to high-level languages.

C is the language of choice for writing system-level software like device drivers, virtual machines, and network protocols. The core of the Linux operating system is primarily written in C. Additionally, C's compact syntax and ability to build reusable libraries make it suitable for desktop applications, games, web servers, and database management systems.

C Developers: Why are they needed?

Many software and programs written in C are still around. And we need C developers to maintain them. Due to its closeness to hardware, C is used in system-level programming projects. Despite there being a popular demand for other programming languages, the usage and relevance of C are still high. Along with maintaining the legacy codes, there are still C developers who write new C codes every day and build new applications.

So, C developers are still around and their proficiency in the language is required in many niche projects. They are hired by many tech giants, like Google and Facebook.

Skills required

  • C (C89/90, C99, C11, or C18)
  • Object-Oriented Analysis and Design (OOAD)
  • Embedded C programming
  • Experience with Linux Environment
  • Multithreading
  • Design Patterns
  • Understanding of TCP/SCTP/IP
  • Problem-solving and Analytical Thinking

Job titles

  • Systems Programmer
  • Embedded Software Engineer
  • Network Programmer
  • Compiler Engineer
  • Software Engineer
  • Robotics Engineer
  • Security Engineer
  • AI and Machine Learning Engineer

How to Search for C Developers

LinkedIn

With thousands of professionals and technical experts, it’ll be easier to hire C developer that fits in your team.


While searching on Google, use Boolean operators like "AND," "OR," and "NOT" to refine your search. For example, "C developer" AND "Embedded systems" will show results related to C developers with experience in embedded systems. Using this it will become easier to find C programmers.


You can also use the "inurl:" operator to find URLs with specific keywords. For example, "inurl:resume C developer" may show C developers' resumes. Incorporate "filetype:" operator to search for particular file types, such as "filetype:pdf C developer resume" to find resumes in PDF format.


Some of the most popular LinkedIn communities where you can find C developers are Linux Developer, Embedded Software Developer Group, and Embedded Software Engineer Network, etc. These communities will make it easier for you to hire C programmers.

Online job boards

Post job openings on Indeed, LinkedIn, Naukri, Glassdoor, and Stack Overflow Jobs to find C developer that has all the skills your project requires. The job boards on these platforms enable targeted job postings, attracting skilled C developers interested in specific roles.

Developer communities and forums

Engage with C developers on platforms like GitHub, Stack Overflow, Coderanch, and other C-language-related forums. These are good platforms to find genuine C programmers.

Tech conferences and meetups

Attend C and software development-based events to network with talented developers. Search for the upcoming regional or global C Developers conferences online. Interacting with the developers can help you hire a C developer that is best fit for your project needs.

HackerEarth hiring challenges

Sponsor online coding challenges to find competitive developers. For instance, IPETRONIK collaborated with HackerEarth to run the Embedded Developer Hiring Challenge in 2023, to hire Software Embedded Developers. It will help you find the right C programmers for hire.

Open source communities

Engage with active contributors in C-related open-source projects. It can help you find portfolios and help you hire C developer who can work well with the team.

Online learning platforms

Connect with C-language enthusiasts on online learning platforms like Udemy and Coursera. It will help you hire C developer who is well-versed with the skills your project needs.

Local universities and coding boot camps

Collaborate with local academies and educational institutions to find aspiring C developers. These intensive programs equip students with practical coding skills in a relatively short time. Hosting information sessions or tech talks can also help create awareness about your organization and the opportunities you offer.

Social media channels

Use platforms like Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook to share projects and job openings. Engage with C Developer communities such as EmuDev, a Slack community. These communities have very active developers and can help you hire C developer that matches your requirement.

Referrals and employee networks

Promote employee referrals and leverage existing networks to gather recommendations. This can lead to hires who are not only technically skilled but also a cultural fit. Moreover, if you hire C developer recommended by one of your employees, who had worked with them previously, it will result in a smooth onboarding process.

Lightbulb Pro-Tip

Reddit is a great place to look for various C-related communities, including r/C_Programming, r/embedded, r/cprogramming, r/linux, r/linux_programming, r/Operatingsystems, r/networking, and r/NetworkingJobs, etc. You can also join the C Communities on Discord with thousands of members. These groups will help you hire C developer who is best suited for the job.

C Developer Hiring Assessment

The most common assessment framework for C Developers on HackerEarth includes

A combination of technical evaluations, coding exercises, and behavioral assessments. Here are some common components of the assessment framework:

Code completion task

Code completion tasks assess a candidate's understanding of syntax and their ability to write correct and well-formed code. It can help gauge their understanding of C libraries and tools. Include questions that will help you hire a C developer that best fits in your team.

Multiple-choice questions (MCQs)

A good way to assess a developer's technical knowledge of C-language concepts, language features, and best practices is through MCQs. They can help in evaluating a developer's understanding of C fundamentals.

Project-specific questions

In the C developer hiring assessment, you can also include project-specific questions. It can vary depending on your requirements. For example, knowledge of the Embedded software, Operating system, or Network level skills. You should choose to hire C developer who not only possesses fundamental knowledge but practical skills as well.

Language-specific questions

To hire C developer for your project, it's important to ask very basic and technical questions. You can include questions related to memory allocation, deallocation, string manipulation, etc. It can help you assess the candidate’s knowledge and skill sets.

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Steps to Create a C Developer Assessment on HackerEarth

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  2. Add questions from our library and create a test
  3. Send invites to candidates
  4. Evaluate our AI-assisted report and shortlist candidates

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Sample Questions to Ask a C Developer

  • Write a program in C to reverse a singly linked list
  • Write a program in C to implement Bubble Sort
  • Write a program in C to remove duplicate elements from an array in C
  • Write a program in C to count occurrences of a given character in a String
  • Write a C Program to print Prime Number in a given range

  • Which of the following memory allocation functions in C can be used to allocate memory for an array of integers?
    1. malloc
    2. calloc
    3. realloc
    4. free

  • Which of the following is the correct way to declare a 2D array in C?
    1. int arr[rows][cols];
    2. int arr[][];
    3. int arr[cols][rows];
    4. int arr[rows, cols];

  • What is the purpose of the fgets function in C?
    1. It reads formatted input from a file
    2. It writes formatted output to a file
    3. It reads a line of text from the console
    4. It scans input from a file

  • How do you handle memory allocation and deallocation in embedded C programs?
  • Describe the role of a timer interrupt in an embedded C application.
  • What is a state machine, and how can it be implemented using C in embedded systems?
  • What safety precautions do you take when directly accessing hardware registers in C for embedded systems?
  • Explain the concept of endianness and its relevance in embedded systems programming using C.
  • Explain the difference between a microcontroller and a microprocessor, highlighting their respective use cases.
  • Explain the differences between dynamic memory allocation and static memory allocation for variables in embedded C.

  • How does C enable direct memory manipulation, a crucial aspect of operating system development?
  • Explain the significance of the volatile keyword when working with hardware registers in an operating system kernel.
  • What is a system call, and how does C facilitate the communication between user-level applications and the operating system kernel?
  • What is the difference between microkernel and macro kernel?
  • What is caching?
  • What is the functionality of an Assembler?

File Note

These sample questions provided here are for interviewing early-experience talents. For more customized assessments for candidates with higher experience, you can contact our team at contact@hackerearth.com or request a demo here.

Guidelines for Writing Job Description for C Developers

Job title

A C developer job description should begin with a clear and concise job title that reflects the role, such as "C Developer", "Embedded Software Engineer”, “Firmware Engineer”, “Network Programmer”, or “Security Engineer". Hire C developer who is not only a good programmer but also has practical skills.

Job summary

While preparing for the C developer job description, you should also include a brief overview of the position, clarifying the key responsibilities and objectives. Describe what the user's primary focus is and how it contributes to the company's goals. It will help you hire C developer who is aware of those key points beforehand.

Responsibilities

The C developer job description should also outline the specific tasks and responsibilities that the C developer will be expected to handle. This may include:

  • Writing clean, efficient, and maintainable C code.
  • Developing and maintaining software applications using C tools and libraries.
  • Collaborating with cross-functional teams to understand requirements and translate them into technical solutions.
  • Debugging and resolving software defects and issues.
  • Conducting code reviews and ensuring adherence to coding standards.
  • Participating in the entire software development lifecycle, including design, development, testing, and deployment.
  • Keeping up-to-date with industry trends and advancements in C development.

Skills and qualifications

List the essential C developer skills and qualifications that candidates must possess, including, but not restricted to:

  • Strong grasp of C programming language fundamentals, including variables, control structures, and functions.
  • Ability to identify and rectify errors in code using debugging tools.
  • Understanding of arrays, linked lists, and basic algorithms.
  • Familiarity with stack and heap memory concepts.
  • Basic knowledge of using version control systems like Git.
  • Basic familiarity with sorting, searching, and algorithmic concepts.

Preferred skills

Mention any additional C developer skills or qualifications that would be beneficial but not mandatory for the role. The C developer job description can also include experience with specific tools, libraries, or domains.

Education and experience

Specify the educational background and professional experience required for the position. This could range from a bachelor's degree in computer science or a related field to several years of relevant experience.

Company culture and EVPs

Briefly highlight your company's culture, values, and any unique perks or benefits offered to employees that can help attract candidates who align with your company's ethos. It will help you hire C developer that not only possess technical skills but can also work well in the team.

Application instructions

In the C developer job description, you should write clear instructions on how candidates can apply for the position. Include details such as where to send their resume, portfolio, or other required documents. Also, specify the deadline for applications, if applicable.

Equal Opportunity Statement

Include a statement affirming that your company is an equal opportunity employer committed to diversity and inclusion. Incorporating these elements into your C developer job description can attract a broader pool of potential candidates.

Lightbulb Pro tip

You can always make your job descriptions more gender-neutral by following simple steps like using gender-neutral pronouns like ‘they/them’. It is also a good practice to map your developer persons to your job profiles before you post an open role.

Download our guide for writing better developer personas

How to Conduct C Developer Job Interview

Skill-first hiring requires that the developer interview process be designed to understand the candidate’s skill and experience in the given domain. You can consider the following guidelines when conducting a face-to-face interview with a C developer:

Conduct a real-time technical assessment

The interviewee would most likely have completed a take-home assessment before the interview. However, using the interview platform to assess skills in real time will tell you a lot about the candidate’s communication skills and thought process. A C developer hiring assessment can help you learn more about their skills.

FaceCode is HackerEarth’s flagship tech interview platform with a built-in question library you can use to test the candidate’s knowledge of C programming concepts. The built-in IDE environment can be used for assessing their ability to write clean, efficient, and maintainable code. You can also use the pair-programming method to observe their problem-solving approach, logical thinking, and attention to detail. It can help you in developing a tailored C developer interview assessment.

Learn how Facecode can make tech interviews easier

Understand the candidate's project experience and review portfolio

In the C developer interview assessment, ask the candidate about their past or current projects. Understand their work experience and how they contributed to those projects. Focus on the skills needed for the job. Have them explain a project they did in C, describing what they did and their responsibilities. You can also look at their portfolio or code samples if they have any to see how they write code, document their work, and how good their projects are.

Understand if they are a good culture and team fit

While technical skills are essential for a developer, the significance of cultural fit should not be overlooked. Hire C developer with not only good coding skills but also effective communication and collaboration skills to thrive in agile and collaborative environments. Evaluating a candidate's capability to work both independently and collaboratively in a team is crucial. Including this in a C developer hiring assessment will provide valuable insights into the candidate's problem-solving skills, communication, and adaptability. And it will be helpful in determining whether they are a good fit for the role and the team dynamics.

Additionally, this evaluation offers engineering managers a chance to exhibit their team culture and values, enabling them to find C developer who aligns well with the team's ethos.

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FAQs

If you are looking to hire c developer for your project you need to consider several key qualifications and skills. Firstly, they should have a strong understanding of the C programming language and its fundamentals, including memory management, pointers, and data structures. Proficiency in debugging and troubleshooting C code is essential, as it allows them to identify and fix errors efficiently.

Additionally, for specific C-based job roles, additional C developer skills may be required. For example, in embedded systems development, expertise in working with microcontrollers and low-level hardware interactions is vital.

Ultimately, the necessary skills will depend on the particular requirements of the position and the projects the C developer will be involved in. You should assess the candidate's proficiency in the relevant areas that align with the job responsibilities and the overall objectives of your organization. So, to hire C developer, you first need to understand the exact project and tool requirements.

For instance, in embedded systems development, knowledge of embedded-specific libraries like FreeRTOS or CMSIS, along with hardware abstraction layers (HALs), is crucial. In the realm of operating systems, understanding POSIX libraries and system calls is essential.

An embedded software engineer should have a strong foundation in the C programming language, as it is commonly used for low-level programming in embedded systems. They should be well-versed in C's memory management, pointers, and data structures, as these are crucial for efficient resource utilization in resource-constrained environments. Additionally, familiarity with hardware interactions and understanding of microcontrollers' architecture is essential for writing code that directly interfaces with hardware components.

Knowledge of embedded-specific libraries like FreeRTOS or CMSIS can aid in multitasking and handling real-time constraints effectively. Furthermore, an understanding of communication protocols such as UART, SPI, or I2C is valuable for interfacing with external devices. Overall, a deep grasp of C and its application in embedded systems is vital for an embedded software engineer to develop reliable and efficient software for various embedded devices.