Senior Programmer (IBM iSeries-RPG IV)
Posted Sep 24, 2026 · We last checked this listing on Oct 6, 2026
Likely interview questions for this role
Written from this job description, not a generic list. Each one notes what the interviewer is really checking.
About your past
Tell me about the largest RPG IV application you have built or maintained on IBM iSeries.
What they are checking: Depth of real-world experience on the platform, beyond basic maintenance work.
Tell me about a project you led from definition through implementation. How did you keep it on schedule?
What they are checking: Project leadership and resource management, not just individual coding ability.
How do you keep current on IBM i releases and enhancements?
What they are checking: Commitment to staying current on a platform that keeps adding new capabilities.
What would you do
A nightly batch job on the iSeries fails and users will be in at 8 a.m. Walk me through how you find the problem.
What they are checking: Troubleshooting method using job logs, spool files and debugging under time pressure.
A business user asks for a change that you think will cause problems elsewhere in the system. How do you handle it?
What they are checking: Ability to explain tradeoffs to non-technical users and recommend a better solution.
How do you work with network staff when an issue might be the application or might be the network?
What they are checking: Collaboration and shared troubleshooting rather than blaming the other team.
About the work
How do you approach converting fixed-format RPG code to free-format, and when is it not worth it?
What they are checking: Modernization judgment that weighs readability gains against risk to stable production code.
How do you use embedded SQL in RPG, and when do you prefer it over native record-level access?
What they are checking: Modern DB2 for i skills and understanding performance tradeoffs between access methods.
How would you measure whether an existing iSeries system is running efficiently?
What they are checking: Ability to gauge system and application performance, which the posting names as a core duty.
How do you document what you found when resolving a tricky issue so the next person can follow it?
What they are checking: Clear technical writing that preserves knowledge on a legacy platform with few experts.
What have you done to integrate iSeries applications with web services or newer systems?
What they are checking: Whether they can extend legacy systems with APIs and integrations to keep them useful.
Practice this interview out loud.
Offer builds a real interview for this exact role at Brown & Brown from your resume and this job description, asks the questions one at a time, and tells you what landed. The first one is free.
Practice this out loudThe full job description
As published by Brown & Brown.