Kickdrum

Role: Software Developer Intern (On-campus)

College: Not Specified

Interview Date: August 2023

Interview Type: On-Campus, Internship (6 months)

Result: Selected

Difficulty: Medium

Rounds: 3 rounds

Topics Asked: Data Structures (finding missing number, Group Anagrams), Algorithms, Projects (DBMS, database indexes, data structure used by SQL, sharding, DynamoDb internals), Behavioral Questions

Experience:

This on-campus interview drive for Kickdrum took place in August 2023, resulting in 5 selected students.

Shortlisting Process: Around 150 students who met the eligibility criteria (above 80% throughout academics) were considered. The first step involved filling a registration form and submitting a video answering three questions: goals for the internship and how Kickdrum can help, something learned outside college in the last year, and overcoming a significant adversity or challenge.

Technical Interview: The interview began with a brief introduction and general questions from the resume, such as the choice of programming language for DSA. The first DSA question was about finding a missing number in an array, for which both brute force and optimized mathematical solutions were discussed. The second DSA question was a medium-level LeetCode problem, "Group Anagrams," which was solved using a hashmap-based approach. The interviewer then inquired about projects, focusing on database choices and core development questions, including database indexes, data structures used by SQL, sharding, and DynamoDB internals.

HR Round: This round aimed to understand the candidate's personal level, values, principles, and cultural fit. Questions included "Who is Abhinav?", distinguishing qualities, what makes the candidate better than others, fundamental principles, major weaknesses and how to overcome them, and lessons learned from challenging experiences.

Overall, the experience was positive, and Kickdrum was considered a good company to start a career, offering opportunities to learn various tech stacks.