Hi Labs

Role: Software Engineer

College: IIT (BHU), Pharmaceutical Engg. & Tech.

Interview Date: Online Coding Test (02 Nov '22), Technical Interview 1 (01 Dec '22). Blog published on January 13, 2023.

Interview Type: On-Campus, Full-Time

Result: Selected

Difficulty: Medium-Hard (for coding questions)

Rounds: 3 rounds

Topics Asked: Operating Systems, OOPs, DBMS, C++, Data Structures & Algorithms (1-D DP, 2-D DP, Math, Graphs), SQL (group by, joins), Puzzles, Projects & Internships, Backend development (cookies, "Remember me" features)

Experience:

This candidate, a final year undergrad at IIT (BHU) pursuing B.Tech. in Pharmaceutical Engg. & Tech., secured an offer for a Software Engineer role during campus placements in 2022.

Round 1: Online Coding Test (02 Nov '22)
The test comprised 10 MCQs covering Operating Systems, OOPs, DBMS, and C++. Following the MCQs were two DSA questions of medium-hard difficulty. One problem (20 points) involved math, while the other (50 points) was based on graphs. The candidate answered 7 MCQs and the first DSA problem. Out of 162 willing candidates, over 100 were shortlisted, and 43 were further shortlisted for interviews after this round.

Round 2: Technical Interview 1 (01 Dec '22)
The interview started with an introduction and a discussion about the courses studied in Pharmaceutical Engineering. The interviewer then moved to a DSA problem based on 1-D Dynamic Programming. After a satisfactory approach, a second problem based on 2-D Dynamic Programming was given. The candidate began with a recursive approach and moved to an optimized dynamic programming solution, with further questions on the number of recursive calls and distinct solutions. The interview also included SQL questions covering `GROUP BY` and `JOIN` clauses, along with an easy-level SQL query. The "Blind Man and Pills" puzzle was also asked. The candidate discussed their project at Urban Company. Key takeaways from this round included thinking out loud, listing assumptions and constraints, sharing time complexities and edge cases, and being honest.

Round 3: Technical Interview 2
This round primarily focused on resume projects and internships. Two medium-difficulty SQL questions were posed; one required creating temporary tables, and the other was described as tricky, where the candidate followed hints but missed some edge cases. Questions on backend development, such as 'cookies' and 'Remember me' features, were also asked. The candidate communicated their limited experience in backend development and shared their basic understanding.