I applied for a position in November 2024, and the process turned out to be an interesting and enriching experience. Here's a breakdown of the journey:
Eligibility Criteria:
- Final-year student seeking thesis/internship opportunities.
- Academic background with strong foundational knowledge (0–1 years relevant academic experience).
Recruitment Process Overview:
- Initial Screening
- Technical Round
- HR Round
Round 1: Initial Screening
- Duration: Around 2–3 hours (online/offline exam center)
- Method: In-person (exam center)
- Focus: Aptitude and Data Structures & Algorithms test (TCS format)
Key Questions:
- Quantitative aptitude (math problems, logical reasoning)
- DSA coding and logic problems
Obstacles: Time pressure during the exam, balancing aptitude and coding questions
Round 2: Technical Round
- Duration: Approximately 40–45 minutes
- Method: In-person (on-campus)
- Focus: Data Structures and Algorithms, CS fundamentals (OOPs, DBMS), logic puzzles
Key Questions:
- Swap two numbers without using a third variable, STL, or XOR → Required to find alternate method (addition/subtraction approach)
- Print numbers in a given range that divide a number a
- Puzzle: "If 5 machines make 5 pens in 5 minutes, how long will 100 machines take to make 100 pens?"
- Puzzle: "Bird lands on a 50kg car on a 50kg limit bridge – will it still cross?"
- Puzzle: "How to divide a cake into 8 pieces using 3 straight cuts?"
- OOPs: Abstraction, encapsulation, inheritance, constructor overloading, method overloading vs. overriding, static vs. dynamic binding
- DBMS: 3-level view architecture, primary key vs. unique key, SQL JOIN query
- Some Java-related OOPs questions (despite C++ background)
Obstacles:
- Unexpected twist on the swap question (had to come up with a 4th approach)
- Some Java-specific OOPs questions despite primary focus on C++
- One puzzle was difficult to recall, but I attempted a logical answer nonetheless
Round 3: HR Round
- Duration: 10–15 minutes
- Method: In-person
- Focus: Behavioral and situational judgement
Key Questions:
- Have you faced any conflict in a team? How did you handle it?
- What if someone in your team refuses to work?
- If there’s a bug in the final product, would you inform the client?
- Are you willing to relocate?
Obstacles: None — The HR round was conversational and relaxed.
Post-Interview Reflections
- Company Culture Insights: Friendly and problem-solving focused. The interviewers encouraged thinking aloud and appreciated logical problem-solving.
- Work Environment: Conducted on campus, so no direct insight into company environment, but interviewers seemed supportive and professional.
- Benefits Highlight: Not discussed during this process.
- Evaluator Feedback: Positive overall. The interviewers seemed to value my honesty and ability to think on the spot, which helped me get selected.
- Suggestions for Improvement: It would be helpful if candidates were given clearer info about expected languages or topics to better prepare for language-specific questions.
Additional Information
The exam and interview were conducted smoothly and results were shared quickly. I was selected, which was a big confidence booster.
Final Outcome
I was selected.