Greetings, everyone!
I am Vanshika Rathod currently pursuing MTech. integrated course from IIPS-DAVV, Indore (2020-2025) , I am here to share my incredible interview experience with you all
I had the privilege of participating in the recruitment process at my college, where FICO offered three roles this time namely Software Development , Solution Engineer and Quality Assurance Roles.
After resume shortlisting ,nearly 500 to 550 students had the privilege to give the online test and out of them only 39 aced it to the Interview round. My journey through the FICO interview process consisted of six rounds, yes that's what it took us to join a pioneering and reputed company like FICO , I’d like to take you through each of them.
Round 1 : (Coding Round)
In this round, there were a total of 18 questions, comprising 2 coding questions focused on Data Structures and Algorithms, and the remaining 16 were multiple-choice questions. The test had a duration of 90 minutes and was conducted on the Code-Signal platform, with no negative marking.
MCQ Section: The MCQ section included 16 questions, each carrying 5 marks/points. Approximately 6-7 questions were centered around Logical Reasoning and Quantitative Aptitude, while the remaining 6-7 questions were related to Computer Science fundamentals. The Computer Science questions covered various topics, including Object-Oriented Programming , Java output-based questions, and Design Patterns.
Coding Question: There were 2 coding questions in this round, both of medium to hard difficulty level, points 200 and 400 respectively .It was mandatory to code in java ,thus it is advised to candidates to be well-prepared to code in Java, otherwise they might end up losing the round just due to the language preferences. Even I faced this restriction due to my preference to code in C++.
After the online test, results were out within a day and to our surprise many of those were not selected who could not solve both the coding questions and so only around 39 students only made it to the next round in contrast to last year when 132 students had successfully received the interview invitations , I felt fortunate to be among those shortlisted, and it was an exciting opportunity.
Round 2: (Technical Interview)
Each of us who were shortlisted had different panelists, in my case interview duration was about 30mins (max) the interview was conducted on Zoom at 12 noon, 2nd August.
Interviewer/Panelist: Sandhya Ma'am
(NOTE : She was very humble and supportive throughout the interview period because I was nervous due to certain technical glitch on my side ,if any such problem occurs, just drink some water and hold a warm smile)
Technical – Round 1 Questions:
- Tell me about yourself
- Basic discussion on project, Technologies/libraries and basic functionalities used to make it?
- Asked me to rate in JavaScript ,cpp java, since they were mentioned on my resume skills section
- What is package in java, how are they defined and used/code syntax?
- What are classes, types of classes in java?
- Describe class vs object.
- What are constructors and it's types in java?
- Elaborate on any 2 Pillars of oops.
- What is Jar file ?
- Familiarity with C++ language, DBMS? (She was testing if really know the things I have mentioned so far)
- Lastly , she asked me if I had any queries.
I wasn’t asked much about DSA problem because she might have visited LeetCode profile during my interview and be impressed by it, since I had solved about 500+ problems which I think is remarkable enough to leave an impression. So personally I suggest having a good coding profile as it does matter in the Interview.
After a day we got the results , around half of the interviewees were accepted for the next round, however this time strangely many of the students were added in the final list for next round ,mostly those holding 8+ CGPA. Henceforth it is advised to not overlook CGPA , because the harsh reality is CGPA matters a lot in placements. So an important tip would be to manage getting a decent CGPA of 8.5+ since it helps a lot ,I have personally witnessed this
Key tips to crack interviews : Maintain good eye contact, display confidence, overcome the fear of rejection, give your best effort, make the most of your time, wear appropriate attire, and showcase your dedication and enthusiasm.
Round 3: GD-Group Discussion Round (Offline- 5th August)
NOTE: The rule to crack this round is that there are no rules, because our strategies failed to work but keep calm and keep interacting throughout to increase your chances of getting selected.
All of us were asked of divided into two groups about 15 students in each group.
There were 2 topics :-
- Topic 1: Social Networking: Pros and Cons
- Topic 2: AI in HealthCare: Pros and Cons
Step 1: Open Discussion
Step 2: Half of the group were made to speak for the motion and the others were made to speak against the motion.
Step 3: Roles were swapped i.e. those who spoke for the motion were made to speak against the topic and vice-versa.
Step 4: 20seconds conclusion from every one individually.
Result was out immediately after a lot of anticipation and nervousness we were informed that only around 24 out of 34 students were privileged to sit in the subsequent round.
Tips for GD: Be a team player, listen actively, initiate the discussion, be concise, participate enthusiastically.
To give further details the process was not the usual HR round but the next round quite unexpectedly was a System Design copy-pen test , Henceforth it is highly advised to delve into all the technical subjects including System Design.
Round 4: System Design (Offline/pen-paper)
TOPIC: Topic was centered around the current affairs in trend i.e. Olympics ,So the topic given was "Medal Tally System"
This round comprised of designing all the three of below mentioned design within a fixed time bound of 15mins only:
- Conceptual Design (5 mins)
- Low-Level Design (5 mins)
- High-Level Design (5 mins)
Result: About 18 of us proceeded to the next round, this was quite unexpected round for us .
Although this time it was quite new to us, it is advised to be thorough with system design fundamentals.
Round 5: Technical Round 2:
Many of us including me were asked only managerial questions only since I had already faced an interview round earlier but many of us were asked about the technical concepts and DSA too who came direct in the GD round.
Questions:
- What did you eat today?
- Where do you stay?
- Will it be comfortable for you to relocate to Bangalore?
- What do you feel about Indore ,favorite food here?
- What do you like doing in spare time?
- What kind of a person you are?
- What do your friends tell about you?
- Why 8.91 CGPA not 9+?
- What do you think whether you are a hardworking or intelligent?
- Family Background?
- Ratings and proficiency in programming languages
- About the course, is it integrated course?
- Any questions?
Simultaneously HR round was also going on and only few of us were sent to the HR Round.
Round 6: HR Round
- Are you suitable for Bangalore location?
- Any plans of Higher Studies?
- Family Background
- Discussion on preferred role and flexibility for other roles.
- Any questions/queries.
Verdict : SELECTED
I was elated to be informed that I was among the 9 selects who got selected, roles were also immediately assigned to us after suspenseful wait of 10 to 20 minutes, the results got disclosed.
The entire process was a roller-coaster of emotions, I would like to thank someone who was continuous source of motivation and guidance to me. Looking forward to starting a new chapter of my life.
I hope my experience inspires and encourages fellow students to persevere and never lose hope, no matter how challenging the journey may be. Thank you for listening to my interview experience!