My Job Seeking Experience as a Fresher

Before I begin, I have been busy with university exams, but I will attempt to resume writing three articles per week.

Note: This post is based on my experiences during campus recruitment drives as an undergrad student.

The recruitment process typically consists of three stages:

1. Preliminary Screening
2. Secondary Screening
3. Interview (Technical, Managerial, and HR rounds)

Preliminary Screening

During this phase, companies receive a list of students interested in applying. Candidates are primarily filtered based on their academic scores, though some companies may also eliminate those whose resumes do not align with their requirements. Most companies set a minimum GPA threshold of 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale) for eligibility. It is beneficial to optimize your resume to align with the job role you are applying for and to include relevant keywords.

Secondary Screening

All eligible applicants must take an aptitude and technical test in this phase. This test typically consists of several sections, including:

• English (Listening, Grammatical Corrections, Oral Skills, Vocabulary, Comprehension Passages)
• Technical (Data Structures and Algorithms, C++, Java, and SQL are commonly required by most companies, along with questions related to the specific position)
• Coding Questions (in a language of your choice): The number of coding questions usually ranges from two to three, with increasing difficulty. I recommend practicing on platforms like HackerRank and LeetCode, focusing on easy and medium-level problems, and, if possible, a few hard ones. While solving these problems, consider the following approach:
  • Visualize the Problem: Understand the problem using the examples provided; a pen and paper can be helpful.
  • Brute-Force the Solution: Start with an inefficient solution to test your approach.
  • Check Your Logic: Review your logic if the initial solution fails.
  • Seek Guidance: If you are still struggling, check the solutions tab on the problem’s page or utilize AI tools like Perplexity.ai or ChatGPT. You might prompt the tool with, “I’m attempting to solve (insert problem name) from (website name), and this is my solution; where am I going wrong?” Evaluate the responses and ask follow-up questions as needed.

Interview

Upon successfully clearing the secondary screening phase, you will enter the final interview phase, which typically consists of two to three rounds. These may include Technical and Managerial rounds or a combination of Technical, Managerial, and HR rounds. I will focus on the Technical and Managerial rounds, as many companies do not conduct separate HR interviews.

• Technical Round: During this round, you will be asked questions about fundamental topics, usually covering Object-Oriented Programming, Data Structures, and Algorithms. Questions will also be asked from your resume, so you must be familiar with the projects you have listed and any specific programming languages or tools mentioned. A solid intermediate understanding of your chosen languages and tools should suffice.

• Managerial Round: This round generally features non-technical questions. The interviewer may ask how you handle conflict, plan projects, ensure timely completion, and contribute to group efforts. Additionally, if you are considering pursuing further studies, it is advisable to keep this private, as many companies prefer candidates who can commit for a minimum of two years. Furthermore, it is essential to research the company, including its history, key leadership (CEO, CTO, CFO), and the nature of its business.

• HR Round: Although I have not personally experienced this round, it typically involves questions about your plans and an overview of the next steps in the recruitment process. The HR representative may also pose situational questions to gauge how you handle various scenarios based on past experiences.

To summarise the key points of this post:

• Master the OOP and DSA fundamentals and have an intermediate understanding of C++ and Java.
• Have a basic understanding of the domain related to the job, such as Cloud, Networking, or Web Development.
• Familiarize yourself with the company’s history and operations.
• Know your resume inside and out, and customize it to align with the job you are applying for.