Education: B.Tech in CSE, Tier 3 College
Years of Experience: Fresher
Level: Associate Software Engineer (aSWE)
CTC: 9,00,000 INR LPA
Interview Mode: Walk-In
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Screening Round: Aptitude Test
Format: Pen and paper test.
Experience: It was relatively easy but acted as a massive filter. It thinned the crowd from around 150+ candidates down to roughly 60-70.
Round 1: Technical Face-to-Face
Format: 1-on-1 with a Senior SWE.
Questions:
DSA: Started with Valid Parentheses (explained the Stack approach). Then moved to Next Greater Element, which I coded and passed all test cases for.
Core Java / Frameworks: Asked a few standard questions on Spring Boot to test my backend knowledge.
Database: Asked me to write an SQL query to find the 2nd highest salary. I wrote a solution handling duplicate salaries using DISTINCT and OFFSET. The interviewer then asked me to explain the exact difference between OFFSET and LIMIT on paper, which I did.
Vibe: Very straightforward technical round. Once I finished the queries, I asked him about their backend stack, and we had a good chat.
About 30 candidates passed this round.
Round 2: Architecture & Logic
Format: 1-on-1 with a VP.
Questions:
Behavioral: Asked about my family background and why my previous 6-month internship didn’t convert into a full-time offer (explained industry headcount/budget issues).
DSA (Live Coding): Jumped onto an online compiler. I had to write executable code with custom inputs for Valid Parentheses (again) and Daily Temperatures (Next Warmer Day). Both executed perfectly.
Java Fundamentals: Deep dive into some of the tricky Java questions from the Aptitude sheet (e.g., how == differs from .equals() under the hood).
Puzzle: Given a 3L bucket and a 5L bucket, how do you measure exactly 4L of water? I mapped out the pouring steps on paper to show exactly how to isolate 4L in the bigger bucket.
About 10 candidates passed this round.
Round 3: Panel Round
Format: Zoom Panel with another VP and a Senior Staff member.
Questions:
Tech Journey: Asked why I chose Java for backend development when I originally had a Python background. I explained how my internship put me on a Java Migration team, which showed me how reliable enterprise-grade Java really is.
Project Deep-Dive: Asked about the flow and components of my backend projects. Asked about the limitations of my system. I explained how I was running a local 3B parameter LLM and discussed alternatives for scaling trading agents.
Research & System Design: Asked why I published a research paper instead of a full app (explained API cost limitations at the time). Then asked: "If you were to build an API for a client, what is your exit criteria?" I explained my process: gathering requirements, writing exhaustive test cases for edge cases, and proactively communicating with the client if there is any ambiguity before handing off the final API.
DevOps: Quick discussion on Kubernetes deployment strategies based on my resume.
Vibe: Very conversational. They wanted to see my product mindset and how I handle client/team handoffs.
About 5-7 candidates recieved the offer.
Final Thoughts
Patience is key: Walk-in drives test your physical endurance as much as your coding skills. Bring water and be ready to wait hours between rounds.
Know your projects: The panel rounds focused heavily on why I made certain architectural decisions and how I would handle production edge cases.
Communicate your logic: For puzzles and SQL queries, writing your thoughts on paper and explaining them out loud to the interviewer is just as important as getting the right answer.
Best of luck to everyone still grinding. The market is tough right now, but consistency pays off!