What does Java Based Interview at Hugues Systique Corporation look like?
Recently I had gone through the interview process for the role of Associate Engineer at Hughes Systique Corporation.
It involved a lot more than just DSA questions.
There were aptitude questions, Java questions, AI/ML questions, project related questions, and managerial questions.
In this blog, I wanted to walk through my experience of the interview and the questions I faced and also the questions my friends faced.
This will help you know what to expect in your interview. 👇
ROUND 1 - ONLINE ASSESSMENT (OA)
OA had 4 sections:
1) Aptitude - 20 Questions
Basic aptitude questions on:
Time and Work
Percentages, Ratios
Time Speed Distance
2) Programming Concepts - 20 Questions
Java and C++ Concept based questions.
Have a good understanding of Programming fundamentals.
3) Programming - 2 Questions
We had to answer one of the two questions.
Snack problem based on DP.
Arrays and Strings
This section tests your problem solving skills and your ability to find out the right approach.
4) AI/ML Questions - 40 Questions
40 questions based on AI/ML.
Having a good understanding of AI/ML fundamental helps.
ROUND 2 - TECHNICAL INTERVIEW
First round of interview focused on basic DSA, problem solving, core CS subjects and aptitude.
DSA & Problem Solving:
Reverse String
Maximum Sum Subarray using sliding window
XOR based questions
Two pointer based questions
Second largest element in array
Palindrome check
Find duplicates in array
Time and Space Complexity analysis.
They focussed on the approach you take to solve the problem.
Core CS Questions:
Difference between Thread and Process?
What is multi-threading in Java?
Difference between stack and heap?
What are 4 pillars of OOPS?
Difference between Array and LinkedList?
Aptitude:
Basic aptitude questions were asked. Especially Time and Work.
ROUND 3 - TECHNICAL + MANAGERIAL
This round focused on Core Java questions, project understanding, architecture and behavioural questions.
One thing I realised was:
Your Resume is your blueprint for your interview.
Core Java & OOPs:
What is exception handling in Java?
Difference between checked and unchecked exceptions?
How to create custom exceptions?
Difference between throw and throws?
What is finally block?
What if an exception occurs in finally block?
Explain 4 pillars of OOPS with examples.
Method Overloading vs Overriding.
Abstract class vs Interface.
== vs equals().
Java Collection Framework.
ArrayList vs LinkedList.
What is HashMap? How does it work internally?
How are Hash Collisions resolved in hashMap?
What if 2 keys have same hashcode?
Why is HashMap not thread safe?
HashMap vs Hashtable.
MVC Architecture:
What is MVC architecture?
What is the role of Model, View and Controller?
How are requests handled in MVC?
Difference between MVC and Layered Architecture.
Project Related Questions:
This was one of the most important sections.
I was asked to explain my full internship project. Including:
Design the architecture of your project.
Explain complete flow of application.
What was your role in the project? What did you contribute?
Why did you use SQL?
Why did you choose a specific database?
How did you handle exceptions/errors?
How did you develop the APIs?
What were some issues you faced?
How would you improve the architecture of your project?
What happens when a request is made to your backend API?
The interviewer dove pretty deep into my project.
If you mention a project on your resume, make sure you know how it works internally.
Managerial & Behavioural Questions:
What are your strengths and weaknesses?
Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
Why should we hire you?
Why did you choose Java as your main programming language?
How do you deal with conflicts in a team?
Tell me about a challenging situation during your internship.
How do you deal with pressure and tight deadlines.
What would you do if you disagree with your manager?
Are you okay with learning new technologies?
WHAT TO PREPARE:
If you are preparing for an interview like this here is what I would prepare.
DSA - Sliding Window, Two Pointers, XOR, Arrays, Strings, Basic DP.
Core Java - OOPs, Exception Handling, Collections, HashMap, Multi-threading.
Core CS - OS, Processes, Threads, Memory Management.
AI/ML - Brush up on fundamentals. If it is part of your OA then definitely revise.
Projects - Know your architecture, APIs, database choices, how you implemented.
Behavioural Questions - Answer truthfully.
The main thing I learnt was:
You don’t need to know everything. But you should know the fundamentals. Be able to describe your approach and know your projects inside out.
Remember these can vary depending on the candidate. This was my experience and my friends experience.
LET ME KNOW YOUR EXPERIENCE TOO! 👇
Have you done an interview like this for HSC or any Java based company?
What questions did they ask? What would you advise future candidates to prepare?
Let’s help each other out! 🚀
