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BlackRock Interview Experience | On-Campus 2020

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BlackRock visited our campus in the month of September 2020. The roles offered were Technology Profile and Financial Modelling Group. They were offering only internships. They expected people who are applying for FMG role to have good knowledge in Data Science/Machine learning. I applied for the Technology Profile.

Eligibility: All Branches & CGPA above 6.0

Round 1: Online MCQ Assessment (110 Minutes)

The test was divided into 3 major sections – Aptitude, Data Structure and Algorithms, and SQL

  1. Aptitude: The aptitude section consisted of various subsections like Logical Reasoning, Attention to Detail, Aptitude, Data Interpretation, Flow chart-based questions. All the question were allotted roughly 1 minute per question. My advice would be to not get stuck on any question as timing matters. A good practice of quants and logical reasoning might be helpful.
  2. Data Structure and Algorithms: This section consisted questions mainly on pre-fix, post-fix, linked lists and trees. Detailed knowledge of trees was needed. Questions ranged from basic concepts like tree traversals to a detailed understanding of AVL trees. Anyone who has his/her basic concepts clear won’t face many hardships in this round.
  3. SQL: It had 15 questions related to databases. They were like syntax related questions, and some questions related to giving the SQL query for the given output and vice versa. The syntax based questions were mostly asked on Oracle SQL. This was a 30 minutes section of 15 questions, and it was easy too. 

Out of 1000 students that appeared for the Technology Profile 150 were shortlisted for the interviews.

Round 2: Technical Interview (40 Minutes)

They started the interview by introducing themselves and then asked me to do the same. Then they asked me to give a detailed analysis of one project I had done during my academic years. Questions were asked related to the project, technologies used, and how I did it. I wasn’t aware of the technologies used in detail hence struggled a bit here. But they soon changed the topic and started asking me questions on java. Following are the questions they asked :

  1. Difference between for and while loop.
  2. String related question, difference between compareTo(), equals() and ==.
  3. An array is given, find all the probable Pythagoras triplets from them.
  4. Which sorting algorithm is more efficient in regard to time complexity?
  5. Write pseudocode for the insertion of a new node in a linked list.
  6. What are the characteristics of a BST?
  7. SQL query-related questions: highest salary in the table, the second-highest salary in the table, fourth-highest salary in the table, write a query related to joins, write a subquery.
  8. Gave a fun puzzle, which I was stuck with because I was very nervous after answering all the technical questions, but they helped me with the same. On a closing note, they asked me what I understand about Blackrock’s role in the market and if I had any questions for them. Do ask questions here as it shows that you are interested in getting hired. Might earn you brownie points.

Few candidates had one more technical round after this. But I was directly called for the HR round. I didn’t really understand on what basis they had separated the candidates.

Round 3: HR Interview (15 Minutes)

  1. The interview started on a very pleasant note. We started with having a conversation on the covid scenarios in our respective cities and how our lives are changed now. Then he introduced himself and asked me to do the same. After that, I was asked to explain any one project from my resume. In my hobbies, I had mentioned “creativity” so he asked me what I mean by that. I was also asked if I had any higher study plans, where do I see myself in 5 years, my preferred job location, and in the end if I had any questions for him. It was more of a conversation than an interview. 

Results: The results came out the next day, and I was selected for the Internship.

Here are a few tips from my side for students appearing for the interview –  

  1. Be cool when you are answering. Go with the mindset of having a conversation rather than an interview. Even if you cannot answer one or two questions, it’s okay. Say you’ll get back with the answer in the next interview.
  2. Make sure you are clear on the projects you mentioned on your resume. Also, state your proficiency level in the technology used in the project. This will help if you are slightly weak in the technology you used.

Last Updated : 21 Apr, 2021
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