Greetings, everyone!
I’m Amit Koushik currently pursuing my MCA and expected to graduate in 2024 from IIPS-DAVV, Indore. I had the privilege of participating in the recruitment process at my college, where FICO was the second company to visit for hiring for Dev and QA roles.
The exciting part was that nearly 500 to 550 students took part in the recruitment process, and the majority of us made it through to the Coding Round. My journey through the FICO interview process consisted of four rounds, and 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 Sectionneed: 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. It’s important to note that candidates were required to code in Java exclusively, as other programming languages were not permitted. This requirement was communicated in advance, so candidates need to be well-prepared to code in Java. Many students who typically code in languages like C++/Python faced challenges with this restriction, and I was one of them.
Problem 1(200 points)the : Substrings of length k with k-1 distinct elements You can use this article but try not to jump directly to the solution and there was a slight change in question but almost similar to the one I provided. The level was typical Leetcode Medium.
Problem 2(400 Points)of : It was a hard one, the exact question isn’t available on the internet but the question as I remember was also based on String and a bit pattern matching, and constraints were high so I also applied Memoization(DP) on it. The level was LeetCode Hard I would say.
Tips: If you’re not already comfortable with Java, consider practicing coding in this language. Additionally, focus on solving a wide range of Data Structures and Algorithms problems to build your coding skills and boost your confidence. This practice will prove beneficial in your interactions with various companies. It’s important to keep in mind that every candidate receives a different set of coding questions and multiple-choice questions. Therefore, it’s not advisable to seek help from others, as it could lead to plagiarism issues. Regrettably, many students were not shortlisted despite solving both coding questions because of cheating incidents.
Results :
Among the 500 students who participated, approximately 132 students successfully made it to the technical interview stage. Notably, this marked a significant increase in the number of students shortlisted by FICO, as per the accounts of our seniors. In previous years, only about 45-50 students typically received interview invitations. This change demonstrates the company’s growing interest in recruiting from our institution.
Round 2 (Technical Interview) :
The interview was online and the duration was around 35 minutes. The level was Easy-Medium.
Panelist/Interviewer: Sandhya Mam Tell me about yourself.
- Share a 5-minute discussion on your project, briefly explaining the workflow.
- Discuss your internship and teaching experiences as mentioned in your resume.
- Which programming language do you favor the most, and what’s the reason behind your preference (C++, Java, Python)?
- Outline the core tenets of Object-Oriented Programming (OOP) and elucidate them using real-life examples.
- On a scale from 1 to 10, rate your proficiency in Java (rated 7.5), and provide the rationale for your rating.
- Define JVM, JRE, and JDK. Is Java a compiled or interpreted language?
- Can a class in Java be designated as abstract even when it has no abstract members?
- Enumerate the algorithms you’ve worked with.
- Explain and code both Merge Sort and Quick Sort, highlighting their disparities and time complexities.
- Elaborate on the Merge Sort algorithm (which you didn’t mention earlier).
- Define JavaScript and expound on its purposes.
- Highlight some inbuilt JavaScript functions such as slice and map.
- Assess your familiarity with UNIX and respond to questions about basic Linux commands (ls -l, cat, echo, grep, man).
- List the subjects you’ve been instructed on in your recent semester.
- Expound on the different types of networks.
- Conclude the interview with any queries you may have for the interviewer.
Tips: The interview was around 35-40 mins. I wasn’t asked much about DSA problem because she saw my LeetCode profile during my interview and she was impressed ,through out my interview she was looking at my coding profiles by the links I provided in my resume. So yes having a good coding profile does matter in the Interview. Apart from this I mentioned everything related to my DSA achievements in my introduction so she knew my strong area was DSA and maybe that’s the reason my interview was more focused on theory-based questions but most of my friends were asked DSA problems as well,so be confident about your problem solving along with your Computer Science fundamentals.
Results :
Out of the 132 students who participated in the interview, only 11 managed to secure a spot in the next round. It was an incredibly emotional moment for me as I found myself at the top of that list. The reason for my elation was that everyone had anticipated around 20 to 30 candidates making it to the next round, given that this was the first time the company had interviewed such a large number of candidates
Round 3 (Technical Interview 2)
The interview process experienced a delay due to internal issues. Notably, this was initially intended to be an HR round, and we were informed that it would be the final round. I had prepared extensively with responses to HR-related questions and hadn’t delved into any technical subjects or questions in anticipation of an HR-focused discussion. However, the nature of the questions posed during the interview made it evident why I referred to this round as ‘technical’.
Interviewer/Panelist: Murali Sir
- Entered the room and greeted each other.
- He started looking at my resume and the first thing he did was, circled my 8.3 CGPA, and my first question was, “Why the lower CGPA?” I explained my competitive programming skills and additional tech knowledge beyond my curriculum.
- Straightaway asked two coding questions on Linked Lists: Given a node address to delete in both singly and doubly Linked List (note, only the node address was given, not the head pointer).
- Inquired about the algorithms and data structures I’m confident with.
- Asked about my most significant college achievement.
- Discussed time management skills.
- Checked my comfort level with relocating to Bangalore.
- Requested a brief explanation of all my projects.
- Engaged in a 5-minute discussion about the achievements listed on my resume.
- Concluded with the opportunity to ask questions.
This round had a primarily technical focus but included some HR questions. All 11 shortlisted candidates proceeded to the HR round.
Round 4(HR Round):
Interviewer / Panelist: Akash Bothera(VP and Head HR of FICO)
- The round commenced with a pleasant greeting and a request for me to introduce myself.
- I was questioned about the most significant challenge I’ve encountered over the past five years.
- The interviewer inquired about my future academic plans.
- A major focus of the discussion was my Major Project on Sentiment Analysis. I was asked to elucidate the practical use case and provide a brief explanation.
- I was also questioned about the most significant challenge I faced during the development of this project.
- The conversation shifted towards career preferences, with the question of which role I preferred, and I elaborated on my preference for a development role and the rationale behind it.
- Interestingly, I was asked whether I would still prefer a development role if the requirement was greater for a Quality Assurance (QA) role. I reaffirmed my choice and explained my reasoning for sticking with the development role, which appeared to leave a positive impression on the interviewer.
- The discussion then steered toward my knowledge of FICO and my motivation for wanting to join the company.
- The interviewer asked me to describe my strengths and weaknesses.
- The interview concluded with an opportunity for me to pose questions to the interviewer.
The results were disclosed within 30-45 minutes. Out of the 11 candidates who made it to the last round, 10 received the good news of their selection, and I was fortunate to be among them. The specific roles weren’t assigned immediately; we had to wait for a couple of months. In the end, only three of us, including myself, secured the coveted Development (DEV) roles, while the remaining candidates were designated for Quality Assurance (QA). It’s worth noting that the company displayed a slight preference for female candidates, as there were only three male candidates among the selected individuals.
Some Tips :
- Maintain confidence throughout the process and ensure good eye contact with a warm smile during the interview.
- Before the interview, research the company thoroughly, as well as the specific job role.
- Don’t hesitate to request a few moments to gather your thoughts and formulate your answers during the interview; it’s perfectly acceptable.
- Engage in mock interviews with your seniors, peers and faculty, as this greatly boosts your confidence and provides insights into areas where you need improvement.
- Dedicate ample time to enhance your resume, as it plays a pivotal role throughout the hiring process. Regularly seek reviews for your resume from working professionals on platforms like LinkedIn or your senior colleagues.
- Best of luck in your future endeavors.