Mathworks had visited our college in August to hire final year students for the full-time role. The selection process comprised of an online test followed by interviews.
Round 1: Online Test
It was a 90-minute long test on HackerRank.
- There were 2 coding questions and these were to be completed using 2 different languages out of C, C++, and Java. Different candidates were given different sets of questions. Fortunately for me, I was able to breeze past this round as the questions I received were of easy and medium difficulty. Some of the other students were ill-fated as they lingered with hard-level DP questions.
- Keeping aside the coding questions, the test also comprised of a number of MCQs ranging from aptitude questions to Programming concepts on C, C++, and Java, which predominantly focused on OOPs and output questions for the most part.
- An optional section on Python was included as well.
- A quick tip to crack the online test would be to regularly practice questions on Leetcode and GfG because most of the coding sections asked during the online tests are either scrapped directly from Leetcode or just happen to be minor tweaks of standard Leetcode problems.
- For MCQs and aptitude, IndiaBix, GFG, and InterviewBit are reliable options.
- Interviews: Including me, 45 people were shortlisted for the interview rounds based upon the test results. On the day of the interviews, the selected students were required to attend PPT where we got a little more insight on EDG and the functioning of Mathworks as an organization.
- The PPT proved to be extremely important because there were several questions pertaining to it that were asked to use in the Interview rounds.
The Interviews included 4 rounds
Round 2: Group Discussion
- This round lasted not more than 30mins, the topic of discussion was “What are the many skills that one needs in order to excel in the corporate world ?”.
- All the candidates were first given the opportunity to iron out their initial thoughts on the topic and then there was a follow-up round in which all students had to back the points put forward by themselves in round 1 by a personal example/experience.
Out of 45, around 26 candidates made it through this round.
Round 3: Technical Round
Time: 50-60 minutes
- The round started with my introduction and then the interviewer quickly moved to OOPs questions. What are OOPs, why is it used?, what are the principal differences in the implementation of OOPs in C++ and Java, abstract classes, the drawback of multiple inheritances were some of the primal areas upon which I was questioned. The interviewer seemed to be quite satisfied by my answers and proceeded to the coding part.
- I was given a link to a hacker rank IDE and had to share my screen whilst I attempted the questions. The interviewer made it clear at the beginning itself that he was more interested in the approach and thought process of each question and wanted me to write the pseudo-code rather than the entire runnable code.
- Coding question: Reverse List in K Groups https://leetcode.com/problems/reverse-nodes-in-k-group/ (Leetcode Hard)
- Find Middle Of List https://leetcode.com/problems/middle-of-the-linked-list/ (Leetcode Easy)
- Remove Nth Node from the end of the list (https://leetcode.com/problems/remove-nth-node-from-end-of-list/) (Leetcode Easy)
- Task Scheduler https://leetcode.com/problems/task-scheduler/) (Leetcode Medium)
- Most of these questions I had solved ahead of time, which made it more of a walk in the park, and the interviewer also seemed complacent and satisfied with the approaches put forward by me.
- Lastly, he asked me if I had any questions for him. I asked him how did covid impact the working of the organization as a whole and what were the steps taken by them to restrain it.
Round 4: HR Round
Time: 40-45 minutes
- This round kicked off with my introduction and then the interviewer went on to ask me a succession of behavioral questions. These questions were nontechnical and generic, few of these included.
- Explain your interpretation of success and how do you live up to your definition?
- What was an initiative that you have taken and what has come of it?
- How do you handle the pressure… give me a situation where you were up against the ropes and how did you handle it?
- What is your greatest accomplishment and why do you think so?
- What was the most critical remark you have received and how did you back yourself up and deal with the adversity following it?
Round 5: Managerial Round
Time: 40 to 45 minutes
- This round in many ways resonated with the previous HR Round. It began with my introduction and then the questions that followed it. The interviewer was quite friendly and made it clear that all questions would be nontechnical and told me not to think to overthink and just rub out my initial thoughts to the questions that would be asked. This made me feel more comfortable and relaxed. Firstly we had a discussion about my hometown, what is it famous for, etc. Proceeding that, some of what was asked included.
- Explain your favorite project in your resume and what makes it stand out from the rest of the pack?
- Talk to me about your experience in a team project, what was your role and how did you deliver?
- What were your thoughts on today’s PPT, how do you think your presence in Mathworks will benefit the org?
- Give me some insights on your strengths and weaknesses and what are the measures taken by you to improve upon your weaknesses?
- Location preference, If selected, where do you want to relocate to Bangalore/Hyderabad and why?
- Job preference, If selected, which tech team does you want to be a part of and why?
- Lastly, he asked if I had any questions for him. I inquired about the various mentorship programs that one gets to be a part of upon joining Mathworks.
Tips:
- The HR/Managerial rounds are not technical i.e. the questions are generic and behavioral, there is no right/wrong to any question. Your responses just depict your personality and the way you think and perceive things around you.
- The key point to keep in mind here is to stay as calm and relaxed as possible and answer everything loud and clear with utmost confidence.
Result: 5 students were selected for the full-time role and I was fortunate enough to be one among them.
Things to keep in mind
- Stay as relaxed as possible and control any nervousness you may feel, treat the interview as a conversation rather than an interrogation.
- If you get stuck anywhere, which tends to happen a lot especially during the technical round. Do not be afraid to ask the interviewer for some assistance.
- Moreover do not be silent during the interview, communication should be a two-way process and the interviewer should know what’s going on in your mind so that he can provide you with a helping hand as and when needed.
All The Best!