Nokia Interview Experience for Graduate Engineer Trainee

Nokia conducted a placement drive in our college NIT-Jalandhar in the month of November 2020. In total there were six rounds which included (2 Online tests, 2 Technical interviews, 1 Managerial round, and 1 HR round).

Round 1: The first online test was taken over AMCAT platform on 25-Nov-2020. It consisted four sections as follows:

1. Quantitative Aptitude
2. Logical Reasoning
3. Verbal Reasoning
4. Two Coding Questions (Could be attempted only in C++/Java languages)

If you are good at Aptitude then questions would seem easy to moderate level, Coding questions were of average difficulty. If you have completed the (Must do Interview Coding Questions) course over GFG then solving the coding part will be very easy.

I performed well in All sectional MCQ’s along with solving both coding questions completely.
When results came for the first round, approx 35 aspirants had made it.

Round 2: This round had three variants, the round-1 selected students were divided into three groups by the company itself.

1. Group-1 : To Implement Website(using any online portals).
2. Group-2 : This was another online test on hacker-earth containing only technical MCQ’s over core CS-subjects.
3. Group-3 : Coding question on Linked list.

Students in Group 1&3 had received a mail with instructions respect to their test, and they had a one-day time for submission.

As I was in Group-1, had to implement website which will display products. As per instructions,

• It could buy any database schema for storing product details.
• Implement CRUD APIs’ for product
• Website should have 4 forms: Create products, List products, Update products and delete products.

We had to share the source code and necessary documentation to make it run. Along with that, there were few questions that we needed to answer, so I wrote the answers in word document and shared them along with the code.

These were the questions in exact language:

1. What problem is solved / addressed?
2. How is it solved?
3. Who are the main targeted audience or customers?
4. What are the benefits / which value is created?
5. What is still open?
6. What would need to be done to make a real product and scale up?

Failure is an option: in case you got stuck somewhere or hit a wall: don’t hesitate to still submit nevertheless & explain where the project got stuck.

Mail was received on 27-Nov at 1 pm and deadline was 28-Nov. I submitted the work on 28-Nov at 5 pm. they acknowledged by 7:30 pm and gave schedule for next round.

TIP: Do share the SNAPSHOTS of your working project in detailed document.

Round 3 (Technical Interview): It held on 30-Nov at 12 pm over the Microsoft Teams platform. I joined five minutes before time and interviewer too kept his video turned on, the moment it started there was connection failure at my end, I joined again and felt a bit of pressure but luckily interviewer was very chill person and before starting again, he complimented over my beard looks (well this was very unexpected, so I could say only thanks 🙂 n then a compliment over well decorated room 🙂 finally he started briefing me about the round, that it’s going to be a technical interview for about 30 mins starting with my Introduction. After I completed my brief intro, the interviewer was impressed, specifically mentioned regarding my academic performance so far. 

Questions which were asked in this round were very basic:

1. Kind of data types and their significance?
2. Types of polymorphism?
3. Types of constructors?
4. Virtual memory?

A lot more basic questions were asked, he emphasized on I should explain the concepts in depth, in between of that he stated that definitely I’m promoted to the next round, and further we had a sort of discussion on the queries I asked. 

Tip: Confidence and the way of explaining even simple terms in detail helped me to have an edge over.

Round 4 (Technical Interview): It held on 30-Nov at 4:30 pm over the Microsoft Teams platform. There were two interviewers and I could see one of them, this time they didn’t ask me to introduce and started questioning one by one, starting from:

• Explain the project you did in master’s
• Significance of my project
• Gave one situation and asked which programming language would be suitable in that case.
• How to count number of objects in a program?

At last, I was given an opportunity to ask any query if I had, so at first, I asked to brief about the company to get better insights over the work they do and another thing I politely asked that, on what factors I need to improve upon and got feedback, and he gave me a hint that I will move to the next round.

TIP: Listen carefully what they intend to ask and answer appropriately, even if u get stuck at point, there’s no harm in saying no for that.

Round 5 (Managerial round): It held on 1-Dec at 9 am over the Microsoft team’s platform. Starting from discussion over my Round 2 project, I explained the technology stack which was used, and he crossed questions regarding the same, he asked me to explain one statement I had written in text document. 

Other questions were:

1. Referential key concept in DBMS.
2. Difference between Primary and Unique key
3. Various constraints used to store data in table
4. All Normal forms.

TIP: I was honest and said by myself that I took help in completing this project, and he had no issue regarding that since I understood every part of the project. 

Round 6 (HR round): It held on 1-Dec at 4 pm over the Microsoft Teams platform. Told me to introduce you.

Questions were:

1. Current CGPA
2. Further, plans after M.tech
3. Why Nokia
4. What all I know about the company
5. Who all are the competitors of Nokia (after I answered this, I did asked to correct me or let me know who else are there)
6. Two strengths and weaknesses
7. On what factors do I decide to join the company
8. My key achievements and role in previous job profiles before master’s
9. Situational questions- how would you have managed at work without Team leader?
10. How long I see myself with the company? (Inner me, Am I selected? 😉
11. Ready to relocate?
12. Any other offer u have at present or will u sit for other drives after that. (I told them regarding our college policy)
13. Before Full time, can u start the internship in your last semester? (I refused and stated the reason)

At last, I asked the queries I had, and she answered all and wished me the best for the day.

On 4-Dec results were shared with placement cell and 8 students were selected in total including me 🙂 (4 from B.tech CSE, 2 from M.tech CSE, 1 from M.tech ECE and 1 from M.tech VLSI) Cheers!