KLA

Role: Software Engineer Intern

College: Not Specified

Interview Date: Not Specified

Interview Type: On-Campus

Result: Selected

Difficulty: Medium

Rounds: 2 rounds

Topics Asked: Graph Data Structure, Tree Data Structure, Dynamic Programming, Stack, Resume Discussion, KLA Working Culture

Experience:

This interview experience for a Software Engineer Intern position at KLA took place on-campus. The process involved two main rounds.

Round 1 (Coding Round): This round was conducted on HackerRank in the lab and lasted 90 minutes. There were two coding questions, both related to Graph data structures. The first question, similar to "Find the number of islands," was relatively easy. The second question, "Critical Connections in a Network," was a bit harder to optimize. The candidate solved both questions completely. It was noted that apart from the coding score, the resume and LinkedIn profile were also considered for shortlisting.

Round 2 (Technical + HR): This round was a Zoom meeting of approximately one hour with a technical interviewer. It began with an introduction, followed by three coding questions where only the solution approach was asked.

• The first question was based on Tree data structures, specifically "Print the top view of Binary tree," for which an optimized approach was given.
• The second question was a Dynamic Programming problem involving strings, and a non-optimized approach was accepted.
• The third problem was based on a Stack, "The largest rectangular area of the histogram." The candidate initially provided a brute-force solution, then, with a hint from the interviewer, explained an optimized approach.

At the end, the candidate asked questions about KLA's working culture and services. The interviewer was described as polite and helpful. Tips included sharing your approach, not being silent for long periods, and not hesitating to ask for hints if stuck.