NXP

Role: Software Engineer (Embedded Software Intern)

College: Not Specified (Opportunity through NXP Women in Tech Scholarship and Mentorship Program)

Interview Date: October 11, 2024

Interview Type: Internship

Result: Offer received

Difficulty: Medium

Rounds: 2 rounds

Topics Asked: C programming fundamentals, Cryptography techniques, Security concepts, Computer Science fundamentals, Data Structures and Algorithms, Embedded Systems

Experience:

This interview experience was for an internship offer as a Software Engineer in the embedded software domain, obtained through the NXP Women in Tech Scholarship and Mentorship Program. The process consisted of two technical rounds.

Round 1: Online Test
The online test lasted 90 minutes and included approximately 65 multiple-choice questions (MCQs). The topics covered were C programming fundamentals, Cryptography techniques (keys, hashing), Security concepts, Computer Science (CS) fundamentals, and Data Structures and Algorithms (DSA) fundamentals. The test was comprehensive, assessing both theoretical and practical understanding. Candidates who performed well were invited for the interview rounds.

Round 2: Technical Interview
This round was conducted by the Chip Security Team and lasted for about an hour. It began with a personal introduction where the candidate shared their background, interests, and experience in embedded systems.

The interview included a coding test on Notepad, where the candidate had to explain and write functions directly without compiling or running test cases. This approach emphasized logic and understanding of code structure over syntax correctness. The recommended language was C, as it is essential in embedded systems.

Technical questions asked included:

• Difference between Stacks and Queues, along with their applications
• Implementation of a stack in C, including `push` and `pop` functions
• Discussion on Storage Classes in C
• Motivation for working in the embedded domain and why it was chosen (passion for working close to hardware and excitement about challenges)

The manager also introduced the team's work and technology stack, providing insight into potential projects.