SLB

Role: Internship

College: Not Specified

Interview Date: November 26, 2024

Interview Type: Internship

Result: Not Specified

Difficulty: Hard

Rounds: 4 rounds

Topics Asked: Java (basics, syntax, concepts, error predictions, code snippets), Problem-solving (Decimal to Binary Conversion, Fibonacci Check), Communication, Clarity of thought, Confidence (GD topic: EVs vs. Fuel Combustion Vehicles), Resume-based, OOP (pillars, abstraction vs. encapsulation, ambiguous problem in inheritance, polymorphism with examples, implement abstraction/inheritance), Stack (push/pop, reverse array using stack), SQL (max salary), Python's relevance, Circular Singly Linked List (explain, implement), Aptitude (train-and-man problem), Puzzle (blind man and coins), Linked List (detect loop, remove it), Binary Tree (higher vs. lower height).

Experience:

This candidate's internship interview process at SLB was multi-stage, testing technical skills, problem-solving, teamwork, and communication.

Online Coding Round: Focused on foundational Java knowledge and basic problem-solving. Questions included Java syntax, concepts, error prediction in code snippets, writing a program for Decimal to Binary Conversion, and determining if a number is a Fibonacci number. The candidate found this manageable due to regular practice.

Group Discussion Round: A new experience for the candidate, the topic was “Which vehicles are better: fuel combustion or EVs?”. Each of the 10 participants had two 1-minute chances to speak. The interviewer observed communication skills, clarity of thought, and confidence, preferring concise and confident arguments.

Technical Round 1 (Resume and Core Concepts): This 40-50 minute round covered resume-based questions and fundamental computer science concepts. Questions included self-introduction, specific queries about project experience (e.g., drawing an ER diagram for a project), OOP fundamentals (main pillars, abstraction vs. encapsulation, ambiguous inheritance problem, polymorphism with examples, implementing abstraction/inheritance), Stack implementation (push/pop, print reverse of an array using a stack), an SQL query to find the maximum salary, and Python's popularity. The candidate felt confident due to thorough preparation.

Technical Round 2 (Advanced Problem Solving): This 1-hour round delved into advanced problem-solving, puzzles, and coding challenges. The interviewer expected multiple approaches rather than just code. Questions included self-introduction, explaining and implementing a circular singly linked list, a classic train-and-man aptitude problem, the blind man and coins puzzle, detecting and removing a loop in a linked list, and discussing the advantages of higher vs. lower height in a binary tree with examples. This round tested analytical thinking and the ability to explain solutions logically.