TIAA

Role: Software Developer Trainee

College: Not Specified

Interview Date: 2025-06-10

Interview Type: On-Campus, Full-Time

Result: Not Specified

Difficulty: Easy to Moderate

Rounds: 3 rounds

Topics Asked: Aptitude (Logical, Verbal, Quantitative), Coding (C/C++, Java), OOPs concepts, Java vs C++ differences, Compiler vs Interpreter, Big Data, Microservices, DBMS (Joins, Normalization, DDL, DML, SQL queries), Operating Systems, Data Structures, Projects, Behavioral questions, Puzzles.

Experience:

This candidate participated in the recruitment process for a Software Developer Trainee role, which included an aptitude test, a technical interview, and a managerial round.

Round 1: Aptitude Test
This round was conducted on the CoCubes platform. It consisted of two sections: an Aptitude Section and a Coding Section. The Aptitude Section had 60 questions (20 each from Logical, Verbal, and Quantitative ability) to be completed in 60 minutes. The Coding Section had two coding questions of easy to moderate difficulty with a 30-minute time limit. The coding questions were designed to test problem-solving skills in languages like C/C++ and Java. The candidate managed to complete the aptitude section with time to spare and found the coding problems straightforward, emphasizing that faster submission improves chances. 42 students, including the candidate, were selected from this round.

Round 2: Technical Interview
This online interview was conducted via Zoom and was purely technical. It began with a self-introduction. The interviewer asked the candidate to share their screen and write code to explain core OOP concepts, providing real-life examples. Questions were also posed regarding the differences between Java and C++, reasons for choosing C++ for competitive programming, and the distinction between a compiler and an interpreter. Further technical questions covered Big Data, the difference between structured and semi-structured data, and microservices with real-time examples. The interviewer also delved into projects mentioned in the resume, discussing technologies used and assessing the depth of understanding. DBMS concepts (Joins, Normalization, DDL, DML) and SQL queries (writing queries for given table data) were covered, along with questions on Operating Systems and data structures (suitability for specific data types).

Round 3: Managerial Round
This round, also conducted online via Zoom for about 30-35 minutes, was less technical and focused more on behavioral questions and problem-solving. It started with an introduction, followed by questions about weaknesses and how to overcome them. A puzzle was given to solve, which the candidate successfully completed. The interviewer also asked about the candidate's knowledge of TIAA and their motivation to join the company, along with standard HR questions such as "Where do you see yourself in the next 5 years?".