Barclays

Role: Software Engineer

College: Not Specified

Interview Date: Not Specified

Interview Type: Not Specified

Result: Not Specified

Difficulty: Medium to Hard

Rounds: 3 rounds

Topics Asked: Aptitude (Number series, Percentage and ratio, Time and distance), DSA (Arrays, Strings, Graphs, Dynamic Programming, Sorting/Searching), SQL (Basic Queries, Join Operations), Software Design (URL Shortening Service, Database Trade-offs), Behavioral Questions (Conflict Resolution, Prioritization, Efficiency Improvement, Barclays Values)

Experience:

This experience outlines a typical Barclays Software Engineer interview process, likely reflecting recent trends (published Dec 14, 2024).

Round 1: Online Assessment (2 hours)

This round assesses problem-solving and technical abilities across three sections. The Aptitude section includes quantitative reasoning and logical ability questions like number series, percentage and ratio, and time and distance problems. The DSA section requires solving three coding problems, such as finding the subarray with the maximum sum (Array), reversing a string without extra space (String), and performing a breadth-first search (BFS) on an unweighted graph (Graph). The SQL section has two questions to test querying abilities, including writing a query for the second highest salary and using join operations to extract information.

Round 2: Technical Interview (1 hour)

This one-on-one interview with an engineer involves solving coding problems and discussing software design. Coding problems may include Dynamic Programming (e.g., longest increasing subsequence) or Sorting/Searching (e.g., binary search for first and last occurrence). Software design discussions might involve designing a scalable system like a URL shortening service and discussing trade-offs between database choices (SQL vs. NoSQL).

Round 3: Behavioral Interview (1 hour)

This round focuses on problem-solving approach, teamwork skills, and ability to work in an Agile environment. Questions include describing a time when a conflict was resolved in a team, how tasks are prioritized under tight deadlines, and when a new process was introduced to improve team efficiency. Questions related to Barclays' values and alignment with them are also expected.

Overall: Barclays looks for problem-solving abilities, technical competence, effective communication, clear thinking, collaboration, and adaptability.