Getting an internship at MIQ Digital as a Software Engineer was an intense journey, filled with multiple rounds of tests and interviews. With around 250 students applying for this role, the competition was high. Here’s how I went through each round and finally secured the position.
First Round: Online Assessment
The process started with an online assessment on HackerRank. This round had:
- 15 MCQs on Java OOPs concepts.
- Two coding problems:
- Problem 1: Choosing the right flask for a lab with the least waste.
- Problem 2: Comparing two strings with backspace characters (where # means a backspace).
- Two SQL queries to check our database skills.
We were all given the same questions and a two-day window to complete the test. Out of 250 students, 60 were selected for the next round.
Second Round: Gamified Assessment
The next step was a fun, gamified assessment using Perspective AI. This round had five mini-games, including:
- Finding patterns in shapes.
- Personality-based activities.
The questions were mostly easy, focusing on logic and personality. At the end of this round, 20 students moved on to the next step.
Surprise Coding Test on Interview Day
On the day of the interview, MIQ gave us a surprise coding test before the actual interview! We had 30 minutes to solve unique coding problems. My questions were:
- Finding a missing number in an array.
- Removing the nth node from the end of a linked list.
After this round, 12 out of 20 candidates were shortlisted for the technical interview.
Technical Interview
The technical interview started with discussing the coding test. I had to explain my solution and analyze its time and space complexity. Then, I got to choose a subject, and I picked OOPs. Here’s what happened next:
- Explaining OOPs concepts: I had to explain abstraction and polymorphism as if I were talking to a 10-year-old.
- Getter and Setter Functions: They asked why we use getters and setters in a class.
- Database Design: I was asked to design a database for our college and write a query based on that design.
The last 30 minutes focused on my projects and some questions about JavaScript, like how the event loop works. We ended with a nice discussion about MIQ's tech stack. From this round, 8 candidates were selected for the managerial round.
Managerial Round
This round was all about my personality and how I work in a team. The manager asked questions like:
- “Tell me about yourself.”
- “What do you do in your free time?”
- “How do you divide tasks in a group project?” They also asked me about MIQ’s core values and how I relate to them.
After this, 5 candidates moved forward to the HR round.
HR Round
In the HR round, they asked about my strengths and weaknesses, my interest in higher education, and if I can handle work pressure. They explained the stipend, package, and location details.
The next day, I got the results. Out of five candidates, two were selected, and I was one of them!