Prescreen Test - Junior Workflow Automation Engineer
1. Have you ever built or contributed to a project (hackathon, internship,
personal) involving automation, scripting, AI models, or bots? (Share
any public links if available (e.g., GitHub, Hugging Face, Replit, etc.).
Yes, I’ve worked on projects involving automation and AI. One example
is MANAS, a mental health analytics platform that I built during a 72-
hour national hackathon (Graph-A-Thon 2024), where our team secured
the 10th place nationally.
The goal was to design a system that could automate early risk
assessment for mental health conditions based on user interactions.
My contributions included:
Data Processing & Automation: I wrote Python scripts to
clean and preprocess unstructured user input (text responses)
into structured datasets using Pandas and NumPy, removing
noise like filler words and normalizing text.
ML Modeling: I built classification models with Scikit-learn and
TensorFlow to detect risk patterns (e.g., anxiety, depression
tendencies) from responses. I trained models on publicly
available psychology-related datasets.
Workflow Automation: The platform automated the pipeline
end-to-end: user inputs → preprocessing → ML prediction → risk
score generation. No manual intervention was needed once the
system was deployed.
Backend & API Integration: I developed the backend using
Flask to expose REST APIs that returned risk predictions to the
frontend.
Frontend Visualization: I used React.js for dashboards that
showed users their wellness score, trends, and resources.
What made it exciting was how quickly it automated the entire risk
analysis workflow within a limited time frame. It showed me how
automation can make even sensitive domains like mental health more
scalable and accessible.
2. Do you have a GitHub or any other public repository where you’ve
hosted code or automation projects? (If Yes, please provide a link.)
Yes, My GitHub profile is: https://github.com/AnishSingh5665/
3. How many programming languages or tools have you self-learned
outside formal coursework? (List them and briefly describe how you
used them (e.g., for a script, a personal tool, a website, etc.).
I’ve self-learned a range of programming languages and tools outside
formal coursework, mainly through hackathons, internships, and
personal projects:
Python – built ML models (recommendation engines, sentiment
analysis), automation scripts, and Flask APIs.
SQL – designed schemas, wrote queries, and managed databases
for projects like e-commerce recommendation and hospital data
systems.
R – used for quick statistical analysis and visualization during
academic projects.
Selenium – automated repetitive web tasks and testing flows.
FastAPI & Flask – created lightweight APIs to serve ML models and
integrate with applications.
LangChain – explored for building conversational AI and workflow
automation with LLMs. Used it to design prompt chains and to
connect APIs.
Pandas, NumPy, Scikit-learn, TensorFlow, PyTorch, OpenCV,
XGBoost – used across ML projects: from preprocessing, model
training, and computer vision, to deployment-ready pipelines.
Docker – containerized ML and backend apps, ensuring portability
and scalability.
Git – version control, automation pipelines, and server
deployments.
PostgreSQL, MySQL, MongoDB – managed structured and
unstructured data depending on project needs.
RESTful APIs & WebSockets – enabled communication for real-
time chat apps and backend systems.
4. What’s one recent AI or automation tool you explored that really
excited you? What did it do, and how would you imagine using it in a
real-world process?
One recent AI tool I explored is LangChain, and it really caught my
attention. It’s designed to make large language models more practical
by letting you build workflows that combine prompts, memory, and
external data sources. I tried it out by creating simple chains that
connected an LLM to a knowledge base so it could answer context-
specific questions more accurately.
What excites me is how this can be used in real processes. For
example, in customer support, instead of a chatbot giving generic
answers, LangChain could let the bot pull details from a company’s
internal documentation or past tickets. That means faster, more
relevant responses without a human needing to step in right away. I
see it as a strong way to automate routine queries while still keeping
the experience personalized.
5. Tell us about a time you solved a technical or process-related problem
independently. What was the challenge, how did you go about it, and
what did you learn?
During a project, I faced an issue with a time-series dataset that had
many missing values, leading to poor model accuracy. I independently
researched imputation techniques, wrote Python scripts to handle
nulls, and tested multiple strategies (forward-fill, interpolation). This
reduced the RMSE significantly. I learned how critical data
preprocessing is and that persistence in testing small changes can
have a big impact.
6. Imagine you're given a repetitive internal task (e.g., sorting 200
support emails or organizing unstructured data). Describe how you
would start thinking about automating this. What steps or tools would
you consider?
If I was given a repetitive task like sorting 200 support emails or
organizing unstructred data, I’d first break down the problem into small
steps. For emails, for example, I’d figure out the main categories they
should fall into — like billing, tech issue or general inquiry. Then I’d look
at what info in the mails can be used as signal for classification
(keywords, sender, subject line etc).
After that, I’d decide how much automation is needed. For a simple
case, I might just write a Python script using pandas and regex
rules to filter them. If the data is more messy, I’d maybe use a small
ML model with scikit-learn or even a pre-trained NLP model to do the
categorization.
To actually run this, I could wrap the script inside a small
Flask/FastAPI service, or connect it to email API so it works real time.
If it needs to run again and again, I’d use Docker and a cron job to
make it repeat without manual effort.
That way the task is not just solved once, but becomes a re-usable
workflow for future mails too.
7. How do you keep track of the fast-changing AI/tech landscape?
Mention any communities, blogs, newsletters, YouTube channels, or
creators you follow.
I follow:
Communities: Reddit r/MachineLearning, Kaggle discussions, and also
some focused Discord/Slack groups where practitioners share real-
world project tips.
YouTube: Fireship, TechWorld with Nana, and Codebasics.
Blogs: OpenAI Blog, also I follow people over LinkedIn to go through
some latest discoveries
8. What excites you most about the idea of building autonomous agents
or automation systems in a real company? What risks or limitations
would you keep in mind while deploying such systems?
What excites me is reducing repetitive manual work so teams can
focus on creative and strategic tasks. Automating workflows feels like
multiplying productivity.
Risks I’d keep in mind: over-automation leading to errors without
human checks, data privacy concerns, and ensuring employees don’t
feel replaced but supported.
9. In 150–300 words, describe a real-world workflow or task (from your
academic life, internship, or daily routine) that you believe could
benefit from automation. What would you build and how would it help?
One routine task in most offices is managing documents and
approvals. For example, whenever a new policy or form is circulated,
employees often download it, fill it out manually, and then send it back
for approval. The HR or admin team then spends hours checking
whether the forms are complete, storing them in the right folder, and
reminding people who missed the deadline. This back-and-forth is
repetitive and wastes time.
I would automate this workflow by setting up a simple system where
employees submit forms through an online portal. A script could
automatically validate inputs (like checking if all required fields are
filled, or dates are in the right format) before submission. The forms
could then be auto-routed to the right approver based on predefined
rules, and reminders could be triggered automatically for pending
approvals. Finally, once approved, the document would be stored in a
structured digital archive with proper naming conventions.
This approach would cut down manual checking, reduce errors, and
make the whole process transparent. Employees wouldn’t need to keep
track of multiple email threads, and the HR/admin teams would save
hours each week. Over time, this kind of automation makes routine
processes smoother and frees people to focus on tasks that actually
need human judgment.
10. Do you have any plans to move abroad for further study/work in
the next 1 year?
No.
11. What is your monthly and annual gross salary? If you have a
variable component, please share the details (amount and frequency
of payout). Please add the gross salary figures clearly. If you are not
working currently, you need to mention the gross salary figures at the
company you worked last.
This was offered in my last company,
12. What are your salary expectations (monthly gross)?
I am open to offers in line with industry standards for entry-level
automation engineers. Approx. ₹25,000–35,000 per month
(negotiable).
13. What is your notice period and is this period negotiable?
Immediate joiner.
14. If you are selected, we will need the following documents from you.
Please confirm if you have all these documents to submit if you get
selected. Please state if you do not have any of these documents.
Please be informed that you will need to submit these documents
copies to us in case you get selected for the job -
a) Appointment letter of your current and the last 3-4 previous companies.
Ok
b) Experience or relieving letter for the last 3-4 companies.
Ok
c) Last 3 months' salary slips for your current company and previous 3-4 companies.
As not accepted to convert the role, so did not have salary slip.
15. In 300-500 words, tell us what you think about Packt's mission - Does it excite you?
Could it be improved?
Packt’s mission sounds really interesting to me because it connects with the way I
usually learn. Most of my skills have come from online materials, tutorials, and books
rather than formal classes. Traditional tech books are helpful, but the problem is they
often get outdated very quickly. From what I’ve read, Packt seems to focus on keeping
learning more up-to-date and accessible, and that feels really important in a fast-
changing tech world.
What I like is that Packt isn’t just about theory, but about practical learning. As a
developer, I usually look for guides that explain things clearly with examples, not just
long paragraphs of concepts. It seems Packt is trying to deliver that kind of focused
content that developers actually use in real life.
I can also see how their approach is more modern compared to traditional publishing.
The idea of responding quickly to what developers need, and adjusting the content to
match, is a very tech-like way of thinking. It shows that they don’t just see themselves as
a publisher but as a company helping people learn and grow.
One area I think could become even stronger is interactivity. Learning is easier when you
can do things hands-on. If Packt continues to find ways to make their material more
applied and maybe integrate tools that give quick feedback or even AI-based learning
support, that could make the whole process even more engaging.
Overall, I feel positive about Packt’s mission because it tries to make knowledge more
useful and timely. For someone like me who has relied on self-learning a lot, I see Packt
as more than just a place that produces books—it feels like a resource that empowers
developers to keep improving and staying relevant in their careers.
Many tech professionals rely on books to build and manage their essential knowledge. Many
tech professionals used to rely on books, but book publishing has not evolved to meet their
changing needs. Both tell us they value the depth and focus of text, and the definitive body of
knowledge and shared experience a book provides. They tell us they want these enduring
values delivered faster, deeper, and more flexibly. This is what we do at Packt. We are constantly
exploring how technology demands and enables us to make better books and to develop text
centric products and subscription services. Publishing that advances technology, and technology
that advances publishing. Come and explore the future with us. We’re both publishers and
technologists, and the common practice we have is taking a user-led, product management
approach to both. We’re building the future of tech publishing together. Please keep in mind
that there are no ‘right' answers. These questions are designed to gauge your skills and interest,
and will give us an idea of how you approach tasks relevant to the role.
