First Interview Experience of a Fresh Graduate

First Interview Experience of a Fresh Graduate

This is a recorded Interview conducted for a Job posting of Junior Software Engineer at a Multi
National Company. The company's core business is Information Technology outsourcing. The job
requires competency in latest Computer technologies. The Company is also ready to train if they find
enthusiastic and budding engineers.
The interviewee, being a graduate of Electrical Engineering, is not well versed in the latest computer
technologies, except C language. The student ­ studying in last year of engineering, is naive,
unsophisticated but hardworking and has a good academic record.
Read this interview experience and guess whether this candidate was selected or not. Comment your
guesses below this post.
In this post, the Interviewee is referred to as "Student".
Interviewer: "Tell me about yourself? "
Student: Starts speaking nervously, "I am ABCD, I am studying pre­final year of engineering in XYZ
University".
Interviewer: "Tell me about your family background." Student now gets a little comfortable with her
tone and tells about her parents, siblings and their occupations. Interviewer jots down something.
Interviewer: Examines the resume and asks, "So Ms. ABCD, What are your future plans ?"
Student: Replies with a sparkle in eyes, "I wish to become an Embedded Systems Engineer. I like
programming in Micro controller. I know very little in micro controller programming , but would love
to learn."
Interviewer: "What are the steps you are going to take for pursuing your plans?"
Student: Confidently asserts, "I wish to work for a Company for 1 year and later apply for Masters In
US. As I am in my pref inal year of engineering, I have one more year to go. In this year, I would learn
and practice embedded programming. I would also prepare for my GRE test. "
Interviewer: "What is C? "
Student: Without thinking for a moment, replies ,"C is a programming language. It is a middle level
language widely used in system programming."
Interviewer: "What is C++? "
Student: "C++ is an extension of C language. It has some additional features that C does not provide."
Interviewer: "Why C++ was developed? "
Student: "Author of C++, Bjourne Stoustrop wanted to have the features of C, integrated with the
power of objected orientedness. "
Interviewer: "What do you thinks is the main difference between C and C++? "
Student: Thinks for few seconds and answers "C++ is Object Oriented, whereas C is a procedural
programming language."
Interviewer: "When compared to C, what is main drawback of C++ when compared with C? "
Student: "C is more suitable for Embedded systems as it is closer to Hardware than C++. C has better
control of memory and running speed than C++. C++ is more suitable for large and complex
applications."
Interviewer: "Difference between C++ and Java? "
Student: Shrugs her shoulders and says ,"Sorry I do not know."
Interviewer: "What is Polymorphism? "
Student: "Polymorphism is having the same name for different functions. "
Interviewer: "What is inheritance? "
Student: "Inheritance is a property by which a class can extend new features to another class by still
retaining the old features of the class that is inherited. "
Interviewer: "Can you give any example for inheritance? "
Student: A Dog is an Animal. If we consider Animal as a general class, Dog has some extra features
added to the original class Animal. So Dog inherits Animal.
Interviewer: "Tell about one topic in Java? "
Student: "I am sorry I have not learned Java."
Interviewer: "Say something about dot Net? "
Student: Answers in an uncomfortable tone, "I'm afraid, I do not know dot Net."
Interviewer: "Say something about J2EE? "
Student: "I do not know J2EE too."
Interviewer: Removing his glasses, speaks, "Our company works totally on Java, C++, dot Net. How
can you cope up with the work if you don't know any of these softwares? "
Student: "A friend of mine learned Java in 7 days. If he can learn, I can too." , she replied confidently.
Interviewer: "What do you know about our company? "
Student: Students tells some facts about the company that she read in their website.
Interviewer: Looking seriously into the eyes of student asks, "How much salary are you expecting
from us? "
Student: "I do not have any specific constraints, anyways I will be paid for my work. I do not really
mind even if I am under paid, I wish to takeaway the experience working for this company."
Interviewer: "Do you have any questions?"
Student: Asks in a polite tone, "I would like to know more about my job responsibilities."

Interviewer explains about the company background and explains the job responsibilities clearly.
Interview Ends. Now, wear the hat of the interviewer and comment below whether to select or reject
this candidate. Justify your selection or rejection.[u]

source: http://www.nodalo.com/2009/07/interview-experience-fresh-graduate.html
Posted By sridhar Jammalamadaka, EEE.

i think he is a normal candidate, the interviewer must met many of his kind........

Hmm.
I won't choose him, considering there are better candidates.

lets consider this part.

"A friend of mine learned Java in 7 days. If he can learn, I can too."

Besides, it is impossible to learn Java within 7 days. Learning java in 7 days is a myth, and whoever believes in myths is not eligible for a professional software firm.

however,

The job
requires competency in latest Computer technologies. The Company is also ready to train if they find
enthusiastic and budding engineers.

This part is really contradictory. What if the company is given a choice between an enthusiastic engineer who is skilled in lastest computer technologies and a person who is not skilled in latest technologies but is enthusiastic?
Obviously, the first one is a better choice.

In the real world, Java is not the latest technology anymore.

Compared to other languages, C and C++ are ancient and obsolete when we consider global work field. Apparently, the young apprentice only knows C. Is that good enough? Undoubtedly, no.

Also.. lets consider this part.

The company's core business is Information Technology outsourcing.

And

I wish to become an Embedded Systems Engineer.

I don't know much, but I think outsourcing softwares and Embedded software systems are opposites

Anyway..

the way/style you used in the introduction of the topic gives me two suspicions.
1. the student was selected.. and became a famous programmer.

or,

2. You took read this interview somewhere and decided to share it with us.
However, that means that you copied this stuff from somewhere.
if that is true, please include the source.
Also, Copying copyrighted information/posts/blogs is strictly prohibited in this forum.(unless you provide written permission of the owner)

sorry for not having the patience to read it
too large

*sigh*

sorry for not having the patience to read it
too large

Mostafa.. what would you feel if i said that I am sorry for not readingy your posts because those are very boring/exhausting?
you just said something like that to Rokon.
please avoid things like that

sorry

Hi mostafa,
you might be probably interested in the web version of the same story posted by Rokon. Here is the link First interview of a Fresher. I also suggest you to read Comments on interview.

I believe there are some important lessons on interview etiquette hidden in these posts. Let me know if they were helpful.

I checked out the comments in nodalo.. and apparently, most are in favor of the student.
however.. everyone said the girl should be given chance because she knows C++ and it should be easy for her to learn Java.
Is that really?

The interviewee, being a graduate of Electrical Engineering, is not well versed in the latest computer
technologies, except C language.

This part states that She is only proficient in C programming language, and not C++. Yes, maybe she knows how to program in C++, but is her skill at pro level in that particular language?
If she does possess a lot of skill in C++, I guess her chance of getting the job will be a little more higher.

After reading the comments I just realized that this post seems clearly biased towards the candidate. Next time will try to write it unbiasedly.

This part states that She is only proficient in C programming language,
and not C++. Yes, maybe she knows how to program in C++, but is her
skill at pro level in that particular language?
If she does possess a lot of skill in C++, I guess her chance of getting the job will be a little more higher

Good catch! She was indeed only good at C and not at C++. She only knew minimal theory basics of C++, needless to say, would not be that helpful in learning Java. It would be a hasty decision to declare her to be good at C++. Even though she was from Electrical Engineering, she should have put some efforts to learn C and/or C++ thoroughly to improve her job chances.

I don't know much, but I think outsourcing softwares and Embedded software systems are opposites

There is not much difference between embedded programming and application programming. Embedded programming uses the same old C language for development. Embedded C would be a slightly customized version of ANSI C, but basically built upon it. A major difference between the two is that Embedded programming emphasizes on Real time results where as the latter does not.

It is okay if windows on your desktop starts slower by few seconds, but it is not okay if a flight does not take a left turn immediately when the pilot turns the flight's steering left.