Following Campus Placement Interview experience is shared by a reader who recently got job offer during campus interview.
Me: “May I come in sir”.
HR: Yes! Please.
(I went in and stood near the chair).
HR: Please sit down.
Me: Thank you sir. (Had the file on my lap).
HR: So, Rajkamal. Why don’t you tell me something about yourself?
Me: Good evening sir. I’d first like to thank you for this opportunity. I am Rajkamal, pursuing my Bachelors in Computer Science and Engineering at <College Name>. My current Cumulative GPA average is 7.7. I secured 76% and 82% in my 12th and 10th grades respectively. My areas of interest are Oracle Database and Java Programming. Now, about my family: I’m from a Family of 4. My father is a business man, my mother is a homemaker and my brother is pursuing his Bachelors in Mechanical Engineering in the same Institution. My leisure interests are reading books and articles on Astronomy and Medicine. I also listen to music. Thank you sir.
HR: Good! So, you’re area of Interest is PL/SQL programming. Can you write SQL queries?
Me: Sure sir.
HR: He gave me a table with 5 IDs and 5 Salary values and he asked me to find the largest salary.
(I wrote the query and it was correct).
Now, write a query to find the second largest salary.
(Now, he started talking over the phone in Telugu.)
Me: I wrote (It was as easy as the first one but it was wrong this time). I tried like four times and never got it right. (After he hung up) I said: “I’m sorry sir; I do not know the answer”.
HR: (Scanning through my resume)… I see Telugu here. So you must have understood what I spoke over the phone now.
Me: I just smiled at him and said: “I’m from Andhra Pradesh”.
HR: (Smiled)… So, next… Database Administration. Name a few system tables.
Me: dba_users, user_constraints, tab, user_objects…
HR: Alright, fine! So, in which table will the permissions be stored?
Me: Sir, Grant command is used to grant privileges to user sir. Is that what you are asking sir?
HR: No. I’m asking the name of the table in which the privileges are stored.
Me: (After a 2 sec break) Session_privs.
HR: Alright! I see a project here. What is your project about?
Me: Sir, the aim of my project titled “Criminal Database Management System” is to create a centralized record of information about criminals. Our country does not have a centralized system to manage criminal data. So, we are implementing this software in the best interest of the nation. It uses Java as the front end and Oracle RDBMS as the back end.
HR: Hmmm! Nice. So, what kind of java are you using? JSP….??
Me: No sir, it is not a web application. It is a desktop application.
HR: How are you going to connect java and oracle?
Me: I’ll be using jdbc sir.
HR: Mm. JDBC. So, who is creating the data model? You or someone else?
Me: We are currently working on the back end sir. We are creating the data model.
HR: So what do you know in C and C++?
Me: (With a feeble voice) Structures, functions and pointers.
HR: Write a program to swap 2 numbers.
(I wrote it).
HR: OK! Now, do it without using the third variable.
(I wrote it).
HR: (Nodded his head). So give me 2 reasons why I should hire you.
Me: I smiled at the HR. “Sir, it’s a symbiotic relationship. You have the opportunity to hire me and I have the opportunity to work for you. While developing my IT skills, I will be delivering cutting edge solution to your company.
HR: (Laughed)! Alright, that is 1. …
Me: Sir, the second one is….. (Pause)…. My friends think I’m a workaholic but I just think I’m putting a few hours of extra work. So I wouldn’t mind working a little time extra.
HR: Good! So, do you have any questions for me?
Me: Sir…. yes… I understand that your company is a Wall Street company and a highly reputed one… (I don’t know why I said this…)….. I don’t mean to offend you sir but will a fresher’s idea or opinion be considered? Like… If the project manager has an idea and if a fresher comes up with a better idea than his, will it be implemented?
HR: Yes, yes, yes!!! We have a program called Education Portal. If your idea is submitted and if it can be implemented, you will be rewarded.
Me: That’s very nice to hear sir!
HR: Any more questions?
Me: No sir, none.
HR: Alright <Raj>, Very good! All the best.
Me: Thank you sir. I’m looking forward to work in a reputed organization like yours. Thanks for your time!
HR: Nodded and smiled.
I got up and left the room. Once again, I felt alive: D.
Results of the interview was announced 4 days after the interview.
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My plain question would be: How did “a HR” manager know so much about Java and Oracle? Usually HR managers conduct HR interviews, and this seems to be a technical interview which is usually conducted by technical guys.
Yes Yes ! This interview indeed has links with USA. Apologies for raising invalid Question. Regards!
A friend of mine is preparing for GRE side by side his backup plan is to look for job on IT industry and join the same and go to USA from client assignment……i would say in his prospective this article was relevant
Hi,
As Rajkamal did not want to reveal the name of the company, you might want to mask off that part in the last part where Rajkamal asks a question to his interviewer.
Is this Indian university and India where this interview took place??
if yes, then whats the point in posting it here??
it really has nothing much to do with the objective of this blog!!
What do you think is the objective of this blog?
Objective might be wider, however so far it has been centered around going to US, and blog is known for Preparation, Visa assistance, travel, and life in USA after getting admitted, regularly you sprinkle H1B related info too… thats it… there is hardly any info about UK, Australia, Germany etc. so it can be easily concluded that its a US centric blog/
India specific job interviews, how to get into indian colleges etc are beyond the interest of this blog (and members as well) from Layman’s point of view! you should post such topics only if they have some connection to US related things!
As I understand it, this was an interview relating to a position with a “Wall Street company.” Even if the entry-level role were in India getting a job there could be an avenue to transfering to the U.S. Perhaps that is a sufficient nexus to America to satisfy most readers.