I applied through a staffing agency. The process took 8 weeks. I interviewed at IBM (Preston, North West England, England) in Jan 2016
Interview
I applied through recruiting website. Within a week I did telephone screening. A week after I was told that I would be asked to do online aptitude test. Week later I received link for online aptitude test with username and password. I was busy so after 4 days of receiving it I took a test. It was based on mathematical problems and series. For every question you get 2mins and 15 secs. Some questions I answered in less than that time. For some questions it wasn't enough. I took the test on Thursday . I received an email on Monday that I passed the aptitude test and I would be attending assessment centre. I received invite for assessment center but with no details except please and date. Week before the actual date of assessment received an email that assessment center would comprise of two group exercises, business competency interview and technical interview. All the candidates who attended the assessment centre had applied for different roles so they were not competitors. We were divided into two groups. While one group did interview other did group exercise. Our group had an interview first. My interview process was very relaxed. Wasn't asked technical questions even in technical interview. Basically they want to know about you. It is really hard to know what they have made out of the interview process. I was taking part in group exercise for the first time but I really enjoyed it. In the first exercise group was given to make decisions for organising the event of IBM apprenticeship seminar. Decisions like venue, marketing the event, choosing the reps for the event and budgeting the event based on given information. For this exercise there isn't any right or wrong answer. In second exercise everyone in the group was given partial information for the logical problem. Every member has different set of information. So you have to constantly communicate in order to solve this logical problem. There is only one solution for it. You work as a group to reach to the solution.
We were told we will be informed within a week about the outcome of the process. After a week received an email that it would be one more week before we can know the result. So expecting an answer in next 4 days.
Interview questions [1]
Question 1
Tell me about yourself. How do you deal with stress? What technologies do you use in your everyday life and what do you like about them? Where do you want to see yourself in 5 years time?
Applied through the company portal, completed an online coding assessment, followed by a technical interview covering data structures, algorithms, OOP concepts, and project experience. Concluded with an HR discussion about the role, career goals, availability, and compensation expectations.
## IBM Interview Process
The process began with initial resume shortlisting, followed by competitive **DSA and coding rounds** to test core technical concepts. After clearing those, I cleared two comprehensive interviews with the **Hiring Manager/Tech Expert** and **HR**.
Describe the interview process: The process consisted of three rounds: an initial online assessment focusing on data structures and algorithms, followed by two technical video interviews. The technical rounds were intensive, covering system design, live coding, and deep-dive questions into previous project experience and database optimization.
Interview questions [1]
Question 1
Design a scalable URL shortener system and explain how you would handle high read/write throughput.