The Technical Interview FAQs

          The Technical Interview FAQs

I. How would you make a first impression about a candidate?
         First impressions are generally gathered in the first five minutes - when the
candidate walks to the table introduces him/herself, body language, how well the
candidate comprehends and responds to the initial few questions and supporting
mark sheets and certificates.

II. What are the basic things that a candidate is expected to know?
In a technical interview five basic expectations from a candidate are:
· Ability to articulate fundamental engineering concepts from his /her discipline.
· Strong foundation in Mathematics.
· Good verbal and written communication skills. The ability to listen to the
problem, understand it and then be able to break it down to reach the solution
and articulate the steps and the solution.
· Application of learning to simple, real-world examples. For example, a student
from the Electrical and Electronics Engineering (EEE) discipline should be
able to differentiate between LED and LCD and speak of the inbuilt
microprocessor devices.
· Command over software languages covered in the curriculum.

III. What is the best way for a candidate to receive a question? What should a student
do when he/she does not know the answer to a question?
There are two golden rules to be followed while answering questions in an
interview:
· The first rule is to be relaxed and listen to the question completely. If you did
not understand the question, then clarify with the interviewer. Then proceed to
solve it.
Always remember that the approach to solve the problem is as important as
the solution.
· The second rule is to be honest. If you do not know or remember the answer,
you can candidly say so to the interviewer, or alternatively you can explain the
points up to which you can recollect.
Random Guess work and Silence do not work in your favor.

IV. Can you share some ideas for interpretation of questions?
Consider the following example:
You are asked to write a simple C program to print alternate letters from your name
Before putting the pencil to the paper, the candidate should understand the question
and decide on his approach.
Certain decisions can be made here on usage of variables and arrays
Whether the name has to be user fed or stored
Whether the alternative characters should be printed on the same line
What loop will be used – For loop, Do-While loop etc...
All of this helps the interpretation of the question and leads to the solution.

V. How significant are the certifications obtained by students?
The certifications that the student has been awarded convey leadership and team
player qualities, initiative and special talents that the student has exhibited in his/her
academic tenure. Certificates also show that the candidate has a passion to excel.
They are an “added asset” and a competitive advantage for a student.

VI. How is my communication skill tested in a technical interview?
Communication skills are gauged implicitly. Through the interview, the candidate
expresses him/herself both in verbal and written communication.

VII. How is the programming ability of a Mechanical or a Civil engineer tested?
Since C/C++, Computational Lab., and Fundamentals of Computing are subjects
common to all disciplines, questions to students from these disciplines will be
centered on topics covered in these subjects

VIII.Apart from the points already discussed, how else can students prepare for a
Technical interview?
As part of preparation, students should:
1. Practice extempore or impromptu speeches of 2 minutes about
themselves, their strengths, weaknesses, role model and career
aspirations
2. Revise the fundamentals of their subjects
3. Be cognizant of the latest trends in technology in their discipline
(This can be easily searched for using GOOGLE.)

IX. What is your message for all TCS aspirants?
My Message to all TCS Aspirants is:
“Come to the interview with courage and confidence.
TCS is looking for young talent like you.”

Posted in: