Software Development Intern at ADP
- Difficulty
- Process took
- 0-1 Weeks
- Rounds
- 3
- Format
- On site
- Applied via
- Other
How it went
- Though I wasn’t selected, this experience taught me a lot. The process was rigorous, but it showed me areas I need to improve upon, especially in problem-solving and time management during interviews. For anyone preparing for internships, practice coding under time pressure and always be prepared to discuss your projects in-depth.
What they would tell you
- Though I wasn’t selected, this experience taught me a lot. The process was rigorous, but it showed me areas I need to improve upon, especially in problem-solving and time management during interviews. For anyone preparing for internships, practice coding under time pressure and always be prepared to discuss your projects in-depth.
How to prepare
- Sorting problems are key in tech interviews. Knowing Quick Sort, Merge Sort, and Selection Sort is essential.
- It's important to explain your approach clearly. If you get stuck, don’t panic, try to break down the problem and explain what you’re thinking.
Round by round
- 1
Technical Interview 1 (In-Person)60 min
The first round began with a Pre-Placement Talk, followed by a technical interview. The interview started with coding questions and progressed to discussions about algorithms and problem-solving. I was asked to explain Quick Sort with an example. I explained the partitioning technique and the algorithm’s time complexity. After the Quick Sort, the interviewer asked questions about sorting algorithms such as Merge Sort, Selection Sort, and why Quick Sort is better than Merge Sort. I discussed their time complexities and when one might be more efficient than the other. Other Questions: Detect start of a cycle in a linked list and insert a node in the middle of the linked list were also asked. I quickly solved these problems using Floyd’s Tortoise and Hare for the cycle detection and a direct approach for the node insertion. I was asked to explain types of polymorphism and give a code example. I also discussed inheritance and provided an example of its use in Object-Oriented Programming (OOP).
- 2
Technical Interview 2 (For Shortlisted Candidates)60 min
This round was for shortlisted candidates. The interview was a bit more hands-on, with candidates being asked to code on laptops and explain code snippets. Projects Related: The interviewers asked about my internship projects and how I contributed to code optimizations. I explained the runtime improvements I made and the technologies I used AI/ML frameworks. Data Structures: More DSA-based problems were given, which tested my understanding of advanced algorithms and problem-solving. DBMS & Networking Questions: Some candidates were also asked about DBMS concepts (like one-to-one and one-to-many relationships) and Networking (OSI model layers and their significance).
- 3
HR Interview60 min
The final round was an HR interview. It was more conversational and focused on understanding my cultural fit and leadership qualities. The questions were standard HR questions that I had encountered in other interviews.
The rejection came after Round 3. I did not receive specific feedback, but it’s possible that my performance in Round 1 and Round 2 wasn’t up to the mark in terms of problem-solving efficiency and speed. The HR round went well, but it seems I was a bit behind technically in some areas.
What came up
A candidate-reported account, lightly edited. Interview processes change by team and date.