← Interview experiences
Got the offer

Software Engineer at Deloitte

Difficulty
Process took
2-3 Weeks
Rounds
5
Format
Remote
Applied via
Referral

How it went

  • Try to recreate the actual interview vibe. Do timed coding challenges and think out loud while solving them. The more you practice, the more natural it will feel when you’re actually in the hot seat.
  • If you get stuck, don’t panic. Explain what you’re thinking – interviewers love when you talk through your thought process. It shows that you’re thinking critically and don’t rush to answers. Take your time to figure it out; you’ll be surprised at how often this helps.
  • When asked about past projects, don’t just rattle off what you did. Talk about the challenges you faced, how you solved them, and what you learned. This is your chance to show how you approach problem-solving in the real world.

What they would tell you

  • Try to recreate the actual interview vibe. Do timed coding challenges and think out loud while solving them. The more you practice, the more natural it will feel when you’re actually in the hot seat.
  • If you get stuck, don’t panic. Explain what you’re thinking – interviewers love when you talk through your thought process. It shows that you’re thinking critically and don’t rush to answers. Take your time to figure it out; you’ll be surprised at how often this helps.
  • When asked about past projects, don’t just rattle off what you did. Talk about the challenges you faced, how you solved them, and what you learned. This is your chance to show how you approach problem-solving in the real world.

How to prepare

  • Get Comfortable with the Tough Stuff, Honestly, Dijkstra and Prim’s might seem tricky at first, but once you break them down, they’re not that bad. Practice them until you can explain them like you’re talking to a friend. As for dynamic programming, start with simple problems (like Knapsack) and build up to the harder ones. The key is understanding how to break a problem into smaller sub-problems.
  • Always Ask "How Can I Do This Better?", When you solve a problem, think about edge cases and how to optimize. You don’t have to rush to the final answer – take a moment to discuss the time and space complexity. Breaking down how you can make the solution more efficient shows that you think beyond just solving the problem.

Round by round

  1. 1

    Machine Coding Round (Hacker Earth)90 min

    This was the first round of the process, and it was a coding challenge with a combination of coding and technical questions on Hacker Earth. Coding Questions:

    • Shortest Path Using Dijkstra/Prim’s Algorithm
    • Dynamic Programming (hard level) I was able to solve one question completely and partially solved the second. I passed this round and received confirmation from HR that I was moving to the next stage.
  2. 2

    Technical Interview 160 min

    This was a one-on-one technical interview conducted remotely, and the focus was on core DSA. Topics :

    • Pointers, Recursion, Linked List Operations

    • TCP/IP, Networking Concepts, Scheduling Algorithms (Round Robin, Starvation, etc.) Problem-Solving:

    • Palindrome Check, Merge Sort, Recursion Practice

    • Operating System Concepts - TCP Handshakes, Memory Management

  3. 3

    Technical Interview 260 min

    The second technical round, where the interviewer gave me a series of problems that involved practical application of stacks and queues. Problem:

    • Merging Overlapping Intervals
    • Brute Force to Optimized Approach
    • Time Complexity & Space Complexity Discussion I walked through the problem-solving approach, explaining my brute-force approach first and later optimizing it to use stacks. I also discussed edge cases and complexity analysis thoroughly.
  4. 4

    Technical Interview 3 (System Design)60 min

    This was a system design interview, and I had to think on my feet as it was a live coding session where the interviewer evaluated my thought process. Problem: Design an Elevator System

    • I was asked to design an elevator system that could handle multiple floors, maintain a queue for elevator calls, and decide which elevator should serve the next request.
    • System Requirements: The system had to be efficient, handle high load, and handle calls to multiple elevators simultaneously. I explained how I would approach the design, modularize the components (i.e., floor queue, elevator queue, user request handling), and optimize the algorithm to ensure real-time performance. I also discussed thread-safety using mutex and lock mechanisms.
  5. 5

    HR Manager Round45 min

    The final round of technical evaluation. It focused more on behavioral questions, past experiences, and team fit. Behavioral Questions:

    • Past Project Discussion: My previous roles, challenges I faced, and how I solved them.
    • Team Collaboration: How I worked with cross-functional teams, product managers, and engineers.
    • Conflict Management: How I handle disagreements with team members. The HR interviewer also asked questions about my motivation for joining Deloitte, work culture preferences, and my ability to work under pressure. Result: No issues, the interviewer seemed to be comfortable with my responses.

What came up

MediumRemote3 4 years

A candidate-reported account, lightly edited. Interview processes change by team and date.

Sources