I recently appeared for the Caelius Consulting campus hiring process. I was shortlisted from around 500 candidates based on my resume and went through multiple rounds before being rejected in the Technical Interview.
Sharing the process and questions/areas that may actually help candidates preparing for similar drives.
1. Resume Shortlisting
Around 500 students applied, and I was shortlisted based on my resume.
So, having a clear and relevant resume matters. Be prepared to explain everything you mention in it.
2. Round 1 — Google Form
The first round was conducted through a Google Form.
We had to answer questions within a given time limit.
After this round:
500 → 40 students
I was among the 40 selected.
3. Group Discussion : online
The 40 selected candidates were divided into groups of around 5–6 students.
Our topic was:
"Will AI replace humans?"
The GD mainly tested communication, logical thinking, confidence and how well you participate in a discussion.
After the GD:
40 → 16 students
I was selected for the next round.
4. Technical Test — HackerEarth : online
The technical test was conducted on HackerEarth and lasted around 3 hours.
The paper consisted of:
- 75 English/Verbal questions
- 1 SQL question
- 1 Programming question
- Remaining questions were Aptitude
After this round:
16 → 14 students
I was again selected.
What to prepare
For a similar test, don't prepare only DSA. Focus on:
Aptitude + Verbal/English + SQL + Basic Programming
Time management is particularly important because of the large number of questions.
5. Technical Interview
The Technical Interview was conducted online.
It started with a basic introduction, after which most of the discussion was around the projects mentioned on my resume.
This was the most important lesson for me:
If it's on your resume, be ready to explain it in depth.
Be prepared for questions about:
- Why you built the project
- Your exact contribution
- Technologies used
- Architecture/workflow
- Database
- APIs
- Challenges faced
- Why you chose a particular technology
- How you would improve the project
Unfortunately, I was rejected at this round.
6. Personal Interview
After the Technical Interview:
14 → 5 students
Five candidates were selected for the Personal Interview.
However, none of the candidates from our campus were finally placed in the company.
Final Selection Journey
500 Applicants
↓
40 — Google Form
↓
GD
↓
16 — Technical Test
↓
14 — Technical Interview
↓
5 — Personal Interview
↓
0 Final Placements from our campus
My Biggest Takeaway
The biggest lesson for me was resume preparation.
I cleared multiple rounds, but the Technical Interview eventually came down heavily to my projects and the depth of my understanding.
So if you're preparing for a similar campus drive:
1. Build projects you can actually explain.
2. Don't put technologies on your resume just because you have used them once.
3. Prepare SQL and basic programming.
4. Don't ignore aptitude and verbal ability.
5. Most importantly, prepare every project on your resume from basic to deep technical questions.
