Recently, D.E. Shaw & Group visited our campus to recruit students for the Systems Engineer Intern role. Here’s a detailed account of my experience throughout the entire process.
Round 1: Online Assessment
The recruitment process kicked off with an online assessment conducted immediately after the pre-placement talk. All eligible students participated in this assessment in a lab, proctored by representatives from D.E. Shaw and our university faculty.
The assessment consisted of:
- One DSA question based on Dynamic Programming.
- Three MCQ sections: Technical MCQ, Aptitude, and Systems-based MCQ.
The total duration of the assessment was 45 minutes, with specific durations allocated to each section. Out of 109 students, only 17 were shortlisted, and I was fortunate to be among them.
Round 2: Technical Interview I
The next phase was the first technical interview. Two panels, each comprising two members from D.E. Shaw, interviewed the shortlisted students. The interview questions primarily focused on:
- Projects listed on our resumes.
- In-depth OOP and database concepts (such as normalization and query performance).
I managed to answer most of the questions confidently. At the end of this round, only four students, including myself, were shortlisted for the next round.
Round 3: Technical Interview II
The second technical interview involved the other panel that did not interview us initially. This round featured questions on:
- Data Structures and Algorithms (specifically BFS and DFS).
- Backend development(since I had projects revolving that field in my resume)
- Brain teasers designed to test our problem-solving abilities.
Unfortunately, I struggled with a few questions in this round, which affected my chances. Out of the four candidates, only two were selected, and I wasn’t one of them.
Although I didn't make it to the final selection, the experience was immensely valuable. It provided me with insights into the recruitment process of a prestigious firm like D.E. Shaw & Group and highlighted areas where I can improve for future opportunities.
I hope this detailed account of my experience helps you understand the rigorous recruitment process and prepares you better for similar opportunities.
