Societe Generale Interviews

On-campus Opportunity

I am excited to share my interview journey with Societe Generale in August 2023 for a Software Development Engineer (SDE) position under their Super Dream category. This role offered both an internship and a potential full-time opportunity. My aim in sharing this is to provide insight into the process for others.

Online Assessment

My first step was an online assessment on the Hirepro platform. A significant number, 1670 students, were shortlisted for this, and it was crucial for evaluating our technical knowledge, aptitude, and coding skills. The assessment had three main sections:

1. Technical MCQs: These questions tested my understanding of fundamental technical concepts, including data structures, algorithms, and programming languages. They were generally easy, designed to gauge my basic knowledge.
2. Aptitude Questions: This section assessed my logical reasoning, problem-solving, and mathematical abilities. While manageable, these questions required a systematic approach to find accurate solutions.
3. Coding Challenges: There were two coding challenges, which I found to be easy to medium difficulty. However, the key was not just solving them, but doing so efficiently. Societe Generale emphasized time complexity and other performance parameters, rigorously checking solutions against various backend test cases for correctness and robustness.

Interview and Other Rounds

I was fortunate to be among the 45 students selected for the interview rounds. The process was initially planned with four stages: Group Discussion, Technical Round, Managerial Round, and HR Round. However, due to time constraints, the Group Discussion was bypassed, and we moved straight to the Technical Round.

1. Technical Interview - Round 1:

After a brief introduction, the interviewer asked deep conceptual questions on Operating Systems and presented me with a puzzle. I then tackled a scenario-based question on Object-Oriented Programming (OOP).

The coding part required me to implement an integer stack from scratch in C++, focusing on robustness and handling edge cases. This involved demonstrating proficiency in exception handling, error management, OOP concepts, inheritance, and constructors. Upon successful completion, I was challenged to convert this integer stack into a generic stack using C++ Templates, which tested my adaptability. The round also included solving LeetCode problems using the 'Pick Random' feature, covering both Medium and Hard difficulty.

The round concluded with a fundamental SQL query involving JOINS, followed by a transaction-based SQL task focusing on ROLLBACK and SAVEPOINT operations.

2. Technical / Managerial Interview - Round 2:

The second round was more challenging. I was given harder problems and questioned on system design and advanced programming concepts. Important areas like Cyber Security basics, Computer Networks, SOLID Principles, Design Patterns, and Software Development methods were covered. This round truly tested my practical application of knowledge. I faced scenario-based questions where I had to select appropriate technical answers and justify them. I was specifically asked to provide a basic High-Level and Low-Level Design for a Job Requisition Module within a Human Resource Management System (HRMS), likely because System Design was highlighted on my resume.

3. HR and Behavioral Interview - Round 3:

In the HR Round, my resume was thoroughly reviewed, delving into my academic background, skills, and family details. My past work experiences were scrutinized with targeted questions. I addressed typical HR inquiries to assess my alignment with the company's culture and values. Discussions also covered practical aspects like job location preferences and flexible work hours. This comprehensive evaluation allowed me to showcase my compatibility with Societe Generale’s ethos.

The entire interview process wrapped up around 8 PM. By 11 PM, our college placement team conveyed the results via email, and I was thrilled to learn that I had secured an offer, being one of the 14 students selected for this opportunity.