OCI IC3 SMTS (Remote) Interview Experience

My Interview Experience for the SMTS (IC3) Role at Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI)

1. Screening Round: I was given two random coding problems on HackerRank. They were similar to Codeforces A/B level problems and had to be solved with all test cases passing. After that, I was asked some basic questions on Distributed Systems.

Result: Got a callback within 2 days informing me that I was selected for the onsite loop rounds.

Loop Rounds Round 1 – Hiring Manager (HLD + Behavioral) This round focused deeply on my current project.

I was asked to draw and explain the system architecture.

Follow-up questions were around how I could improve it.

The last 20–25 minutes focused on behavioral questions.

Feedback: The hiring manager was quite friendly. I was able to explain everything clearly and he was satisfied.

Round 2 – SMTS (HLD + LLD on HackerRank) Started with 5–7 minutes of microservices-related questions.

Then transitioned into a HackerRank test with 3 design-related questions.

Add to Cart – Given a system design, I had to identify bottlenecks and suggest latency improvements.

BookMyShow Design – I was asked to design the API, schema, and high-level architecture.

LLD Implementation – Given an interface, I had to implement two classes.

Unfortunately, the interviewer didn’t engage much; he didn’t ask any cross-questions and it felt more like a monologue.

Concluded with one behavioral question.

Feedback: The interview felt long and a bit disconnected due to the lack of interaction.

Round 3 – PMTS (DS + HLD + Behavioral) Started with the classic Leetcode question: Find the missing number, followed by a variation where multiple numbers could be missing.

Then moved on to HLD: I was asked to design a URL Shortener Service.

Ended with one behavioral question.

Feedback: This was a smooth interview with good interaction and problem-solving discussion.

Round 4 – Bartender Round (Director of Engineering) Note: OCI “Bartender Rounds” are conducted by someone from a different team, not related to the one you’re being hired for.

Started with a detailed discussion on my current project and architecture.

Asked many follow-up and behavioral questions.

Then came the problem-solving segment: Josephus Problem.

He was very strict about time and said, “If you can solve it in the next 10 minutes, great. Otherwise, I’ll conclude the interview.”

I solved it in 6 minutes, thanks to my strong grip on recursion.

Feedback: The interviewer was a bit stern, but the round was intense and rewarding.

Round 5 – PMTS (USA-based, Technical + Behavioral) Started with my project walkthrough.

Then moved to scenario-based HLD questions.

Asked 3 behavioral questions.

Finally, I was given a custom DFS/BFS problem (not on Leetcode), which had several tricky edge cases.

Feedback: Managed to solve it successfully. The round was well-balanced between technical depth and behavioral aspects.

Final Result Got a call the very next day — I was selected!

Final Offer: Total Compensation (1st Year): ₹62 LPA

Base: ₹37 LPA

RSUs: $75,000 (vested 40-30-20-10 over 4 years)

A Note to Tier-3/Tier-4 College Students and Job Seekers To all the hard-working folks from Tier-3 or Tier-4 colleges — I started my career at ₹2.36 LPA. After 2 years of learning and upskilling, I moved to OpenText with ₹16 LPA. Now, after another 2 years, I’ve landed at OCI with ₹62 LPA.

What changed? Not my background. Just my effort.

If you’re dreaming big, don’t stop. Work smart, stay consistent. Time will change for you. Since I didn’t have seniors to guide me in college, I’m now planning to mentor others — free of cost — who are in the same situation.

It's my way of paying it forward.