Zscaler SDE Internship Interview Experience (On-campus | CTC: 27 LPA)
Summary
I interviewed for an SDE Internship at Zscaler through an on-campus drive, which involved a HackerRank assessment and two technical rounds focusing on DSA, Java, and CS fundamentals. Despite my efforts, I was ultimately rejected, which highlighted areas for improvement in my preparation.
Full Experience
My Zscaler SDE Internship Interview Experience
Round 1: HackerRank Online Assessment
I started with a HackerRank Online Assessment which included two Data Structures and Algorithms questions and four Aptitude MCQs. I attempted all questions, fully solving one DSA problem and partially solving the other. Unfortunately, I can't recall the specific DSA questions asked at this stage.Round 2: Technical Interview 1 (Google Meet)
This round was conducted via Google Meet and focused heavily on DSA. I was given two coding problems on HackerRank CodePair:- Remove Nth Node From End of List
- Maximum Path Sum (likely in a binary tree)
Round 3: Technical Interview 2 (Google Meet)
In the final technical round, I faced two more challenging problems:- A problem to Minimize the Sum, which the interviewer indicated was a heap-based question.
- A bit manipulation question involving non-primitive data types, though I can't recall its specifics.
Verdict: Rejected
After the interviews, days passed without any response. I tried reaching out via Gmail and LinkedIn but received no communication. Even a rejection mail would have brought some clarity. This experience truly haunted me for days, especially as it was my first interview in my third year, and I felt I had missed a significant opportunity. This outcome made me realize that my current level of preparation wasn't sufficient, and I needed to improve significantly.I hope my experience can be helpful to others going through similar interview processes.
Interview Questions (3)
During the first technical interview, I was asked to solve this common Data Structures and Algorithms problem on HackerRank CodePair. The task is to remove the nth node from the end of a given singly linked list.
In the same technical interview, another DSA question involved finding the maximum path sum. This typically refers to finding the path with the largest sum in a binary tree, where a path can start and end at any node.
During the second technical interview, I encountered a problem where the objective was to minimize a sum, and the interviewer specifically mentioned that it was a heap-based question. I could only provide a partial solution.