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)
Remove Nth Node From End of List
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.
Binary Tree Maximum Path Sum
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.
Minimize Sum (Heap Problem)
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.