Nikith's Interview Experience

Verified
In Mobi
Software Developer
2024

InMobi Software Developer Interview Experience | On-Campus | Nikith Ganga

Interview Experience

ABOUT ME

Hello, I'm Nikith Ganga. I'm pursuing my Bachelor of Engineering degree at Ramaiah Institute of Technology in Bangalore, specializing in Computer Science and Engineering (CSE). I had the opportunity to interview with several companies, including Deloitte, CynLr, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, and InMobi. After numerous interviews, I'm delighted to share that I've been offered a position at InMobi. Interestingly, this happened towards the end of my 6th semester.

ABOUT INMOBI INTERVIEW EXPERIENCE

The interview process followed a standard format when InMobi visited our college for on-campus placements. It began with an Online Assessment (OA) the day before the interviews, which was taken by around 120 students. After the OA, I was shortlisted for the interview rounds. The interview consisted of three rounds: the first Technical round, followed by a second Technical round, and finally, a Tech + Managerial round.

ROUND 1 — TECHNICAL ROUND (1 hr 20 min long)

Introduction (0–10 min) The interview began with a brief introduction. There was one panelist present, and they started by asking me to introduce myself. They were interested in knowing about my hobbies, projects I had worked on, and my overall academic journey.

Coding Questions (10–55 min) Once the introduction was over, they moved on to coding problems. I was asked to solve the following standard coding problems:

  • Bubble Sort — Implementation and explanation of how it works.
  • Convert a Roman Numeral to a Normal Number — Detailed conversion logic.
  • Reversing a String — They asked me to explain three different approaches.
  • Implementing a Linked List & Reversing a Linked List.
  • Finding the Middle Node in a Linked List — Efficient algorithm to locate the middle node.

For each problem, I was asked to provide the time complexity and space complexity of my solution.

Since the questions were fairly standard and I had revised these topics just a day before the interview, I was able to respond confidently and promptly.

Fundamentals and Core Concepts (55 min — end) After I completed the coding questions quickly, the panelist moved on to asking about fundamentals and core concepts. The questions focused primarily on:

  • OOPs, concepts — In-depth discussion, especially concerning C++ and Java.
  • Specific questions from my resume, particularly regarding my experience with Cloud Development and DevOps.
  • Various questions about CSPs (Cloud Service Providers), databases, and further details about Java and C++.

ROUND 2 — TECHNICAL ROUND (45 min. long)

Project Discussion The round began with a discussion of the projects I had worked on. I had completed two projects, and I explained each one in detail. Most of the time in this round was spent going over the intricacies of these projects, their implementation, and the technologies I used.

Queue Data Structure I was asked to implement a Queue data structure and provide two different approaches to solve it. I explained both methods thoroughly.

Multithreading and Synchronization The interviewer then asked me questions related to multithreading. I was given a specific problem that involved the synchronization of threads. They asked me to explain how I would handle it using different libraries and approaches with multiple threads.

Internships, Docker, and Kubernetes They also inquired about my internships, particularly focusing on my experience with Docker and Kubernetes. I explained my role and the projects I had worked on involving these technologies.

SQL Queries and DBMS I was asked to write several SQL queries, including:

  • Finding duplicate records.
  • Some JOIN-based queries.

After that, we moved into questions on DBMS. The topics included:

  • Partitioning of data.
  • Sharding and its role in database scaling and optimization.

ROUND 3 — MANAGERIAL + HR ROUND (40 min. long)

In this final stage, the Managerial + HR round wasn't just a formality; it was a crucial step to securing the position. Even though six candidates from my group reached this round, only two were eventually selected. This shows how important it is to give your best in the HR round — it's your last chance to demonstrate your value and skills.

Introduction and Company Knowledge The round began with the typical introduction. The interviewer asked me to introduce myself and then followed up with, "What do you know about InMobi?" This was to gauge my understanding of the company and its values.

Project Discussion and Real-World Impact Much of the discussion revolved around my projects. The manager wanted to know the real-world contributions and potential impact of the work I had done in my projects. They asked detailed questions about:

  • The best piece of code I had written.
  • How I had implemented solutions for real-world problems using my projects.

Technical Questions: OOPs, Java, API Testing I was also tested on several technical concepts, including:

  • OOPs in real-world applications.
  • Best Coding Practises.

Designing a System A major portion of the interview involved system design. I was asked to design a Hostel Management System and was questioned on:

  • The possible challenges such a system would face.
  • How I would model the entire database design, including defining relations and constraints.

SQL and Data Modelling There were also several SQL queries and data modelling questions, which included:

  • Cost comparison between DDL (Data Definition Language) and DML (Data Manipulation Language) queries.
  • Differences and use cases of SQL vs NoSQL databases.
  • Queries for deleting duplicate records from a database.
  • A scenario where data was entered incorrectly in two columns, and I was asked how I would fix it (based on the SD, I designed)

This round was highly focused on testing my ability to solve real-world problems, my knowledge of database design, and my approach to system architecture.

Interview Result: Accepted

So, that wraps up my InMobi interview journey. I'm excited to share that I was offered an INTERN + FTE position. Looking back, here's my advice: make sure you're strong in data structures.

Fundamentals are crucial, so don't neglect them! Also, knowing your projects inside out is essential. Real-world implementation of your projects plays a significant role — it shows how you can translate your skills into actual solutions. My interview rounds spanned a total of 18 hours, including the OA round held the day before, with around 120 students competing. Lastly, be prepared for system design and SQL questions, as they can test both your theoretical knowledge and practical approach.

The key takeaway is: that fundamentals matter, project knowledge is your unique advantage, and real-world problem-solving is always in demand!