Student 9
Software Engineer at NortonLifeLock
Information Technology
Interview Experience
Written Coding Test
Online coding assessment with string manipulation and algorithm problems
Questions Asked:
- Find the duplicate in string
- Find the minimum number of arrows need to be rotated so that all the arrows are in the same direction
- Another string question
Technical Round 1
Coding problems on data structures, string manipulation, and project explanation
Questions Asked:
- Write a code for get and put function to add employee ID and salary, and the salary was changed based on the employee ID
- Write a code for finding the duplicate word in a sentence
- Write a code for finding the count of occurrence of a given pair of words in a paragraph
- Project explanation
Technical Round 2
OOPS concepts, polymorphism, access specifiers, SQL, and load balancing
Questions Asked:
- Explain the concept of OOPS
- Explain runtime polymorphism and compile time polymorphism and write a code
- Explain access specifiers and implement it
- Write a Java code for adding and removing the employee details using constructors, access specifiers and OOPS concepts
- Write a SQL query to update the table status from passed to failed and failed to passed
- What is meant by load balancing? Explain how it is achieved
Managerial + HR Round
Combined round with SQL, language comparison, system concepts, and career preferences
Questions Asked:
- Self introduction
- Write a SQL query to find the employee name who will be a manager for another employee from the employee table
- Difference between Java and Python and give the reasons for preferring Python in terms of memory, execution time compared with Java
- Explain the process, threads and give the difference between them
- Difference between stack and heap
- Explain system design
- Which type of project you prefer to work on - simple project with new technology or complex project with old technology?
- Role you preferred to work in
Tips for Juniors
- Practice string manipulation problems thoroughly - duplicates, rotations, pattern matching
- Be comfortable implementing HashMap/Dictionary operations for employee management systems
- Know how to count word occurrences and find word pairs in text
- Master both runtime (method overriding) and compile-time (method overloading) polymorphism with code examples
- Understand all access specifiers: public, private, protected, default
- Practice writing complete Java classes with constructors and CRUD operations
- Know SQL UPDATE with CASE statements for conditional updates
- Understand self-join queries for hierarchical data (employee-manager relationships)
- Compare Java vs Python: memory management, execution speed, use cases
- Know process vs thread differences clearly
- Understand stack (local variables, function calls) vs heap (dynamic memory allocation)
- Have basic understanding of load balancing concepts and techniques
- Be prepared to discuss system design fundamentals
- Think about your preferences: new tech vs proven tech, simple vs complex projects
- Be clear about your preferred role and career path
Disclaimer: This interview experience is a personal account shared by the student. It represents their individual experience and may not reflect the standard recruitment process of the company. Student names have been changed to protect their privacy. The information provided is for educational and preparation purposes only and should not be considered as official company documentation.