How did I crack a SDE offer from
with my interview experience?
Backstory:
It was just the second week when the placement season started at my college. BNY Mellon came on campus for recruiting. This was the first time this company visited our campus. As it was the company’s first visit, very few people knew about it. Considering the attractive pay, which was comparable to the best companies out there, and hearing positive feedback about the work culture from seniors, I decided to apply, even though my preference was to join a product-based company.
Round 1: Online assessment on HackerEarth
Four questions were asked: one easy, two medium, and one hard. I managed to solve three questions. The topics covered were math, arrays, greedy algorithms, heaps, and graphs. The questions were similar to those on LeetCode. I was able to quickly solve the first three questions but got stuck on the fourth one. I remembered the question and later solved it after the round. Fortunately, I was selected along with around 15 other candidates for further rounds. Interestingly, the question I had solved after the round was asked to me in the technical round.
Round 2: Technical Round (online)
The interviewer was really nice. I introduced myself and mentioned my strong knowledge of DSA. I tried to steer the conversation towards topics I was comfortable with. He asked me about my thoughts on the latest technologies and also about real-life scenarios where DSA is used, like in browser search history, escalators, lifts, etc. He also asked about practical uses of circular queues and some questions related to operating systems. Then he gave me a medium-level question on linked lists and finally asked a question that involved binary search. The round lasted about an hour and went well. More than 10 students passed this round.
Round 3: Technical Round (online)
This was the toughest interview round I’ve ever experienced. I introduced myself, and the interviewer shared the question link on HackerEarth, asking me to share my screen. The question was incredibly difficult, and despite my best efforts, I couldn’t solve it completely. I presented the brute force approach, which only passed 2 out of 40 test cases. The interviewer was extremely helpful, providing ideas and potential approaches to tackle the problem. The question revolved around shortest paths and graphs, and unfortunately, I had forgotten how to implement Dijkstra’s algorithm at that moment. The interviewer guided me, and I managed to pass 9 out of 40 test cases. When the time was up, we wrapped up the coding part and had a brief conversation. I was convinced that I wouldn’t make it past this round, so I changed my outfit and went for lunch, already contemplating which company to focus on next. However, in the middle of my lunch, I received a call from the TNP coordinator, informing me that I had been selected for the HR round. The only reason I could think of for passing this round was that I never gave up on the question and engaged in a proper conversation with the interviewer. Even though I couldn’t fully solve the problem, I demonstrated my eagerness to find a solution, learn the approach, and understand the interviewer’s requirements.
Round 4: HR round (online)
I never expected to reach this stage, and I was woefully unprepared. Prior to the round, I didn’t even know the company’s full name, which put me in panic mode. I urgently asked details from my friends, rushing from the middle of my lunch back to my hostel room. To my surprise, the HR manager had been waiting for me for 15 minutes. It couldn’t have been a worse first impression. I promptly apologized for my tardiness, explaining that there was a delay caused by a miscommunication from TNP’s side, and we finally began the interview.
He started by asking me why I wanted to join BNY Mellon. Fortunately, I had memorized this part and quickly provided a response. I mentioned that BNY Mellon is one of the oldest banks established in the 17th century, highlighting its status as the world’s largest custodian bank and securities services company, among other notable aspects.
Next, he inquired, “Tell me about a time when you served as an inspiration to someone.” I shared my background, how it had a positive impact on individuals and students from my village, and how many have been following in my footsteps. The HR manager was genuinely impressed. I also discussed my struggles and my journey in competitive programming, which seemed to bring him great joy. He asked why I loved competitive programming over development and inquired about my hobbies. Finally, I had the chance to ask him a question about his experience working at BNY Mellon.
Despite my initial lateness, this round went exceptionally well and turned out to be my best one.
Result:
Shortly after, in the evening, the results were announced, and I was among the 5 people who were selected. I still vividly remember that day when all my dear friends gave me a grand GPL, while dragging me through the corridors of HB2 hostel. It was an incredible and surreal experience, perhaps the happiest day of that semester for me. Finally, after enduring countless rejections and failures, I was able to redeem myself. The weight on my shoulders was finally lifted. I wanted to personally share this good news with my parents, so I kept it to myself for a couple of months. Witnessing their happiness when I finally revealed the news made it all the more worthwhile. I’m unsure about what my journey with BNY Mellon holds, but I’m eagerly looking forward to joining the company.
What can you do ?
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Arigatou :)