Core Expedition | Praveen Yadav | JLR
The Interview :
1) Could you briefly explain to us about your company’s field? What motivated you to pursue this domain?
Jaguar Land Rover is Britain’s largest automotive manufacturer, which designs, manufactures, and sells some of the world’s best-known premium cars. The role I have been offered in JLR is Graduate Mechanical Engineer Trainee (GMET). The responsibilities would be to create, integrate, and release systems, components and vehicles.
I have always been fascinated by the latest technology that leading automotive companies are implementing in their vehicles. To cater to my curiosity and to get broad exposure to automobiles, I joined TeamKart — the official FSAE team of IIT Kharagpur in my freshman year. After this, the real journey started, and I got several chances to work on amazing projects under different professors in controls and automobile domains, which deepened my interest further
2) What was the exact selection procedure for your company? Can you brief us about the type of questions asked in each round?
There were four steps involved in the selection procedure for JLR:
1. Resume shortlisting (with CG cutoff of 6.5) — CGPA plays a big role in the shortlisting, especially in core industries. To be on the safer side, you should have a bare minimum CG of 7.5.
2. Technical test — Further shortlisting totally depends on the results of the technical test. It was adaptive in nature. For example, if you correctly solved a problem, the difficulty of the next question would increase (definitely difficult questions would fetch you more points). This section included programming and mechatronics questions.
3. Statement of Purpose (SOP) — Before the final interviews, we were asked to submit an SOP (statement of purpose) of about 500 words.
4. Final Interview — This round included both technical and HR questions and lasted around 85 minutes in my case.
• CV-based — They grilled me about the inter-IIT competition (the problem statement of this was from JLR itself), my journey at TeamKart, and learnings from my automobile-oriented projects.
• Core and applied understanding — There were questions about core mechanical topics to check my technical understanding. As a part of the automotive research group, they bombarded me with questions related to suspensions, regenerative braking, weight transfer, engines, and some more questions related to controls as well, like PID and LQR controllers.
• Coding and puzzles — They asked me to code questions related to linked lists and strings. Besides, some puzzles to check general aptitude were also being asked.
• HR and SOP-based — This was the most predictable part, like a typical HR round. Thorough research about the company, its leading innovations, and values would serve the goal.
Overall, it was one of my best interview experiences. I was also able to put a smile on the face of the interviewers by tailoring some quirky sarcasm and humor in my answers to lighten up the mood (do it at your personal risk, it may go the other way around). Include your relevance to JLR as much as possible in interviews. Talk about the latest work and how you might be the perfect fit.
3) What skills are required to work in this domain? How did you acquire those skills? (Mention both academic and extracurricular)
They don’t specifically search for any particular skill set but pursuing some projects in the core mechanical domain, especially the automobile sector would be a big add-on. My projects and experiences at TeamKart proved quite handy as I had hands-on experiences with software like MATLAB, Simulink and Solidworks.
4) When did you start preparing for your placements? Could you give a rough sketch of your timetable?
I started my preparations around 2–3 months before the placements. It varies according to your target companies or profiles. In my case, I gave numerous tests related to GATE to brush up on core concepts in minimal time. Also, a moderate level of competitive coding skills would be required to crack the technical test.
5) What is the general influence of (a) CGPA, (b) Projects, c) Interns (d) PORs in the selection procedure?
CGPA do matter a lot when it comes to selection in core industries as a decent CG shows that you have been passionate about your core curriculum courses. So try to keep it at least 7.5 if you are aiming for a core profile, 8.5+ with good projects/interns would be icing on the cake. PORs generally don’t matter a lot in these industries but if you are part of a research group then it can be an add-on although it’s not a necessity.
6) Give some general dos and don’ts during CDC season?
The first and foremost thing would be to remain updated with the CDC timeline. Keep a close eye on the CV submission deadline. Don’t rely on a single company, being confident about selections is a different thing but it’s better to have backups if things do not go your way.
Never get disheartened by any botchup because it would be inevitable in this phase. Coming to core industries, there are very few companies so be mentally prepared to give your best shot at every try. Don’t be dependent on the core, do prepare for other roles or profiles like Product Manager, which does not require a lot of coding (if you hate coding just like me :) ) where only a good aptitude and decent communication will suffice.
7) Which departmental courses are most relevant during the selection process? Are there any specific courses that you recommend taking?
Technical tests cover almost all core topics so you can’t just rely on some selected courses for the selections. But pay special attention to Thermodynamics, Applied Thermo Fluids, Fluid Mechanics and Solid Mechanics. Taking courses or electives related to automobiles/control would be beneficial as it would provide you with a chance in an interview to play in your expertise. I took some courses in Embedded control, software, modelling and design as a part of a micro specialisation.
8) What factors do you think are necessary for making an impressive CV for your company?
Before coming to this step you should have clarity about your target companies and present your skills in CVs accordingly. IIT Kharagpur provides us with an option of 3 CVs, use it judiciously. Use power verbs effectively to show your contributions to projects/interns and PORs.
Proofread the resume (if possible, seek the help of seniors). Most importantly try to be thorough with your CV. Never fake about anything as it may backfire.
9) Can you suggest some valuable resources that will be helpful during CDC preparations?
For the core part of the technical test try to brush up on concepts from your coursework. I believed in giving mock GATE tests and then analysing my weak topics to get a strong command with minimal efforts.
For the programming part, be thorough with the Programming and Data Structure (PDS) course from the first year. You should also refer to GFG or Interviewbit to gain some command over your CP skills.
10) Any parting advice you would like to give to the students who would be facing the upcoming CDC season?
Believe me or not this phase would be the most hectic but best part of your Kgp journey at the same time. It will shape your personality to sustain and excel under sheer pressure. Stay calm and assertive during all the tests and interviews. Try to align your preparation with the company’s requirements. Sometimes hard work does not bear fruits but smart work does so manage your time wisely.
And yeah be confident and enjoy the process, you all gonna come out with flying colours. Cheers…
P.S.- Do not hesitate to contact me in case of any doubts.