How to crack a Software Developer Interview at SAP Labs?
Preparing for a software developer or engineer interview requires careful planning and guidance. Here are some tips to help you crack your interviews at SAP Labs
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About our Mentor
Pooja Khandhadia, a software developer with SAP Labs for the past four years, began her professional journey as a scholar and was promoted to Associate Developer.
She primarily works on Java technology for the back-end processes of SAP.
Her job responsibility involves administering, executing, and developing these processes from start to end (from the user interface to the production stage).
Pooja also performs the role of a career coach and an interview preparation mentor at Preplaced.
She helps candidates crack their dream interviews and get their dream jobs.
One of our team members recently contacted her to get valuable tips on cracking technical interviews for a software developer role.
Interview Process for Software Developer at SAP Labs
Pooja shared the SAP Labs interview process for the scholar and associate developer positions.
The recruitment for the role of a scholar ensues through on-campus placement.
While that of associate developers happens off-campus, as it is for experienced professionals.
The first round is the general aptitude test.
It is then followed by two to three technical rounds to assess your theoretical and practical knowledge of Java technology.
The interviewers ask problem-solving questions on
- Coding
- System Designing
- DS Algo
And other technical aspects related to the role.
Successful clearing of these rounds lands you in the final HR round.
Getting through SAP Labs Interviews is a hard nut to crack.
It is a little more challenging and tricky as compared to other companies in the industry.
Mentor Pooja Khandhadia suggests preparing exhaustively to nail it in one go.
Tips on Cracking the Software Developer Interviews
🔶 Resume Building
Your resume is your doorway to success. It is a testimonial of your skills, education, and work experience.
Therefore, creating an impressive resume is as important as preparing for an interview.
Pooja offers the following tips to build a compelling resume:
➡️ Avoid a lengthy resume that takes too much time for the HR or interviewers to go through.
It should be a one-pager if you are a fresher and a two-pager if you are an experienced professional.
➡️ Present the information in a summarised form.
Furnish specific details that are relevant to the role for which you are sending the application.
➡️ State accurate information in your resume.
Mention only your most proficient skills and knowledge.
The interviewers may grill you on any of the particulars mentioned in your resume.
Providing incorrect information may put you in an embarrassing situation in the interview and reduce your chances of selection.
🔶 Preparing for the Interview
➡️ Have a comprehensive understanding of all the technologies relevant to the software developer role such as Java, Javascript, etc.
Upgrade your knowledge with the changes in the world of technology. Be open to learning about other technologies peripheral to your skillset.
➡️ Prepare well for the technical and logical aptitude tests.
If you are an experienced professional, get well-versed with all the projects mentioned in your resume.
Curate and systemise all the real-life scenarios or issues you face and the practical solutions to them.
Mention them to the interviewers to exhibit your theoretical knowledge and solution-providing skills.
➡️ Do proper research on the systems and technologies of the company for which you are giving the interview.
Check out the interview rounds from HR and prepare accordingly.
Some companies focus only on DS Algo questions and do not evaluate your system design or machine coding skills.
While others may conduct machine coding assessments for their projects.
➡️ Give multiple mock interviews to your seniors, mentors, or colleagues, especially if you have not appeared for interviews for a long time.
It will help you catch on to the latest developments in your field.
You will also have insights into your strengths and shortcomings, get constructive feedback on our interview-handling skills, and work on your improvement areas.
➡️ Practice is the only key to cracking the coding interview and the DS Algo rounds. The more you practice, the higher your chances of sailing through it.
🔶 Appearing for the Interview
➡️ Communicate well with the interviewers during the interview, especially in the current virtual interviews.
If any of the rounds require you to write something on paper (for doing some calculations or writing algorithms or codes), then interact with your interview panellists to avoid long silence gaps.
➡️ Do not assume the context of the questions.
Ask the interviewer courteously in case you have any doubts before answering.
While solving a coding question, understand the problem statement and discuss the solution approach with the interviewers.
Confirm the input-output structure and other basic expectations. It is acceptable to ask for help in specific cases or problems.
➡️ Lastly, remain confident throughout the interview.
Do not get demotivated by the rejections in the initial attempts.
Instead, consider it as a constructive learning experience for future preparation.
🔶 Course or Resource Recommendations
Many online resources are available to gain a basic understanding of coding, problem-solving, and DS Algo concepts.
Pooja suggests referring to Leetcode, an online platform to enhance your technical knowledge and prepare you for interviews.
She also recommends watching Youtube tutorial playlists for taking cues on cracking the coding interview.
You can watch the video version of this blog here.
Wrapping it up
Do not get demotivated because of rejections. For some, it may take 2-3 trials to crack the interview but for some, it might take more than 10.
There is always a reason why you are not getting interview calls or keep getting rejected in the interview rounds. It is important to not take rejections to heart and instead learn from them.
Keep improving yourself and this will definitely increase your chances of getting hired.