🌟 My Barclays Internship Interview Experience

CS 2026 | Barclays | Intern
📅 Date: 10 September 2024

I recently had the opportunity to interview for an internship at Barclays, and I’m excited to share my experience to help anyone preparing for a similar path! 🚀
The interview process consisted of two rounds: a Technical Round followed by a Technical + HR Round. Here's a detailed breakdown of each stage:

🚀 The Hackathon That Started It All

It all began on April 7, 2024, when 25 teams, each with four members, from six different colleges across India, were invited to Barclays’ Pune office for a 36-hour hackathon.

With a grand inauguration ceremony, the hackathon kicked off. We were eager to brainstorm and code solutions for the given problem statement. Our mentors were extremely supportive, guiding us through our initial approach. Their insights boosted our confidence and reassured us that we were on the right track.

After 36 hours of relentless coding, the results were announced—we made it to the top 8 finalists! However, there was another challenge ahead: presenting our solution to the CEO of Barclays India and other senior leaders. Unfortunately, we didn’t make it past this round.

But the story didn’t end there! On June 14, we received an unexpected notice—we were selected for direct interviews! 🎉

📋 Overview

The Barclays recruitment process included the following steps:

36 Hours Hackathon
Technical Interview
Technical + HR Interview
Final Selection ✅

🛠 Round 1: Technical Interview

Mode: Offline
Difficulty: Medium—Hard 🟠

The first round was heavily focused on core computer science concepts, data structures, and system design. The interviewer tested my understanding of various topics, ranging from memory management to error handling.

🔍 Key Topics Covered:

Data Structures:
- Arrays, Linked Lists (LL), and Doubly Linked Lists (DLL) Deletion.
- Stack vs. Heap Memory Management.
Operating Systems:
- Synchronization mechanisms.
System Design:
- Fundamental concepts and practical scenarios.
Error Handling:
- Best practices and implementation.
Programming Languages (C and C++):
- Key differences between C and C++.
- Function Overloading vs. Overriding.
Database Management:
- ACID properties and implementation in my projects.

💡 Coding Challenge:

I was asked to solve problems related to data structures, such as deleting nodes in a DLL and explaining memory management between stack and heap.
One interesting question was about ACID properties and how I implemented them in my project, which I managed to explain effectively. I was also asked a question related to System Design.

💼 Round 2: Technical + HR Interview

Mode: Offline
Difficulty: Medium 🟠

This round was a blend of technical questions and HR discussions, testing both my problem-solving skills and my fit for the company culture.

🔍 Key Topics Covered:

Coding Challenges:
- Reverse a string (My name).
- Print a pattern based on a given input.
Conceptual Questions:
- Why C++ is not considered fully cross-platform.
- SQL queries and understanding of Indexes.
OOP Concepts:
- Can constructors be overloaded or overridden?
- Understanding of
  code
```
1try
```
  ,
  code
```
1catch
```
  , and
  code
```
1throw
```
  for exception handling.
Behavioral Questions:
- Situational and scenario-based questions to assess decision-making skills.

💡 Interesting Question:

One notable question was about overloading and overriding constructors in C++, which I clarified by explaining that constructors can be overloaded but not overridden.

🗣 HR Segment:

In the HR part of the interview, I was asked about:

Personal Background: My education and interests.
Behavioral Questions: How I handle challenges and team dynamics.
Situational Questions: Example scenarios to assess my decision-making skills.

The HR interview was conversational, making it a comfortable experience to share my goals and aspirations.

📚 Resources I Used:

Coding: Leetcode & GeeksforGeeks.
Concepts: CS50x (Harvard’s Intro to CS) & Striver’s YouTube Channel.
System Design: Gaurav Sen’s YouTube Channel & Grokking the System Design Interview.

🌟 Key Takeaways:

Thorough Preparation: Focus on core concepts like Data Structures, OS, DBMS, and OOP is essential.
Coding Practice: Emphasize arrays, linked lists, and string manipulation on platforms like Leetcode and GeeksforGeeks.
Clear Communication: Explain your approach confidently during coding problems.
System Design Insight: Prepare for system design questions with resources like Gaurav Sen's YouTube Channel.
Resume Knowledge: Be well-versed with your projects and contributions.
Behavioral Questions: Prepare examples of challenges faced and how you handled them.
Hackathon Experience: Participating in hackathons can significantly boost confidence and prepare you for real-world challenges.
Stay Calm and Honest: If unsure about an answer, it’s better to admit it honestly.

🎉 Conclusion:

The interview process was a great learning experience, blending technical depth with personality assessment. The hackathon played a significant role in preparing me for the challenges I faced during the interviews.
Preparing thoroughly on data structures, OOP concepts, and SQL played a key role in my confidence during the interviews.

I hope my experience helps fellow aspirants get a better understanding of the Barclays interview process! All the best! 💙

🚀 Thanks for reading! Best of luck for your interviews! ✌️