servicenow | Software Engineer | Interview Experience
Interview Date: Not specified
Result: Not specified
Difficulty: Not specified
Interview Process
The interview process consisted of two rounds. The first round was a pleasant conversation with a team scientist where previous papers were discussed, and some concepts related to LLM (Large Language Models) were covered. However, it was clear that there was a mismatch between the position and the candidate’s background. The second round involved a deeper dive into deep learning concepts, paper/code review, and coding exercises related to transformers, self-attention, and K-means clustering.
In the second round, the candidate faced significant logistical issues, receiving the Zoom link only 10 minutes before the interview. This resulted in an 8-minute delay in joining the call. The interviewer was in a noisy environment, which made communication difficult. The interviewer did not introduce himself and immediately asked if the candidate had questions before starting.
The first part of the interview focused on machine learning concepts, specifically the bias-variance tradeoff, which the candidate found challenging due to a lack of recent experience with traditional machine learning research. The interviewer frequently interrupted the candidate during responses. The interviewer then inquired about the candidate’s academic background, expressing skepticism about the candidate’s fit for the internship.
Despite feeling that the interview was unproductive, the candidate chose to continue. The second part of the interview involved discussing the codebase of a previous project, but the candidate experienced further interruptions, which hindered effective communication.
Technical Questions
- Bias-Variance Tradeoff
- Convolutional Neural Network
Tips & Insights
- Be prepared for interruptions during the interview and try to maintain composure.
- Ensure clarity on the job requirements and your fit for the role before proceeding with interviews.