⏳ 36 Hours, ⚡ 2 Rounds, 🎯 1 Offer: My Barclays Interview Experience in Great Detail

Hey Folks,

I’m Piyush from PICT, Pune, and today, I’m excited to share my incredible interview experience with Barclays. Buckle up, because this journey was nothing short of thrilling! 🚀

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The Hackathon That Started It All

It all began on April 7, 2024. A total of 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! But there was another challenge ahead. We had to present our solution to the CEO of Barclays India and other senior leaders. Unfortunately, we didn’t make it past this round.

Our Project.

However, on June 14, we received an unexpected notice—we were selected for direct interviews! 🎉

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The Preparation Dilemma

Did I immediately start preparing? Not really. Instead, I focused on improving my overall skills rather than solely relying on this opportunity. I also secured a three-month internship, which turned out to be a game-changer in my interview preparation.

Fast forward to September 7, we got the notification—Barclays was visiting our campus for Summer Intern roles. This was my cue to start focused preparation. But where to begin? I was overwhelmed.

After reading multiple interview experiences, I concluded that Barclays primarily looks for Java, SQL, and strong DBMS knowledge. My previous internship helped me structure my resume strategically to highlight my SQL skills. Here’s how I planned my study:

Day 1: Operating Systems and basic DSA

Day 2: DBMS and SQL

Day 3: Just rest! No more cramming.

The Big Day - September 10

The day started with a pre-placement talk (PPT). I carefully noted the company’s key values. The interviews began at 11 AM, and I quickly devised a plan—ask others about the questions they were getting. But guess what? My name was first on the list. Plan failed! 😅

I knew who my interviewer was (thanks to the PPT), so I quickly checked her LinkedIn profile before heading in.

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Round 1: Technical Interview

Q1: Introduce yourself.

I had prepared this well, including my degree, academic achievements (FE topper!), hackathons, previous internship experience, and my preferred tech stack. I deliberately avoided mentioning Java since I wasn’t confident in its core concepts.

Q2: Why did you choose this tech stack for your projects?

Q3: Why SQL?

My strategy worked! She focused on SQL, allowing me to steer the interview in my comfort zone.

Q4: Write a SQL query to find all employees with the second-highest salary.

A generic question. I had prepared five different solutions, starting from the most complex to the easiest one.

Q5: DBMS-related questions.

Q6: Why not MongoDB? Some follow-up questions on NoSQL.

Now, it was my turn to ask questions. From her LinkedIn, I saw she was an AWS Solution Architect and Scrum Master, so I asked about her role in AWS. She was impressed!

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Round 2: HR + Technical Interview

I barely had time to relax before being called in for the next round within five minutes.

Q1: Another introduction, followed by a discussion about my projects.

Q2: “What’s Pulsiefy?”

One of my projects—a symptom-based hospital finder web app. I had a strong answer prepared since this was a real-life problem I personally faced.

Q3: More SQL!

Given source and destination cities, find all connecting flights from City A to City B.

I couldn’t fully solve it but explained my thought process. It was partially correct, and the interviewer was okay with it.

Q4: My internship experience and how I solved a particular problem. He was impressed.

This was an HR interview, so I framed my question around Barclays’ core values (RISES) with a mix of technical curiosity. He liked it and gave a detailed response, extending the interview by 10 extra minutes!

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The Wait & The Result

I submitted my resume, chatted with friends, grabbed some much-needed snacks, and waited. And waited. After eight long hours, the results were announced.

And guess what? I got selected! 🎉

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Final Thoughts & Key Takeaways

• Stay calm. Don’t rush your answers.
• Structure your resume strategically.
• Don’t include unnecessary details. (I mentioned ChatGPT, which slightly backfired in Round 1.)
• Be prepared, but also flexible during interviews.
• Most importantly, enjoy the process!

Barclays has an amazing culture. We clicked pictures, celebrated, and ended the day on a high note. A truly unforgettable experience!