Interview Experience 1 - Engineering Analyst
Candidate Profile: B.Tech CS, 8.3 CGPA, finance club member, competitive programming
Round 1 - Online Assessment (120 minutes)
Platform: HackerRank
Section 1: Coding (90 minutes, 2 problems)
Problem 1: Stock Buy and Sell (Multiple Transactions)
- Maximize profit with unlimited transactions
- Difficulty: Medium
- My Approach: Valley-peak approach O(n)
- Time: 25 minutes
public int maxProfit(int[] prices) { int profit = 0; for (int i = 1; i < prices.length; i++) { if (prices[i] > prices[i-1]) { profit += prices[i] - prices[i-1]; } } return profit;}Problem 2: Longest Increasing Subsequence
- Find length of LIS
- Difficulty: Medium
- My Approach: Binary search O(n log n)
- Time: 35 minutes
Section 2: Aptitude/Reasoning (30 minutes, 15 MCQs)
- Numerical reasoning: 5 questions
- Logical reasoning: 5 questions
- Data interpretation: 5 questions
- Difficulty: Medium
- Tips: Practice quantitative aptitude for finance roles
Result: Cleared OA
Round 2 - Technical Interview 1 (60 minutes)
Interviewer: Vice President, Engineering Mode: Video call (Zoom)
Problem 1: Find Median from Data Stream
- Design structure for efficient median finding
- My Approach: Two heaps (max-heap + min-heap)
- Live coding with explanation
- Time: 25 minutes
Problem 2: Rate Limiter Design
- Implement token bucket algorithm
- Discussion on distributed scenarios
- Time: 20 minutes
Project Discussion (15 minutes):
- Discussed stock portfolio tracker project
- Technical architecture
- API design decisions
- Real-time data handling
Finance-Related Question:
- “Explain how stock markets work”
- “What is an option? Basic understanding”
Tips:
- Basic finance knowledge helps at GS
- Know your projects deeply
- Explain clearly while coding
Round 3 - Technical Interview 2 (60 minutes)
Interviewer: Executive Director
Problem 1: Course Schedule (Topological Sort)
- Detect cycle in directed graph
- My Approach: Kahn’s algorithm
- Discussion on applications
Problem 2: Design LRU Cache
- O(1) get and put operations
- Thread-safe implementation discussion
Puzzle:
- “You have 8 balls, one is heavier. Find it in minimum weighings”
- Solved with 2 weighings
System Design Discussion:
- “How would you design a trading system?”
- Discussed: Order matching, low latency, reliability
CS Fundamentals:
- Explain database ACID properties
- What is eventual consistency?
- TCP vs UDP for trading systems
Result: Strong performance
Round 4 - HR/Behavioral Round (45 minutes)
Interviewer: HR Manager + Team Lead
Questions Asked:
-
“Why Goldman Sachs?”
- Mentioned interest in technology + finance intersection
- GS’s engineering culture
- Impact on global markets
-
“Tell me about a leadership experience”
- Led college tech club
- Organized hackathon
- Managed team of 15
-
“How do you handle pressure?”
- Example from exam week + project deadline
- Time management approach
-
“Where do you see yourself in 5 years?”
- Technical leadership in financial technology
- Building impactful systems
-
“Do you have any ethical concerns about finance?”
- Discussed responsible technology
- GS’s community initiatives
Result: Selected! Package: ₹32 LPA (base + bonus) Location: Bengaluru
Key Takeaways: Goldman Sachs values problem-solving, basic finance understanding, and clear communication. Prepare for both technical and finance-related questions.