Digital Specialist Engineer

My HackWithInfy Journey: From Coding Round to Interview Room to Selection When I first registered for HackWithInfy, I saw it as more than just a coding competition—it was a chance to test my skills, push my limits, and experience what a real interview process at a top IT company feels like. Looking back, the entire journey was both challenging and rewarding, and I’d love to share my experience here. The Online Coding Round The first round was held in the last week of June. We were given three coding problems to solve within the time limit. I still remember sitting there, thinking through each problem carefully, balancing speed with accuracy. After about two and a half hours, I had successfully solved all three. It was an exhausting but satisfying feeling—the kind of joy that only comes from seeing all the test cases turn green. Shortlisted for Category 1 A month later, on 23rd July, the results were out. My name appeared on the Category 1 list—the category reserved for students who solved all three problems in the online test. The next step was even bigger: I was invited for a face-to-face interview on 29th July at the Infosys campus in Hinjewadi, Pune. That’s when the real preparation began—brushing up on DSA, OOPs, DBMS, CN, and OS concepts, and even preparing a short PPT on my inspirations as instructed. Interview Day at Infosys Pune The big day arrived. I reached the Infosys Hinjewadi campus early in the morning, feeling a mix of nervousness and excitement. The HR greeted us and explained the process. Interestingly, before the actual interviews, we were given another coding test—a 45-minute test with two medium-to-hard questions, and we had to solve at least one. I picked a Dynamic Programming (DP) question—challenging but doable. After some intense thinking, I managed to solve it. Technical Interview Experience Soon after, it was my turn. The panelist welcomed me and asked me to introduce myself. Then came the questions: Java basics: What is Java? What does static mean? What are its data types? Is Java platform-dependent? OOPs concepts: The four pillars—Abstraction, Encapsulation, Inheritance, and Polymorphism. DBMS: Joins, normalization, and writing a query to find the second-highest salary. The questions weren’t just about knowledge; they were about clarity. I answered confidently, and the interaction felt more like a conversation than an interrogation. The Feedback Before wrapping up, I asked the panelist for feedback. His words gave me a big confidence boost: “Your DSA and logical thinking are very good.” “You have strong communication skills.” “Always keep revising the basics—that’s where most students fall behind.” Those words stuck with me—they weren’t just feedback for the interview, but advice for my career ahead. The Final Result After the interview, HR told us that results would be shared in about 10 days. The wait felt long, but finally, after 20 days, I received the selection mail. I was officially among the Category 1 students who made it through. Reflections This journey taught me more than just coding—it taught me persistence, preparation, and the importance of fundamentals. Solving problems under time pressure, revising concepts, and facing interviews head-on gave me an experience that I’ll carry forward throughout my career. If I had to sum it up in one line: HackWithInfy was not just a test of skills, but a journey of growth.

We had to register ourselves to participate in the HackWithInfy event, and then we were shortlisted for the online coding contest.

I was selected because I was able to solve all three problems in the online coding contest. Additionally, in the interview round, I solved the DP question and answered all the questions asked by the panelist confidently.