Financial Software & Systems Associate Manager - HR Interview Questions and Answers

Round duration - 60 minutes
Round difficulty - Medium

The interviewer was really cool. He realized that I mostly work on java applications so he chose to ask me stuff related to that. He didn't want me to know the answer well but just wanted me to approach to it, maybe think more. He went through my resume back and forth and asked mostly about all my projects and their logic and how could I take them to the next level.
Tips: Be confident. Its okay not to know any answer, just try giving it a shot in the approach.

Q1. What is the difference between an abstract class and an interface in Java?
Ans. 
Abstract class can have both abstract and non-abstract methods, while interface can only have abstract methods.
• Abstract class can have constructors, member variables, and methods with implementation.

• Interface can only have abstract methods and constants.

• A class can implement multiple interfaces but can only extend one abstract class.

• Example: Abstract class - Animal with abstract method 'eat', Interface - Flyable with m
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Q2. What is the difference between 'final', 'finally', and 'finalize' in Java?
Ans. 
final is a keyword used to declare constants, finally is a block used in exception handling, and finalize is a method used for cleanup.
• final is a keyword used to declare constants in Java, meaning the value cannot be changed once assigned. Example: final int x = 10;

• finally is a block used in exception handling to ensure a piece of code is always executed, whether an exception is thrown or not. Example: try { // code } ...read more
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Q3. What is the difference between the private and final access modifiers in Java?
Ans. 
Private restricts access to the class itself, while final prevents inheritance and method overriding.
• Private access modifier restricts access to the class itself, while final access modifier prevents inheritance and method overriding.

• Private members are only accessible within the same class, while final classes cannot be extended and final methods cannot be overridden.

• Example: private int num; - num can only be accesse...read more
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Q4. What are the steps for establishing a JDBC connection?
Ans. 
Establishing a JDBC connection involves loading the driver, creating a connection, creating a statement, executing queries, and handling exceptions.
• Load the JDBC driver using Class.forName() method

• Create a connection using DriverManager.getConnection() method

• Create a statement using connection.createStatement() method

• Execute queries using statement.executeQuery() method

• Handle exceptions using try-catch blocks
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Q5. What is JSON?
Ans. 
JSON is a lightweight data interchange format used to store and transmit data between a server and a web application.
• JSON stands for JavaScript Object Notation.

• It is easy for humans to read and write, and easy for machines to parse and generate.

• JSON is language-independent and can be used with any programming language.

• Example: {"name": "John", "age": 30}

• Example: [{"name": "Alice", "age": 25}, {"name": "Bob", "age": 35}
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Q6. What do you know about garbage collection in Java?
Ans. 
Garbage collection in Java is the process of automatically managing memory by deallocating objects that are no longer needed.
• Garbage collection helps in preventing memory leaks by reclaiming memory used by objects that are no longer referenced.

• Java uses a garbage collector to automatically manage memory, unlike languages like C++ where memory management is manual.

• Garbage collection in Java can be triggered by calling S...read more
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Round duration - 30 minutes
Round difficulty - Easy

I wouldn't say it went great but it was fine. I did not think I would clear it as for most of the questions the interviewer seemed disappointed and wanted more out of me.

Round duration - 60 minutes
Round difficulty - Medium

Started with the discussion why do you want to join DE shaw. Since prior to my current company, I was working with a finance based company so they asked why do you want to come back to finance base company. So they asked my about debentures, bonds, mortgages and other financial jargons.
Then they asked questions related to DSA, OS etc.

Q1. 
Find Triplets with Given Sum Problem Statement
Given an array ARR consisting of N integers, your task is to identify all distinct triplets within the array that sum up to a given integer K.
Explanation:
...read more
Ans. 
The task is to find all distinct triplets in an array that sum up to a given integer.
• Iterate through the array and use nested loops to find all possible triplets.

• Use a set to store unique triplets and avoid duplicates.

• Check if the sum of the triplet equals the target sum.

• Return the list of valid triplets or -1 if no such triplet exists.
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Q2. 
Minimum Number of Platforms Problem
Your task is to determine the minimum number of platforms required at a railway station so that no train has to wait.
Explanation:
Given two arrays:
• AT - represent...read more
Ans. 
Determine the minimum number of platforms needed at a railway station so that no train has to wait.
• Sort the arrival and departure times arrays in ascending order.

• Initialize two pointers for arrival and departure times, and a variable to keep track of the maximum number of platforms needed.

• Increment the platform count when a train arrives and decrement when a train departs.

• Update the maximum platform count as needed.

• Ret...read more
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Q3. What is the difference between internal fragmentation and external fragmentation in operating systems?
Ans. 
Internal fragmentation occurs when memory is allocated in fixed-size blocks, leading to wasted space within a block. External fragmentation occurs when free memory is fragmented into small chunks, making it difficult to allocate contiguous blocks.
• Internal fragmentation is caused by allocating fixed-size blocks of memory, leading to wasted space within a block.

• External fragmentation occurs when free memory is fragmented...read more
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Q4. Write an SQL query to find the employee with the nth highest salary.
Ans. 
SQL query to find the employee with the nth highest salary
• Use the ORDER BY clause to sort salaries in descending order

• Use the LIMIT clause to select the nth highest salary

• Join the employee table with the salary table to get the employee details
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Q5. How is Java platform independent?
Ans. 
Java is platform independent due to its bytecode and JVM.
• Java code is compiled into bytecode, which can run on any platform with a Java Virtual Machine (JVM)

• JVM acts as an intermediary between the Java code and the underlying platform, ensuring portability

• Developers write code once and it can be executed on any platform that has a compatible JVM

• Examples: Windows, macOS, Linux all can run Java programs without any chang
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Q6. What is the difference between an abstract class and an interface in Java?
Ans. 
Abstract class can have both abstract and non-abstract methods, while interface can only have abstract methods.
• Abstract class can have constructor, member variables, and methods with implementation.

• Interface can only have abstract methods and constants.

• A class can implement multiple interfaces but can only extend one abstract class.

• Example: Abstract class - Animal with abstract method 'eat' and non-abstract method 'sle
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