My preparation for an Associate Software Engineer, QA position at Therap (BD) Ltd

Every year Therap conducts an on-campus recruitment examination at BRAC University, where I graduated from. This examination is open to all BRAC University graduates or students currently pursuing their final semester. I had the opportunity to sit for the examination in July 2018 and eventually received an offer from Therap in August 2018.

I would like to share my preparation strategies for all the phases of the recruitment process through this post so that someone preparing gains some insights.

The recruitment process consisted of the following phases:

Phase 1: Written examination

The job circular provided hints regarding the content of the written examination paper. It specifically mentioned that Therap was looking for candidates possessing basic programming skills in at least one of the following languages: C/C++, C#, Java or Python, and basic knowledge of SQL. So, I started brushing up on Java and SQL.

I used URI Online Judge to practice solving programming problems in Java and SQLZOO to practice SQL. Both of these platforms had a good number of practice materials which boosted my confidence. Since I applied for a Software Tester role, I studied some basic Software Testing concepts as well. This site provided helpful information.

The written examination consisted of coding-based questions, software testing questions, and open-ended questions. The coding-based questions were limited to string manipulation and ad hoc. The software testing questions were on Black Box Testing, White Box Testing, and Test Case creation.

My written examination went well due to my preparation, and I made it to the second phase.

Phase 2: Technical interview

For this phase, I was asked to bring my resume on the interview day. From previous experiences, I knew that I would be asked about my written examination paper and whatever was mentioned in my resume. So, I recalled the answers of my written examination paper and ensured to mention only specifics I had a good grasp of in my resume. Apart from that, I researched both technical and non-technical common interview questions that get asked in an interview for the role I had applied for. I even prepared the answers in advance for non-technical common questions.

My technical interview also went well, and I made it to the third and final phase.

Phase 3: HR interview

Honestly speaking, I did not prepare for the HR interview since I already took the necessary preparation for a non-technical interview during the Technical interview phase. I was asked about my family background, myself, and some of my accomplishments mentioned in my resume.

My HR interview went well, and eventually, I received an offer from Therap (BD) Ltd.