Hi everyone, this topic is for sharing Preparation guidelines and interview experience for Uber Summer Intern
The Summer Intern at Uber involves a multi-stage assessment and interview process, designed to evaluate both technical skills and business proficiency. Below is a summary of the process and key points from the interviews you provided:
Description: Competitive shortlisting focusing on advanced Data Structures and Algorithms; speed and accuracy matter. Candidates with strong CP backgrounds often have an edge.
Format: Timed coding problems assessing problem-solving techniques and depth in DSA.
Round 2: Take‑home Assignment (4 prompts)
Description: Four prompts of varying complexity. Emphasis on clarity, efficiency, robustness, and documenting assumptions.
Format: Implement solutions, explain approach and trade-offs, handle edge cases, and present clean, readable code.
Interview Rounds:
Technical Phone Interview (Resume-based)
Description: Casual technical discussion centered on your resume and projects; may explore design, debugging, testing, and performance considerations.
Group Interview
Description: Begins with a self‑introduction in English followed by a group discussion with a few prompts; teamwork, communication, and constructive participation are evaluated.
Interview Preparation Tips:
Master advanced DSA topics and practice timed coding; competitive programming helps with speed and depth.
Craft a strong resume highlighting relevant skills and impactful projects; be ready to deep‑dive any item you list.
For take‑home prompts, invest time in understanding requirements, clarifying assumptions, and writing robust, well‑documented solutions.
Practice a crisp self‑introduction in English; hone group discussion skills (active listening, building on others’ ideas, and driving consensus).
Research Uber’s products and internship structure so you can ask informed questions and align your interests with teams.
Technical/DSA/Coding
Solve algorithmic problems using appropriate data structures (arrays, strings, trees, graphs, heaps, tries) and explain time/space complexity.
Optimize a brute‑force solution to a more efficient approach; justify trade‑offs.
Which data structure would you choose for this scenario and why?
Walk through your approach for a multi‑part prompt; how do you handle edge cases?
How would you test and validate your solution thoroughly?
Explain how you would debug a failing test or performance bottleneck in your code.
Resume and Project Deep Dive
Walk me through your resume and the most impactful projects you’ve done.
Deep dive into Project X: problem statement, architecture/design, and tech stack choices.
Why did you choose technology Y over alternatives? What trade‑offs did you consider?
What were the biggest challenges you faced and how did you resolve them?
What was your specific contribution and measurable impact?
How did you ensure scalability, performance, and reliability?
How did you collaborate (version control, code reviews, testing strategy)?
Take‑home Assignment / Problem‑Solving Communication
How do you break down an ambiguous prompt and document your assumptions?
Explain your approach and provide time/space complexity for each solution.
How do you structure and document your code for clarity and maintainability?
What edge cases did you consider and how did you test them?
With multiple prompts and limited time, how would you prioritize your effort?
HR/Personality/Behavioral
Introduce yourself (in English).
Why Uber and why this internship?
Tell me about a time you worked on a team to solve a difficult problem.
Describe a situation where you handled conflicting opinions and reached consensus.
How do you manage deadlines and competing priorities?
Describe a failure you learned from and what you would do differently.
What are your strengths and areas for improvement?
Group Discussion/Leadership/Decision‑Making
Given an open‑ended prompt, outline your viewpoint, support it with reasoning, and help the group converge on a solution.
Prioritize features for a hypothetical product; defend your prioritization and adjust based on team feedback.
Compare two approaches, discuss pros/cons, and recommend one as a group.
How would you encourage participation and keep the discussion constructive and on‑track?
Company/Role Fit and Program Understanding
What do you know about Uber’s products, engineering culture, and current focus areas?
Which teams or problem spaces interest you most and why?
Do you have any questions about the internship program, expectations, or timelines?
Availability, work authorization, and preferred location (if applicable).
Application Process: Applied through the company’s career portal.
Interview Rounds:
Round 1 - Technical Phone Interview:
Questions Asked: Casual technical questions related to the work on my resume.
Your Approach: Answered based on my experience and projects mentioned in my resume.
Outcome: Passed this round and moved to the next stage.
Round 2 - Assignment:
Tasks Given: 4 prompts of varying complexity and difficulty.
Your Approach: Worked on the prompts, focusing on clarity and efficiency in my solutions.
Outcome: Did not proceed to the final interview.
Conclusion:
Overall, the process was straightforward, but the assignment round was challenging. I could have spent more time understanding the prompts thoroughly and ensuring my solutions were robust. For future candidates, I’d recommend practicing similar assignments and being prepared for varying levels of complexity.
Application Process: Applied through the company’s career portal. The process began with an online programming challenge on HackerRank.
Interview Rounds:
Round 1 - Online Programming Challenge:
Questions Asked: The challenge consisted of algorithmic problems on the HackerRank platform. The exact questions were not disclosed, but they were typical of competitive programming problems.
Your Approach: I practiced extensively on HackerRank and other coding platforms to get comfortable with the interface and the types of problems likely to be asked. During the challenge, I focused on solving the problems efficiently and debugging quickly.
Outcome: The results of this round were used to shortlist candidates for further interviews.
Preparation Tips:
Familiarize yourself with the HackerRank platform beforehand to avoid any technical hiccups during the challenge.
Practice competitive programming problems, especially those involving data structures and algorithms.
Time management is crucial; allocate time wisely between problems.
Conclusion:
The online programming challenge was a good test of coding skills under time constraints. While I didn’t proceed further, the experience highlighted the importance of platform familiarity and efficient problem-solving. For future candidates, I’d recommend consistent practice and mock tests to simulate the actual challenge environment.
Application Process: I applied before October 2022, though the exact method (campus placement, online application, etc.) wasn’t specified.
Interview Rounds:
Round 1 - Coding Test:
Questions Asked: The exact number of questions wasn’t remembered, but they were of moderate difficulty.
Your Approach: I tackled the problems systematically, ensuring I understood the requirements before coding.
Outcome: Successfully cleared this round.
Round 2 - Technical Interview:
Questions Asked:
The interviewer asked me to explain DFS (Depth-First Search).
I was then asked to implement DFS for a problem of my choice, so I chose the “Number of Islands” problem.
After discussing DFS and its implementation, the interviewer asked if I had any development experience, and we had a brief discussion about it.
Your Approach: I confidently explained DFS and implemented it for the “Number of Islands” problem, ensuring clarity in my code and logic. For the development discussion, I highlighted my relevant skills.
Outcome: The round went well, though the final outcome wasn’t specified.
Preparation Tips:
Keep your DSA (Data Structures and Algorithms) topics clean and clear. Understanding core concepts like DFS thoroughly is crucial.
Conclusion:
Overall, the interview process was smooth, and the questions were aligned with what I had prepared. I would advise future candidates to focus on mastering DSA concepts and being ready to implement them for real-world problems. Additionally, having some development knowledge can be a plus, as it might come up in discussions.
Application Process: Applied through the company’s career portal. The shortlisting round was quite competitive, and only candidates with strong DSA skills and competitive programming experience were selected. Having a well-crafted resume was an added advantage.
Interview Rounds:
Round 1 - Shortlisting Round:
Questions Asked: The round focused heavily on Data Structures and Algorithms (DSA). The questions were challenging and required a deep understanding of problem-solving techniques.
Your Approach: I prepared thoroughly by practicing DSA problems from various platforms and participating in competitive programming contests. However, the questions were quite advanced, and I couldn’t clear this round.
Outcome: Did not proceed to further rounds.
Preparation Tips:
Focus on mastering Data Structures and Algorithms, especially advanced topics.
Participate in competitive programming contests to improve problem-solving speed and accuracy.
Ensure your resume highlights relevant skills and projects to stand out during shortlisting.
Conclusion:
The experience was humbling, and it highlighted the importance of being thorough with DSA. For future candidates, I’d recommend dedicating significant time to practice and not underestimating the difficulty of the shortlisting round. Competitive programming experience can be a game-changer here.
Application Process: Applied online through the company’s career portal.
Interview Rounds:
Round 1 - Coding Round:
Questions Asked:
A problem involving bit manipulation.
A dynamic programming (DP) problem.
A third problem (details not specified).
Your Approach: Tried to tackle the bit manipulation problem first, as it seemed straightforward. For the DP problem, I recalled standard patterns and applied them. The third question was rushed due to time constraints.
Outcome: Managed to solve two out of three questions, but the time pressure was intense.
Preparation Tips:
Practice coding under time constraints to simulate the actual interview environment.
Focus on mastering bit manipulation and dynamic programming, as these topics frequently appear in coding rounds.
Use platforms like LeetCode or Codeforces for timed practice sessions.
Conclusion:
The coding round was challenging but fair. Time management was the biggest hurdle. For future candidates, I’d recommend practicing speed and accuracy, especially for bit manipulation and DP problems.
Application Process: Applied online through the company’s career portal.
Interview Rounds:
Round 1 - Behavioral Phone Screen:
Questions Asked: General behavioral questions about teamwork, problem-solving, and past experiences.
Your Approach: Focused on providing structured answers using the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result).
Outcome: Passed to the next round.
Round 2 - Take-Home Case Exercise:
Questions Asked: Given a business case to analyze and provide recommendations. Had a few days to work on it.
Your Approach: Broke down the case into key components, conducted research, and prepared a detailed presentation.
Outcome: Submitted the case and advanced to the next round.
Round 3 - Technical Video Interview:
Questions Asked: Mostly focused on the case submitted in the previous round, with deeper technical and analytical questions.
Your Approach: Prepared by reviewing the case thoroughly and anticipating follow-up questions.
Outcome: Awaiting results.
Preparation Tips:
Practice behavioral questions using the STAR method.
For case exercises, focus on structuring your analysis clearly and concisely.
Review technical concepts relevant to the role.
Conclusion:
Overall, the process was smooth but challenging. The take-home case was the most intensive part. Would recommend practicing case studies and behavioral interviews beforehand.
Application Process: [Application process details not provided]
Interview Rounds:
Round 1 - Group Interview:
Questions Asked:
Introduction in English.
Three group interview questions (specific questions not provided).
Brief overview of the internship program.
Your Approach:
Prepared a concise and clear self-introduction in English.
Actively participated in the group discussion, ensuring to listen and contribute meaningfully.
Paid attention to the internship program details shared at the end.
Outcome: [Result of this round not provided]
Preparation Tips:
Practice introducing yourself in English clearly and confidently.
Brush up on group discussion skills, such as active listening and constructive participation.
Research the company and its internship programs beforehand to ask relevant questions.
Conclusion:
The group interview was a good opportunity to showcase communication skills and teamwork. While the specific questions weren’t detailed, focusing on clarity and engagement during the discussion was key. Future candidates should prepare for a dynamic group setting and ensure they understand the internship’s scope.