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89 lines
4.2 KiB
Markdown
---
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title: HRT (Hudson River Trading) Systems Internship Interview Experience
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date: 2021-01-04 21:47
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tags: [HRT, hudsonrivertrading, interview, internship]
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category: blogs
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image: "/images/hrt-singapore.webp"
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---
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I applied for **Systems Internship - Summer 2021** back in December 2020
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at [Hudson River Trading](https://www.hudsonrivertrading.com), New
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York. The internship description was: -
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> We are looking for highly motivated students who are eager to learn
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> and excited about systems to join us for our summer internship
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> program. As a systems intern, you may have the opportunity to work on
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> projects in the following areas:
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>
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> - Programming/scripting (Golang, Python, C++, C)
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> - FOSS development
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> - HPC, Cluster computing
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> - System Administration
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> - Linux, Debian
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> - Linux-based computer security
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> - Data Storage
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> - Large deployment or config management
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The first step was a coding test on the Codility platform. If you have
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used any of the online coding platforms, this is similar. It was a
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`2.5 hrs (90 mins)` test consisting of 3 questions. They let you use
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`online references (documentation, man pages, etc.)` but **do not copy
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the code** as it will highly reduce your chances of qualifying for this
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first stage. You can choose between **C/C++**, **Python** and **Golang**
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(no Java 😪).
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Questions were clear and of medium level. But they were designed in such
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a way that you must know the basics before you could attempt. Also, they
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expected a clear and concise approach. Two of the most important points
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in their instructions were: -
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> - While correctness and performance are the most important factors
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> for evaluation, we will take test duration into account as well.
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> - Please understand that this test is meant to be challenging. A
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> perfect score is not necessary to move on to future interview
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> rounds, so do the best you can!
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So, you must be near perfect in your approach as well as on time. I did
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them kind of quickly. They will show you a summary of your submission
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but not the results. It will take almost 2 weeks to get back to you for
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further steps.
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Next, I received a mail invitation for a telephonic interview. **This
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interview will last about 45 minutes and will be technical but will not
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require coding. Interview topics may include your background,
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programming languages, and Unix/Linux concepts**. Once you receive this
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mail you can then decide a time slot for an interview.
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I was not sure what they will ask if this is not a coding interview. The
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interviewer was very polite, and he was explaining the questions too.
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Questions were not so tricky but practical and real-life. Since it was
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**not for SDE role**, the questions were mostly related to Linux/Unix,
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C++ (mainly pointers and memory), Python/Bash scripting, automation,
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knowledge of tools (IDEs, Editors, System Administration Tools) and
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previous experiences. The interview would often explain why he is asking
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this question, this was very nice. Then some common interview questions,
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why do you want to work for this role? What makes you fit for this role?
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etc.
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One thing that I want to point out is that the interviewer was
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repeatedly checking my resume, and for the most part he did not ask
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anything that was not on my resume. So, my tip is to create a nice
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resume with genuine work/tool experiences. And when you are applying for
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such a role, it would be helpful if you mention mathematics or other
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courses that you have taken. *Do not lie on your resume*. They will
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easily catch that.
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The other thing is to keep your words short and clear; I was not great
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at communication, but you can be. If the interviewer allows then use
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examples for the things you cannot explain. I used nice examples. At
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last, he gave me short feedback on how well I performed.
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At last, I want to point out things I should not have done. The first
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is, I did not ask much about the role, you must do this at least once.
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Second, I am talkative, I do not know if the interviewer was not faking
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his expressions (because he would often discuss in-depth), but not all
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interviewers will be the same. So, do not talk too much, nor too less.
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At last work on your communication skill, mostly how you to present
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things and how to answer technical as well as behavioral questions. I
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was not fluent, but my way of presentation might have saved me.
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