Here before you is the summer internship interview experience of
Manideep A, IIM Lucknow Batch of 2017, who interned at
Uber. He has obliged us with key insights into what is required for the company in specific, and operations roles in general.
Please give it up for..Manideep!
Q. What was the selection process like?
A. Well, the selection process had started even before the company was on campus, with an analytical test as starter. Based on the data sets given, a certain number of questions had to be answered. There were certain subjective questions as well.
Q. WHOA! And what happened once the company was on campus?
A. Hahaha! You have to fight and earn your place!
The next rounds of selections process were interviews. The first two interviews were pretty similar. For me, the 2nd round was with an Ops manager, and the 3rd round was with a city GM. Both the rounds tested cultural fit and your ability to think on your feet. You might be given a case or real on-the-job type situation, or a contingency situation and your approach towards it. They also want to know if you have any business idea which might work for them, since they expect a lot from us, the best business brains in the country! (grins)
My interviews were long (45mins - 1hr) and were majorly conversational towards the 2nd half . They would love to hear your experiences, and your story.
Q. That's encouraging for those with weak ops knowledge..
A. (Smiles) Oh no, no! You need to have your fundamentals in place. Questions do test you on your concepts, and what you learnt at your previous work experience (which,preferably for them, is in ops role itself). Your core knowledge, and your contribution to the work you have done, is tested. In fact, they might even grill you on the points on your CV! So be clear, thorough and precise.
Q. Ohh! And the next round?
A. The
4th round was with HR. I think they have made up their mind before this round.
Q. (My turn to smile) Anything specific to the preparation that you would like to point out?
A. Sure! It is always better to h
ave a clear understanding of the business model of Uber. Read up about recent news/articles/case studies online. Their website, or the Google God helps. Issues related to taxi aggregators in general should be read and understood. They are in news every other day, so brush up your current affairs as well, as an added measure.
Moreover,the importance of HR answers cannot be stressed enough. Prepare your HR answers; have a strong story and frame your experiences well in advance.
Q. Thanks a tonne, Manideep, for sharing your valuable experience with us! I am sure many would benefit from your suggestions.
A. I am glad I could help.
About the interviewer:
Aastha Sneha Pathak is a 2nd year student at IIM Lucknow. Besides living the hel(L)ish life, she loves to read. She is also a member of Forty Two, the literary and debating club on campus, as well as, Team Disha, the committee of placement mentors.