I applied online. The process took 2 weeks. I interviewed at Barclays in Mar 2018
Interview
The tests that Barclays gives the technology applicants are ridiculously lengthy. They are conducted through an automated online system, which prompts you to code and record yourself answering short soft skills based questions. They do not even put human touch to your application process and don't bother with you until you have completed those, which in no way showcase your technical strengths.
Interview questions [1]
Question 1
Timed case studies relying on simple search or summary of high level technical information. You have to record yourself answer questions related to those tech projects case studies.
The interview felt less like an assessment of Java engineering ability and more like a pub quiz for obscure syntax trivia. Instead of exploring problem-solving, design decisions, debugging skills, or real-world development experience, the focus seemed to be on recalling exact language details that most professional developers would simply look up in seconds.
It's a curious hiring strategy: rejecting people who know how to build software because they can't instantly recite syntax that modern IDEs autocomplete for them anyway
Overall, the process felt outdated, disconnected from how software is actually written, and more reflective of academic memorisation than professional engineering competence.
Initial CGPA based screening.
Three rounds in total post that.
First eliminatory round consisted of DSA and sql round for screening.
Difficulty Leet Code Medium.Strings question.
Pen paper DSA in person. Leet Code Easy. A sorting variant.
HR or behavioural round.
Final verdict: Selected
I arrived at the Barclays Munich office on Leopoldstraße. A friendly recruiter named Katharina welcomed me. We discussed Java microservices, Kubernetes deployments, and team culture. The atmosphere felt professional yet relaxed. Overall, a positive experience.
