Ericsson Interview Process and Questions

When preparing for technical roles at Ericsson (Telefonaktiebolaget L. M. Ericsson), a leading multinational networking and telecommunications equipment and services provider headquartered in Stockholm, Sweden, it’s essential to anticipate interview questions tailored to your technical expertise. These may cover a range of topics, including popular programming languages like Java, C++, and Python, networking fundamentals, telecommunications protocols such as TCP/IP and SIP, database management systems, and emerging technologies like cloud computing. Demonstrating a strong command and deep understanding of these areas during your interview is pivotal to stand out as a candidate.

• Application: The application process is straightforward. After setting up your account, completing your application takes just a few minutes.
• Initial Contact: Should your profile align well with their needs, you’ll typically engage in one or two brief discussions via phone or video. These initial conversations are usually with a recruiter who will guide you throughout the hiring process and introduce you to relevant Ericsson representatives you’ll meet later.
• Interview Preparation: You might meet with the hiring manager or perhaps the senior management team, depending on the position. Expect to undergo one to three interviews.
• Case Interview or Assessment: This step is required for certain roles.
• Reference Check: Towards the end of the recruitment process, we’ll ask for references to contact.
• Job Offer: If you emerge as the chosen candidate and decide to join the company, they will extend a job offer complete with a contract outlining the role and benefits.

Interview Guidelines

• Be authentic: They are eager to meet the real candidates. They value a diverse community of individuals from various backgrounds and life experiences, each contributing unique perspectives and skills. Such diversity is crucial for fostering innovation.
• Be ready: Candidates should familiarize themselves with the requirements of the job role. They should be prepared to explain how their experiences align with these needs.
• Illustrate your past: They are keen to hear about candidates’ real-world experiences. Candidates should prepare to share specific instances from their past work and what those experiences taught them.
• Remain inquisitive: Candidates should take the time to learn about the company and its technology. Whether fascinated by the company’s work in 5G or its use of AI in networks, they should delve into these areas and come prepared with questions. This is as much a chance for candidates to discover more about the company as it is for the company to learn about them.

List of Technical Topics and Example Questions:

Software Development

• What are the different phases of a compiler?
• If inheriting from multiple parent classes in Python with the same method name, which method does the child class use by default?
• What is your favourite programming language and why? What are your preferred frameworks?
• How does the DNS system work?
• When you type “google.com” into your address bar and press enter, what happens?

Networking and Telecommunications

• What is TCP/IP and how does it function?
• Explain what tunnelling is, including tunnelling protocols and their applications.
• Differentiate between packet switching and circuit switching.
• What do you understand about CDMA?
• Explain what a MAC address is.
• What does the netstat command do in networking?

Operating Systems and Infrastructure

• How does a Linux machine boot up?
• How does virtual memory function?
• Explain the network interfaces in Docker, the function of docker prune, and how Docker networks relate to OpenStack.
• How can you troubleshoot memory issues in Linux?
• What is the fstab command, and what does it do?

Programming Concepts

• How do abstract classes differ from interfaces in Java?
• Explain the concept of polymorphism in Java.
• What is pointer arithmetic in C, and how does it function?
• Why are jump statements used in C++?
• Why is C referred to as a procedural language?
• What is the Java Virtual Machine (JVM) and what is its role?

Data Structures and Algorithms

• Which sorting algorithm is considered the fastest?
• Explain how heapsort works.
• Is it possible to sort faster than n log n time, and how?
• Write a program that prints the Fibonacci series up to n elements.
• Write a program that generates divisors of an integer.
• Given a stream of integers and only constant storage, how can you ensure each integer has an equal probability of being selected?
• How many trailing zeros does the number 52! have?

List of HR Questions and Topics:

About You and Your Background:

• Can you introduce yourself and share some details about your family background?
• Why did you choose to attend your college?

Career Objectives and Placement Preferences:

• What are your short-term and long-term career goals?
• Where would you prefer to be placed for work?
• If selected, how do you envision your first 60 days at the company?
• What are you expecting from the company in terms of growth and opportunities?

Work Preferences and Availability:

• Are you open to relocating for work?
• Are you willing to work nights and weekends?

Professional Skills and Experience:

• What are your greatest strengths and what is one area you are looking to improve?
• Can you talk about a major challenge you’ve recently faced?
• Please share something about the projects you’ve worked on.

Work Style and Attitude:

• How do you handle work pressure and stressful situations?
• Tell me about a time when you made a bad decision and what you learned from it.
• How do you react when asked to do something at work that you don’t want to do?

Salary and Commitment:

• What kind of salary expectations do you have?
• How long are you willing to commit to working with us?

Interest in Further Development:

• Do you have plans for further education?
• How much training do you think you’ll need to become productive in this role?

Cultural Fit and Motivation:

• Why are you interested in working at Ericsson?
• If you and a friend both got placed at Ericsson, what extra efforts would you contribute to stand out?
• What does success mean to you?

Miscellaneous:

• What changes would you implement at your college if given the chance?
• How important is money to you?

Interview Experiences:

Exploring interview experiences can be a valuable asset in preparing for your upcoming Ericsson interview. Gain insights and leverage the firsthand accounts of candidates who have navigated similar situations. Delve into their experiences to glean valuable tips, strategies, and key takeaways to optimize your interview performance and increase your chances of success at Ericsson.