Harbinger Selection Process for Software Developer, Software Testers mostly starts at July every year.
The Selection Process can be divided into the following categories:
- Selection of students based on their profiles
- Presentation about Harbinger at their office
- Written Test
- Technical/HR Interviews
Selection of students based on their profiles
Harbinger directly communicates with the Placement Cell of the college whose students it wants to hire. They ask for student details like Name, Address, Email, Class Xth, XIIth, Graduation and PG Marks.
Based on these 10 students are shortlisted of any college and called for an aptitude round at Harbinger Office. The number can vary. Harbinger doesn’t have any criteria like 60% throughout. But you have to do well in all the rounds.
Harbinger selects 10 students each from various colleges in Pune doing MCA, MSc IT, MSc CA, MCS. These students have to appear for a written test.
So you have to compete not only with your own class mates but also with the students of other colleges.
Presentation about Harbinger at their office
In their office, first they give a small Presentation about Harbinger followed by a Q/A session. It can continue for about 1 hour. Be attentive during this because the HR looks for potential candidates during this time and many questions can come in interviews later on based on this presentation.
I suggest make a good study about the company before going for its selection process. It does make a lot of difference. The employers feel that this candidate is really interested in joining our company and chances of your getting selected increases. Find out what work the company does, where is it based, what are its products, who are the Chairman etc etc. It does helps a lot during interviews.
Written Test
After that you have to give a written test of 1 hour. Nature of this test is as below
Nature of Test: (3 Sections in total: Duration 1 Hour)
- Section 1: Quantitative Aptitude – 10 Multiple Choice Questions
- Section 2: Computer Fundamentals- – 10 Multiple Choice Questions
- Section 3: Computer Programming: Either in C, C++ or Java – You need to write the code of the Program
There is a negative marking in this test. For every correct answer you will get +1 mark and for every wrong answer -1. This is applicable for Section 1 and 2 only, No negative marking for section 3. There is a sectional cut off in the evaluation of answer sheets
Here’s a brief description about how these sections are going to be
- Quantitative Aptitude- Practice Time And Work, Time and Distance, Profit and Loss, Probability etc etc. If you are good in Maths you are through this one.
- Computer Fundamentals- Revise your Data Structures Stacks, Queues, Trees, Linked Lists, Sorting and Searching etc.
- SQL Fundamentals should be clear. Get Ready to write some sql queries or you may need to write the o/p of queries already given. Focus on Joins, they are a favourites in every selection process.
- Harbinger also tests your OOAD concepts like Association.
- You may have to draw different UML Diagrams Class, Object) based on a given case study.
- I suggest you brush up all these concepts well before coming for the selection process.
- Computer Programming- Get ready to write some Java or C++ Program in this section. The question is going to be tough and will test your capability to design algorithms for a given problem
Overall the test is not that tough and if you really love Computers and Programming you should get through it. But remember as there will be many students from other colleges also, the competition is going to be large and you need to give something extra to make the cut.
Only 3 or 4 students from a college are called for interviews based on their performance in this round.
After the written test you can leave the Harbinger Office either feeling confident that you will get the call for the interview or thinking where I stand in the crowd and how should I improve myself.
No problem Winning and Losing are part and parcel of the life. The sooner you understand this, the better for you.
It would be better if you spent this day preparing for the interview.
Technical/HR Interviews
Next Day the result of the written test is mailed to respective college TPO. Candidates shortlisted after the Written Test are asked to come for an interview at the Harbinger office with a printed copy of their CV, and one passport size photograph.
Technical interviews are tiring. You may have to wait for your turn for hours and then I can continue for hours more. Be prepared to explain the code that you have written yesterday, how you approached the solution, why did you use this language etc.
They may ask you to write some programmes there itself. Most Technical interviewer’s sits with Pen and Paper with them. SQL Queries are also popular questions. Revise Joins properly.
Sometimes interviews can happen as late as 10’0 clock in the night. Don’t panic. Just keep your cool and speak confidently. You know it most of the things. It’s your time now to express them before a group of people who have got more experience and knowledge than you.
After interview, you can say whether you are selected or not. Sometimes they announce the result that day only, sometimes the results are sent by mail to your college.
Those who get selected rejoice. Those not try for the next company visiting their campus.
All the Best for your Harbinger selection process. It’s a nice company to do a starting in your flourishing IT Career. 
