Ace Your CSC Interview: The Top Technical and Behavioral Questions with Sample Answers

Landing a job at CSC can be life-changing for your career. But with competition stiff for the leading global IT services company, you need to properly prep for the various technical and behavioral interview questions

This comprehensive guide covers the top questions CSC asks with tips on what interviewers want to hear in your responses. Read on to learn winning answers that can help you stand out from the crowd!

Overview of CSC

Before we dive into the interview questions, let’s do a quick recap of CSC. The company delivers next-generation IT services and solutions to enable businesses to thrive in a digital world. With over 60 years of experience, CSC serves clients in 70 countries and employs over 60,000 people worldwide.

Some key facts about the company:

• Fortune 500 firm with $4.7 billion in annual revenue
• Top industries served include banking, healthcare, manufacturing, aerospace and defense
• Offerings span cloud, cybersecurity, application modernization, enterprise solutions and more
• Operates data centers and cloud nodes across six continents
• Employs over 21,000 technology professionals globally

Now let’s look at critical interview questions and answers to help you shine and potentially start an exciting technology career at CSC!

Technical Interview Questions and Answers

CSC technical interviews assess your knowledge and hands-on skills related to programming, system design, troubleshooting, databases and other core areas. Here are some common technical questions to expect with sample responses:

Q: Explain inheritance in object-oriented programming.

Inheritance allows a new class to be based on an existing class, inheriting its attributes and behaviors. The existing class is called the parent or superclass, while the new class is called the child or subclass. Inheritance enables code reusability since subclasses automatically gain the fields and methods defined in the parent class without having to explicitly redefine them. Subclasses can also override or extend parent class behaviors as needed to differentiate themselves.

Q: How would you troubleshoot network connectivity issues?

I would follow a structured approach to isolate the root cause. First, I would verify physical network components like cables are properly connected and undamaged. Next, I would ping devices on the network and nearby infrastructure to check if they are reachable. Using network scanners and monitoring tools can further help identify anomalies. If the issues seem localized, I would check system configs, firewall settings, port accessibility etc. on the affected devices. For widespread connectivity problems, I would check core network devices like routers, switches and gateways for misconfigurations.

Q: Explain normalization in SQL databases.

Normalization is the process of optimizing table structures to minimize redundant data and ensure data integrity. Normalization guidelines help guide how information should be logically organized in tables and columns to avoid issues like update anomalies or inconsistencies. There are various normal forms with progressive criteria – 1NF eliminates duplicated columns, 2NF removes subsets of data, 3NF segregates non-key attributes. Higher normal forms continue to structurally improve database optimization. The aim is to reach an appropriate level of normalization for the database’s needs.

Q: How would you go about load testing a web application?

I would utilize a load testing tool like Apache JMeter to simulate user traffic hitting the target web app. Key steps would include:

• Configure the test environment to mirror production.
• Create a script to replicate various user flows.
• Set up tests to ramp up load volume gradually.
• Insert think times between requests to mimic human interactions.
• Run the load test and monitor overall system health.
• Identify performance bottlenecks under high load like slow APIs.
• Tune configurations to address issues uncovered.
• Retest after optimizations until performance goals are met.

Q: Explain how you would implement authentication in a web application.

There are a few standard methods I would choose from depending on the app’s specific needs:

• Basic access authentication – Use HTTP headers to transmit encoded credentials. Simple to implement but less secure.

• Cookie-based – Store session data and authentication token in browser cookies. Allows retaining user state across requests.

• JSON Web Token (JWT) – Encode user info and privileges in a signed JSON token passed in request headers. Stateless and scalable.

• OAuth 2.0 – Delegate authentication to external providers like social platforms. Reduces burden of managing user identities.

Regardless of method, proper measures like encryption, input sanitization, CORS configuration need to be implemented for security.

Behavioral Interview Questions and Answers

In addition to technical abilities, CSC looks for candidates that fit their work culture and exhibit strong soft skills. Here are some typical behavioral interview questions you may face:

Q: Tell me about a time you successfully led a technology project.

As the lead developer for Project Atlas at my previous company, I spearheaded our customer portal rebuild using AngularJS. To ensure success, I kickstarted the project by directing requirements gathering sessions with various stakeholders. Next, I assembled a talented cross-functional team of 6 members and defined roles and responsibilities leveraging strengths. I managed workflows using Jira and maintained transparency through daily standups. We delivered the robust customer portal three weeks ahead of schedule due to diligent planning. It led to a 20% increase in customer satisfaction based on user feedback. This experience demonstrated my technical leadership and collaborative project management abilities.

Q: Describe a time you made a mistake at work and how you handled it.

Recently, I deployed a build with minor bugs to production due to overlooking some failed unit tests. Once users reported issues, I immediately rolled back the release to limit impact. I then took ownership of the mistake with my manager and team. Together, we thoroughly retested and redeployed a patched, stable build within a few hours. I used this misstep as a valuable learning experience. It taught me the importance of thoroughly reviewing test results instead of rushing deployments. I also instituted a peer-review process for builds to prevent similar oversights going forward.

Q: Tell me about a challenging work situation or project and how you overcame it.

When I joined my current company, our DevOps processes were siloed, slowing down delivery velocity. Teams used different tools and lacked visibility across the pipeline stages. To improve this, I spearheaded standardizing our toolchain by implementing a unified CI/CD framework with automated testing and integration. The transition required aligning many moving parts across infrastructure and teams. With perseverance and open communication, we slowly overcame adoption challenges. Within five months, we reduced release cycles by 50% and improved stability. It proved my ability to drive complex organizational change through vision and collaboration.

Q: Why do you want to work for CSC specifically?

CSC’s culture of innovation deeply aligns with my passion for leveraging technology to drive progress. Having worked at smaller companies, I’m excited by the opportunity to contribute to large-scale digital transformation initiatives CSC is known for. The chance to continuously hone my skills alongside the company’s world-class technologists is also very