Abbott Software Engineer Interview Questions + Guide in 2024

Abbott is a global healthcare leader dedicated to helping people live more completely at all stages of life. With a comprehensive range of life-changing technologies in diagnostics, medical devices, nutritionals, and branded generic medicines, Abbott touches the lives of millions.

As a Software Engineer at Abbott, you will have the opportunity to work on innovative projects, such as developing and testing wireless communication software for Implantable Medical Devices. This role demands strong technical expertise in object-oriented programming, the development of software solutions using platforms like Bluetooth SoC SDK, and experience with programming languages such as C, C++, and C#.

In this guide, we’ll walk you through the interview process, possible Abbott software engineer interview questions, and expert tips to help you prepare better.

Submitting Your Application

The first step is to submit a compelling application that reflects your technical skills and interest in joining Abbott as a Software Engineer. Whether you were contacted by an Abbott recruiter or have taken the initiative yourself, carefully review the job description and tailor your CV according to the prerequisites.

Tailoring your CV may include identifying specific keywords that the hiring manager might use to filter resumes and crafting a targeted cover letter. Furthermore, don’t forget to highlight relevant skills and mention your work experiences.

Recruiter/Hiring Manager Call Screening

If your CV happens to be among the shortlisted few, a recruiter from the Abbott Talent Acquisition Team will make contact and verify key details like your experiences and skill level. Behavioral questions may also be a part of the screening process.

The recruiter may ask about your current role, your familiarity with key technologies, and your motivation for applying. They may also indulge in surface-level technical and behavioral discussions.

The whole recruiter call should take about 30 minutes.

Online Assessment (OA)

After the initial call, you will be asked to complete an online assessment (OA) that typically includes two coding questions. The assessment, administered through tools like Interview Query, is designed to evaluate your problem-solving skills and coding proficiency. The online assessment will take around 1 hour to complete.

Technical Interviews

Successfully navigating the online assessment will present you with an invitation for the technical screening rounds. These technical screening rounds are conducted through virtual means, including video conference and screen sharing.

First Technical Interview

This round is usually more behavioral and conversational in nature. You’ll be asked questions like:

• What is deep and shallow copy?
• Describe your experience with databases.
• Explain dependency injection.
• How does Object-Oriented Programming (OOP) work, assuming you’re explaining it to a 5-year-old?

Second Technical Interview

This round gets more technical and involves actual coding exercises. Questions may include:

• Comment on and/or fix a piece of code.
• Write code or pseudocode that solves a particular problem.
• Difference between polling and event-driven systems.
• Questions to troubleshoot a hypothetical situation.

Both interview rounds typically involve the hiring manager and another team member. These interviews are designed to assess your technical know-how, problem-solving skills, and fit with the company culture.

Onsite Interview Rounds (or Virtual Onsite)

Followed by a second recruiter call outlining the next stage, you’ll be invited to attend the onsite interview loop or virtual onsite (depending on location and circumstances). Multiple interview rounds, varying with the role, will be conducted during your day at Abbott. Your technical prowess, including programming capabilities and system design skills, will be evaluated against the finalized candidates throughout these interviews.

You might have to: - Reverse a linked list in order. - Draw a UML diagram of a past project. - Answer questions related to basic data structures, object-oriented programming, and technologies like C++.

Final HR Interview

The last stage involves a conversation with the HR department to discuss your fit within the Abbott team, compensation, and other organizational policies. You might be asked: - Why do you choose Abbott? - What are your expectations? - Can you relocate or work remotely?

The whole process takes about 3 weeks, from the first contact with the recruiter to receiving an offer.

Typically, interviews at Abbott vary by role and team, but commonly software engineer interviews follow a fairly standardized process across these question topics.

1. How would you interpret coefficients of logistic regression for categorical and boolean variables?

Explain how to interpret the coefficients of logistic regression when dealing with categorical and boolean variables.

2. How would you design a machine learning model to classify major health issues based on health features?

You work as a machine learning engineer for a health insurance company. Design a model that classifies if an individual will undergo major health issues based on a set of health features.

3. What metrics and statistical methods would you use to identify dishonest users in a sports app?

You work for a company with a sports app that tracks running, jogging, and cycling data. Formulate a method to identify users who might be cheating, such as driving a car while claiming to be on a bike ride. Specify the metrics and statistical methods you would analyze.

4. How does a high correlation between two features affect their importance in a random forest?

If two features are highly correlated in a random forest, how will this correlation affect the measurement of their feature importance?

5. Why has the number of job applicants been decreasing despite stable job postings?

You are looking at job board metrics and notice that while the number of job postings per day has remained stable, the number of applicants has been steadily decreasing. Why might this be happening?

6. How would you assess the validity of a .04 p-value in an AB test?

Your company is running a standard control and variant AB test on a feature to increase conversion rates on the landing page. The PM finds a .04 p-value in the results. How would you assess the validity of this result?

7. How would you analyze the performance of a new LinkedIn feature without an AB test?

LinkedIn launched a feature allowing candidates to message hiring managers directly during interviews. Due to engineering constraints, an AB test wasn’t possible. How would you analyze the feature’s performance?

8. Would you recommend a customer success manager or a free trial for a new Square product?

You are in charge of Square’s small business division. The CEO wants to hire a customer success manager for a new software product, while another executive suggests a free trial. What would be your recommendation?

9. How could you promote Instagram through the Facebook app?

You work on Facebook’s growth team and are tasked with promoting Instagram from within the Facebook app. Where and how could you promote Instagram through Facebook?

10. Develop a function str_map to determine if a one-to-one correspondence exists between characters of two strings at the same positions.

Given two strings, string1, and string2, write a function str_map to determine if there exists a one-to-one correspondence (bijection) between the characters of string1 and string2.

11. Build a logistic regression model from scratch using gradient descent and log-likelihood as the loss function.

Create a logistic regression model from scratch without an intercept term. Use basic gradient descent (with Newton’s method) for optimization and the log-likelihood as the loss function. Do not include a penalty term. You may use Numpy and Pandas but not Scikit-learn. Return the parameters of the regression.

Here are some quick tips to prepare you for your upcoming Abbott software engineer interview:

• Understand the Company’s Products and Values: Abbott is a global healthcare leader with a diverse product portfolio. Understand their products and values deeply to resonate with your interviewers.
• Prepare for Behavioral Questions: Be ready to discuss your past experiences, reasons for wanting to join Abbott, and how you handle team dynamics.
• Brush Up on Technical Fundamentals: Ensure you are well-versed in databases, OOP, coding exercises, and troubleshooting, as these are common areas of focus.

What is the average salary for a Software Engineer at Abbott?

What skills are essential for the Software Engineer position at Abbott?

To excel as a Software Engineer at Abbott, you should have strong technical skills in programming languages like C, C++, JavaScript, and Python. Understanding design patterns, embedded systems, and software development best practices is crucial.

What is the company culture like at Abbott?

Abbott boasts a vibrant and inclusive company culture that promotes career development, innovation, and collaboration. Employees can access excellent health and wellness benefits, including free medical coverage and a robust retirement savings plan. The company is also recognized for its commitment to diversity, making it a great place for people from all walks of life to work.

Abbott presents an exciting opportunity for software engineers looking to leverage their technical skills and experience to make a significant impact in the healthcare industry. With a comprehensive and thorough interview process that includes behavioral and technical rounds, Abbott ensures that they recruit top talent for their innovative projects.

If you want more insights about the company, check out our main Abbott Interview Guide, where we have covered other interview questions that can be asked.

Good luck with your interview!