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Role: Software Engineer

College: Tier 2 college

Interview Date: Late 2023

Interview Type: Full-Time/Off-Campus

Result: Selected

Difficulty: Medium (DSA), System Design (Medium)

Rounds: 6 rounds (Technical Screening + 5 Onsite Rounds)

Topics Asked: Data Structures & Algorithms (Array, Matrix, Binary Tree, Greedy, Code Optimization, Problem Solving), Projects, Behavioral (Why LinkedIn, Career Goals), System Design (Calendar Invite Service, LLD, DB Schema), Technical Communication

Experience:

The candidate, with 2 years of experience, directly applied for an open position and received a recruiter call within a week for a technical screening.

Technical Screening
This round focused on DSA, with two medium-level array-based questions and follow-ups. The candidate successfully solved both questions.

Round 1 (DSA)
The main focus was on code optimization and quality. Two medium-level Leetcode questions were asked, one based on a matrix and another on a binary tree with a greedy approach. The candidate was able to solve both but couldn't implement the most optimized solution for the second.

Round 2 (DSA)
This round emphasized problem-solving, with two medium-level binary tree questions. The candidate successfully came up with the most optimized solutions for both.

Round 3 (Hiring Manager Round)
Discussions revolved around the candidate's past and current projects. Behavioral questions included "why LinkedIn" and inquiries about career goals.

Round 4 (System Design Round)
The candidate was asked to design a calendar invite service. The discussion also delved into Low-Level Design (LLD) and database schema. This round reportedly went well, with interviewers satisfied with the design.

Round 5 (Technical Communication Round)
The candidate had to explain one of their projects in detail, as if presenting it to a new intern on the team. The interviewer asked numerous questions to gauge understanding.

After one week, the candidate received a call from the recruiter confirming their selection.