Oracle

Role: SDE-1

College: Not Specified

Interview Date: August 2024

Interview Type: Full-Time (Hiring Drive)

Result: Rejected

Difficulty: Not Specified

Rounds: 3 rounds

Topics Asked: Data Structures and Algorithms (Linked List loop detection and start point, Array questions), System Design (video streaming platform like Netflix, Twitter/Facebook type platform), Behavioral

Experience:

This candidate shared their interview experience for an SDE-1 role at Oracle in August 2024, which was part of a hiring drive.

The opportunity was received via a LinkedIn message from a hiring manager.

Round 1 (Virtual). This round was conducted by an MTS-2 engineer at Oracle. It started with introductions from both sides, followed by 3-4 Data Structures and Algorithms (DSA) questions. The candidate noted that these questions could be easily solved with basic DSA concepts. Specific questions included: "Find if linked list has loop or not", "if it has then find the starting point of it", and some array questions. The candidate cleared this round.

Round 2 (Virtual). This round was taken by a senior engineer (Principal Architect or Engineer). After introductions, the hiring manager stated that he would not ask technical questions but rather wanted to understand the candidate's thought process. He then asked a few design questions, such as: "How can you design a video streaming platform like Netflix?", "How does Netflix stream videos without any lag?", and "Design a Twitter/Facebook type platform". The candidate mentioned that this round did not go as well as hoped, as they were not expecting system design questions with only one year of experience.

Verdict. The candidate received an email after two weeks stating that they were unable to fit into the present requirements at that time, resulting in a rejection. This experience motivated the candidate to study design topics more seriously.