Tiktok

Role: Frontend Software Engineer

College: Not Specified

Interview Date: June 14, 2024

Interview Type: Full-Time

Result: Rejected

Difficulty: Hard (due to unexpected language, deep frontend questions, and challenging LeetCode problem)

Rounds: 1 (technical round described)

Topics Asked: Frontend (JavaScript, React, Network knowledge), Data Structures & Algorithms (LeetCode medium/hard), Behavioral

Experience:

The candidate applied through a referral for a Frontend Software Engineer role. The recruiter contacted them quickly but scheduled the interview late at night (10 PM EST) due to the interviewer being in China. The recruiter's guidance for preparation included standard DS/A, behavioral, and system design, with no mention of specific frontend technologies.

The interview was conducted on a proprietary TikTok platform. The interviewer joined late and brought a silent spectator. Unexpectedly, the interviewer started speaking Mandarin Chinese, citing the candidate's resume (which listed Mandarin as native). The candidate struggled to translate technical terms into Chinese.

The first 25 minutes involved grilling on frontend, JavaScript, React, and network knowledge, interspersed with Chinese terms. Following this, a LeetCode medium problem (which the candidate felt was hard based on discussion comments) from TikTok's list was given. Although the candidate had solved it previously, they struggled during the interview and only provided a partial solution. The interviewer's hints were difficult to understand due to the language barrier. The last five minutes were for Q&A.

The candidate felt the interview was unfair due to the language issue and the discrepancy between the recruiter's preparation advice and the actual technical questions asked. They received a rejection email the following morning.