Capital One

Role: Sr. Lead Software Engineer

College: Not Specified

Interview Date: June 2024

Interview Type: Full-Time

Result: Passed

Difficulty: Medium to Hard (OA), Medium (Power Day)

Rounds: Code Signal OA, Power Day (1 Coding, 1 System Design, 1 Behavioral, 1 Case Study)

Topics Asked: Subarray Problems, Business Logic Coding, System Design, Behavioral, Software Development Techniques, Analytical Reasoning, Code Review

Experience:

This interview experience for a Senior Lead Software Engineer involved a Code Signal Online Assessment and a Power Day, all conducted on the same day.

The Code Signal OA had 4 problems. The first two were described as "super simple." The third problem was considered the hardest, and the fourth was "medium hard," involving a subarray problem with a trick to solve it. The candidate's solution for the fourth problem only passed half the test cases.

The Power Day consisted of four 1-hour interviews.

The Coding Interview was not a typical LeetCode problem. It focused on writing a method for business logic, with new requirements added as the current ones were completed.

The System Design interview was "similar to any other company."

The Behavioral interview was also "similar to any other company."

The Case Study was an uncommon interview type, composed of three parts: conceptual questions about software development techniques, analytical reasoning (simple math problems), and a code review based on the preceding reasoning. All parts were tied together by a central theme. The candidate felt they did well in the first two parts but "flunked" the third.

A key takeaway was to ask for a break during the Power Day, as the back-to-back interviews were draining.