Cinpress

Role: PR1 Software Engineer

College: Not Specified (On-Campus)

Interview Date: November end (2023)

Interview Type: On-Campus/Full-Time

Result: Selected

Difficulty: Medium (Suggested for preparation)

Rounds: 3 rounds

Topics Asked: Data Structures, Algorithms, SQL vs NOSQL, Java, Databases, Operating Systems, Theory of Computation, System Design (shopping cart schema), Coding: Split the given array into K sub-arrays such that maximum sum of all sub-arrays is minimum, Kth smallest absolute difference between two elements in an array, Vaccine distribution problem, Simple pattern-based question, Implement stack using Java, Check if it possible to partition in K subarrays with equal sum.

Experience:

Cimpress visited the college in November end for the PR1 Software Engineer role. The hiring process comprised three rounds: one coding round and two face-to-face interviews.

Round 1: Coding (1 hour)
This round had 4 questions. One involved a story between a girl and zombies (similar to "Split the given array into K sub-arrays such that maximum sum of all sub-arrays is minimum"). Another question was about determining the Kth smallest element in a cross sequence S obtained from an array A by adding |Ai - Aj| for each 1 <= i,j <= N (similar to "K-th smallest absolute difference between two elements in an array"). There was also a vaccine distribution question and a simple pattern-based question.

Round 2: Technical (1 hour)
Questions were based on the candidate's resume, covering topics like SQL vs NOSQL, Java, and data structures. Two coding questions were asked: "Implement stack using Java" and "Check if it possible to partition in K subarrays with equal sum".

Round 3: Technical (1 hour)
This round was more discussion-oriented, covering databases, operating systems, and the theory of computation. A system design question involved designing the schema for shopping carts of an e-commerce website.

Overall Experience: After Round 1, 30 students were shortlisted. Rounds 2 and 3 took place after 4 days, and results were declared the same evening. 5 students were selected from the college. The process was smooth, and interviewers were friendly. Tips included preparing well with computer science subjects and practicing medium-level coding questions, along with being confident.