Dezerv

Role: Senior Software Engineer

College: Not Specified

Interview Date: August 15, 2024

Interview Type: Full-Time

Result: Rejected

Difficulty: Medium-Hard

Rounds: 4 rounds (including Online Assessment)

Topics Asked: Data Structures, Algorithms (DP, optimization), Low-Level Design, Database Design, System Design, Behavioral

Experience:

The candidate applied for the Senior Software Engineer position through Instahyre.

Round 0 (Online Assessment): This round consisted of two LeetCode medium-hard problems. The candidate was able to solve one problem completely and the other partially.

Round 1 (DSA Problem Solving): The interviewer introduced themselves and discussed their work, team, and the candidate's past experience for about 20 minutes. Following this, a DSA problem was given, which was a variation of a classic Dynamic Programming problem. The candidate was able to code it in time and covered all edge cases, including positive and negative numbers, and discussed optimization problems with constant space.

Round 2 (Low-Level Design & Database Design): This round was conducted by one of the earliest members of the engineering team. The problem was related to a ledger and payments system. The discussion primarily revolved around low-level design and database design. The interviewer presented a couple of scenarios, and the candidate provided solutions along with their trade-offs. This round lasted for an hour and was described as a healthy discussion. The candidate was selected for the next round.

Round 3 (HLD + Hiring Manager): This round was taken by the engineering head. After a brief introduction, the candidate was asked to discuss the most challenging task they had completed. The discussion was expected to go into detail, but the candidate was stopped after 30 minutes, and the interview ended. The candidate felt the interviewer was in a hurry and didn't allow enough time to elaborate on their experiences. It was implied that the company might have been looking for someone with more customer-facing product experience, whereas the candidate had internal service/product experience.

Overall Experience: The candidate found the process challenging, especially the last round, which left them in self-doubt. They appreciated the company's profile but felt the interview process could be improved by conducting managerial rounds earlier and respecting the candidate's time, as rounds were rescheduled multiple times.