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SDE - 2

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3 rounds | 4 Coding problems

Interview preparation journey

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Journey
During my college days, I learned programming languages like C++ and Java. Then, I started practising DSA, OOPS, OS and DBMS. I practised from platforms like Code Studio and LeetCode. I made sure I practised 20 questions on a daily basis. After my office hours, I learned about System Design and worked on the fundamental questions. Then I got the confidence and started applying for job posts.
Application story
I applied through Instahyre. I was looking for job posts on different platforms. Finally, I saw an opening for this position on Instahyre and applied through it.
Why selected/rejected for the role?
I was selected because of my strong fundamental knowledge of core subjects and DSA. I had also prepared System Design well, so I was able to answer all questions related to it very clearly and confidently.
Preparation
Duration: 4 Months
Topics: Java, Data Structures and Algorithms, System and Database Design, OOPS
Tip
Tip

Tip 1 : If you are a newbie to programming, I will strongly recommend to practice LC/GFG/CodingNinjas Easy questions for clearing the basics. Once you gain confidence, you can move on to tackle medium and hard questions.
Tip 2 : Most companies require individuals to know System Design well. For somebody with 1-3 years of experience, database designing (identifying entities, their relationships and constraints), OOP concepts and API designing for Low Level Design is a must. I would recommend the "System Design Interview by Alex Xu" book for HLD preparation.
 

Application process
Where: Other
Eligibility: No criteria
Resume Tip
Resume tip

Tip 1 : Have an updated and properly formatted resume
Tip 2 : The resume tells your story so you ought to know and be able to explain whatever you've written. 
Tip 3 : Do not include technologies/skills that you've not worked on at all. It can blow the interview if the interviewer questions you about it.

Interview rounds

01
Round
Medium
Video Call
Duration60 minutes
Interview date25 Jun 2021
Coding problem2

This was a technical round in the evening with a Software Engineer II which included a coding question along with a few questions on Core Java fundamentals. 
I was given the option to either go for the coding round first or java theory. I realised that I might need more time for coding so I decided to opt for the coding round first, followed by the java related questions later. 
The interviewer was extremely pleasant to speak with. He initially asked me to introduce myself and we spoke in depth about a project I worked on in my last organisation. The coding question was given on a google sheet but I was asked to code it on an online IDE without any special syntax correction features.

 

1. Minimum count of balls in a bag

Moderate
15m average time
85% success
0/80
Asked in companies
FlipkartWells FargoTata Consultancy Services (TCS)

You are given an integer array ‘ARR’ of size ‘N’, where ‘ARR[i]’ denotes the number of balls in the ‘i-th’ bag. You are also given an integer ‘M’, denoting the maximum number of operations you can perform on ‘ARR’ (the given collection of bags).

In each operation, you can do the following:

  • Choose a bag from the collection and divide it into two new bags such that each bag contains a positive (non-zero) number of balls. Remove the chosen bag from the collection and add the new bags into the collection.

After performing the operations, let ‘X’ be the maximum number of balls in a bag. The task is to find the minimum possible value of ‘X’ and return it.

Example:
ARR = [5, 7], N = 2, M = 2

Perform the following two operations on ‘ARR’: 
1. Divide the bag with 7 balls into 3 and 4. New ARR = [3, 4, 5].
2. Divide the bag with 5 balls into 1 and 4. New ARR = [1, 3, 4, 4].

The bag with the maximum number of balls has 4 balls. Hence, the minimum possible value of ‘X’ is 4. Return 4 as the answer.
Note:
1. You can perform any number of operations between [0, M], both included.
2. Avoid using the 'Modulo' operator as it can cause Time Limit Exceeded.
Try solving now

2. Core Java Questions

1. What is immutability? (Learn)
2. Is try with multiple catch allowed? Explain. (Learn)
3. What is garbage collection? (Learn)
4. Tell me a little about HashMaps. (Learn)

02
Round
Medium
Video Call
Duration90 minutes
Interview date1 Jul 2021
Coding problem1

This round was in the evening with a Senior Software Engineer. He introduced himself and immediately presented the question on Google Doc.

1. System Design Question

I was asked to design a Food Delivery App (Swiggy). This round revolved around designing database schemas. I was given around 20 minutes to identify the various entities involved in the system, establish the relationships between these entities and also identify the primary key - foreign key constraints. After 20 minutes, we had a good discussion on my findings and corrections with respect to certain attributes I may have missed out in my design. 

03
Round
Easy
HR Round
Duration30 minutes
Interview date2 Jul 2021
Coding problem1

This was a half an hour round with a Senior Manager.

1. Basic HR Questions

What has been your greatest failure? 

What do you always regret?

How do you respond to change?

Here's your problem of the day

Solving this problem will increase your chance to get selected in this company

Skill covered: Programming

Which collection class forbids duplicates?

Choose another skill to practice
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