The interviews consist of 5 rounds:

• Recruiter Phone Call (30 minutes)
• Code Design (1 hour)
• Data Structure (1 hour)
• System Design (1 hour)
• Values (1 hour)
• Meet Manager (1 hour)

(Note: The Lead Recruiter catch-up is a separate 30-minute session not part of the official interview rounds.)

Recruiter Phone Call (30 minutes)

I was contacted by a recruiter via a LinkedIn direct message. The recruiter was very polite and nice throughout the entire interview process. Although I had seen some negative reviews regarding their recruiter's demeanor, I did not experience that. I truly enjoyed their interviews, and the feedback for each round was very prompt.

The First Two Coding Rounds (1 hour)

The first two coding parts were pair programming sessions, scheduled on the same day for me with a 20-minute break in between. The coding questions were not algorithm-heavy; they were very practical and resemble tasks you would perform almost every day in your code, such as using a HashMap to store data. Therefore, there's no need to practice too many LeetCode hard questions. However, I still recommend understanding data structures, as they may ask for details on them, such as time complexity and sorting.

They focus on practical aspects like how you approach solutions and how you demonstrate your thinking process. Remember to keep sharing your thoughts while coding and follow TDD practices.

The interviews went really well for me, and the interviewers were very approachable.

The first coding round - Code Design (1 hour)

The question itself was fairly easy. I was asked to code in any language and use any IDE; I chose PHP and PHPStorm. Remember to start with a TDD approach and write code based on your test cases. Tips: Test Cases, IDE, basic design patterns, HashMap, unit tests, etc.

The second coding round - Data Structure (1 hour)

Thank goodness, they did not test Dynamic Programming, as I hadn't practiced it much since university. The question was a LeetCode easy question, even with many follow-ups. Tips: Understand sorting algorithms and array manipulation with HashMaps.

System Design (1 hour)

The system design round focused on designing a feature request for an existing Atlassian product. You will be required to analyze your system design skills, including scalability, reliability, API design, database design, concurrency, and more. There is no single correct answer. You need to discuss your design in as much detail as possible, so don't worry if you say something that might be considered wrong; just ensure you have clear evidence to support your decisions.

Lead Recruiter Interview (~30 minutes)

I received a meeting request with a lead recruiter after the System Design round. Technically, this is not part of the official interview process. This meeting helps you prepare for the final interviews (values/manager) and gives you clearer ideas about which team you might like to work with.

Values Interview (1 hour)

Read their website and understand their values. Prepare some examples to show that you fit their culture. Remember to demonstrate your teamwork and work style.

Manager Interview (1 hour)

This was similar to the values interview but with my future manager.

Can you give me an example of when you had conflicts with your team members?