I was approached by a recruiter for the position. I had been thinking about switching jobs, so I decided to give it a shot. Definitely, one should revise data structures, algorithms and their runtimes, and traditional problems like the knapsack problem and producer-consumer.

The phone screen was an easy LeetCode-style question. I was able to solve and write code for the first problem. For the second problem, we were short on time, so I explained the approach with pseudocode. The interviewer was satisfied.

Afterward, a virtual onsite was scheduled for the whole day. I logged in in the morning. The recruiter explained the process and what to expect. The first hour was with two engineers. After initial introductions, I was asked to solve a problem. I suggested two solutions, which we discussed. I explained the runtimes for both approaches. I did mix up the runtimes but corrected myself while explaining the solution.

The second interview was also with two engineers. Within a few minutes, I had the feeling that one of the interviewers was going to be challenging. For any clarification questions, he kept saying it was basic, trivial design, or 'I don't care.' But in the end, he wasn’t satisfied with the solution. You know, not all interviewers want you to succeed. Some of them are really trying to pull you down.

The second interviewer also asked another problem to solve. I suggested two solutions and explained the whole thing, including runtime. I implemented most of it. He kept adding complexity to the question, and I was providing solutions. After two hours, we took a break of 15 minutes. After the 15 minutes, I was told it was done for the day and the recruiter would contact me further. I knew this was the end.

Pros: I was interviewing for a position after a long time. So yes, I was rusty with academics, but I was good with problem-solving. I know where to focus.

Cons: Interviewers should be explicit about the problem being presented. Conveying 'solve it in simple terms' sends mixed signals. The recruiter could have been more professional by giving a follow-up call or email to tell me that I didn’t meet their criteria.

Remove element from linked list with matching value.

Pick k elements from list which sums to a number provided.