Overview:

Two phone interviews were conducted using HackerRank to solve algorithm problems. This was followed by three on-site interviews: two involving solving algorithm problems with pencil and paper, and a third focused on system design. Afterward, candidates were taken to lunch, and if fortunate, returned for an HR discussion.

For on-site coding, small 5x8" sheets of paper were provided. This offered very little room for writing code and correcting mistakes. A whiteboard would be much more conducive to coding and facilitating conversation. Even better would be to utilize HackerRank for the on-site interviews, mirroring the phone interview format.

The first interview proceeded well. I solved two problems and began a third when time expired.

The second interviewer was overbearing. I coded the first problem and started working on test cases to ensure its correctness. The interviewer demanded my code, despite my request to run through test cases first. Naturally, problems were then found. For the second problem, the interviewer provided an incorrect hint that sidetracked me.

The system design portion of the interview felt like a mind-reading exercise. It is crucial to pay close attention to any clues given by the interviewer regarding their preferred solution approach. Do not focus on how you would solve the problem independently.

My advice to other candidates:

Make sure to practice algorithm-style problem solving extensively. Any prior job experience is completely irrelevant. For instance, I possess extensive experience in the technologies listed in the job title. However, I was not asked any questions about them. The sole determinant of success appears to be the ability to solve artificial problems under extremely tight time constraints with constant supervision.

Design a stack that has an O(1) max() method.

Find the kth largest element in a sorted 2D array (the rows are sorted and the columns are sorted).