I was contacted by a recruiter via Naukri, but it was a strange call.

We exchanged basic details about salary, location, and the type of work. Then, the recruiter mentioned that it was an urgent requirement and that the interview would only be 30 minutes long. If I cleared that, we would move straight to an offer. That itself was a red flag for me. No reputable company makes hiring decisions after such a short interview.

The recruiter also pushed to schedule the interview for the very next day, and I accommodated the request since I am actively looking for a new job.

During the interview, the interviewer seemed a little distant and dismissive. He asked me to give a brief introduction, which I did.

He then asked a question about finding the first non-repeating character from a string. I answered to the best of my ability, but he then remarked, "Do you really think someone will approve your PR if you submit this? What is this if-else statement that you are putting in?"

Internally, I thought, "Am I expected to provide the most optimal solution on the first try without access to any reference materials?" I obviously didn't voice this.

He then gave me a string with a date in a specific format and asked how to convert it into another format. I offered a solution off the top of my head, which wasn't correct, but again, without any reference, that's what anyone would offer.

It felt as though he expected me to memorize syntax and classes and simply recite them, rather than truly evaluating my conceptual knowledge and design skills.

I could also hear a lot of background noise from his end. He was speaking to a family member or someone else in the middle of the interview. This was not only distracting but also unprofessional. If I am expected to be professional as a candidate, I expect the same professionalism from the person interviewing me.

Overall, the entire experience was somewhat strange, disappointing, and rushed.

1. Find the first non-repeating character in a string.
2. Convert SEP/10/2024 to 10/09/2024.