The organization is very low-paying and very confused.

It was a Saturday weekend drive. I was called for a face-to-face interview.

I completed a written test with three questions, solving them all within the specified time complexities.

I had my first face-to-face interview, where three more questions were asked. This went well.

After an hour's wait, HR approached me and explained they were interviewing for SE2. However, the first-round panel had recommended me for SE3. They told me to leave for the day, as SE3 has a different process, and they would contact me early the following week.

The next week, on Thursday, HR contacted me, stating I had to undergo two more interview rounds. He mentioned he would send an email invitation. The invitation, however, indicated three more interview rounds.

When I inquired about this discrepancy, I received a very confused and unclear answer. The HR representative explained they wanted to assess me for both SE3 and SE2 to determine the best fit.

The actual situation was that they could not offer a raise if they hired me for SE2 and were unsure if I was suitable for SE3.

They had even inquired about my current salary before calling me. On the interview day, an internal discussion revealed they could not offer me a raise if hired for SE2. I believe there was no genuine recommendation for SE3 after the first round, as a DS and Algo round alone would not lead to such a conclusion. This was likely stated to ensure I left with a positive impression.

@Paypal: Please do not waste candidates' time and effort by inviting them for interviews if you are unable to meet their salary expectations.

Question on DS and Algorithms.