I applied through a recruiter.

• 1 HR / recruiter call
• 1 behavioral call
• 1 technical interview
• A whole slew of on-site interviews

I studied python for exclusively solving leetcode problems since python is usually faster to finish with less semicolons and other syntax errors to slow down the process. I started to lose ability to solve actual problems in java / javascript so I stopped practicing python and leetcode.

I asked for a take-home assignment instead of a technical round since I lost a lot of my leetcode / python skills. I'm also a lot more engaged when the problem is real and hoped to show my strengths. I was assured they'd collaborate with me on a problem in 'CoderPad' and didn't care if I solved it.

I solved the problem pretty slowly since I forgotten some of the python code. I kept thinking about the optimal way of solving the problem since I saw this problem a long time ago and knew of a clever way to solve it, but don't remember the little trick. I also kept getting hung up on what to call the variables since the problem is not grounded in anything real.

I was told they wanted someone that can dive into code. I can dive into code but in this case I clearly need to study more leetcode if I want to work here. Thankfully I found a job elsewhere that was willing to accept a take-home assignment and I didn't have to go on-site for 5 hours.

What did you build previously in the context of this role?

What struggles did you have to overcome?

A LeetCode medium problem on arrays.