Process
I applied online for a Senior Engineer position. After a few days, I received a call from HR. My interview was scheduled, and here's my experience in each round:
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First Round: This interview focused on basic questions about Spring Boot, Java 8 features, and data structures like linked lists, ConcurrentHashMap, and TreeSet. The interview was conducted by a Senior Software Engineer from another team at Target.
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Second Round: After clearing the first round, I proceeded to another technical interview with a Tech Lead. This round covered Spring Boot specifics, microservices basics, and designing a read-heavy system. I was able to answer most questions, but there were several syntactical questions I couldn't answer precisely. After the second round, I never received a call from HR, even after sending two follow-up emails. I did not expect this from such a reputable organization.
Questions
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Spring Boot: Exception handling, Filters, Interceptors, etc.
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Microservices: Interservice communication, Kafka, Circuit breaker pattern, API Gateway, log monitoring and alerting system, etc.
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Java 8: Collection framework, HashMap internals, TreeMap, SortedMap, LinkedList, String manipulation, etc.
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Interview Statistics
The following metrics were computed from 9 interview experiences for the Target Senior Engineer role in Bengaluru, Karnataka.
Success Rate
Target's interview process for their Senior Engineer roles in Bengaluru, Karnataka is fairly selective, failing a large portion of engineers who go through it.
Experience Rating
Candidates reported having mixed feelings for Target's Senior Engineer interview process in Bengaluru, Karnataka.
Target Work Experiences
- 4.0Good Balance, Low PaySenior Engineer • Former EmployeeBengaluru, Karnataka, IndiaJuly 12, 2024Pros: Good work-life balance. Good technology. Less work stress.Cons: Pay is lower than market standards.
- 2.0Target: Senior Engineer - Technically Strong Process, Severely Let Down by HR & Offer StageSenior Engineer • Current EmployeeBengaluru, Karnataka, IndiaMay 29, 2025Pros: Medium to Hard (technical rounds were challenging but fair) Approximately 2-3 weeks from the first technical round to the hiring manager round. * The technical interview rounds themselves were quite good and well-structured. * Interviewers were knowledgeable, engaging, and provided constructive feedback/hints during coding and design discussions. * The process involved an initial screening, a pair-programming-style coding round focusing on core Java and DS, a system design and DSA round (arrays, binary search, linked lists, file system design), and a final hiring manager round with behavioral and scenario-based questions.Cons: After clearing all technical and managerial rounds (which took a few weeks), the HR process became extremely problematic. I faced significant communication delays (weeks of silence) and had to chase the recruiter constantly for updates. I received conflicting information regarding salary expectations. After a long wait and personal follow-ups (including reaching out to other Target employees), an "informal offer" was made which was drastically low compared to my current compensation. Even after declining this, there was a promise to renegotiate, followed by more silence and lack of closure for several weeks. The entire post-interview phase was very stressful and unprofessional.
- 5.0Best Place To WorkSenior Engineer • Current EmployeeBengaluru, Karnataka, IndiaMarch 31, 2025Pros: Overall, one of the best places to work.Cons: None that I can think of.
Target Interview Questions
