Summary
I interviewed for a Golang Developer position at Paytm. The interview process consisted of three rounds covering DSA, Low-Level Design, and system fundamentals. Unfortunately, I was not able to clear the third round.
Full Experience
I recently interviewed for the Golang Developer role at Paytm. I am currently an SDE 2 at a product-based company with over 3 years of experience. The role I applied for required similar experience (3+ years SDE). The entire process was stringent about using Golang for all coding and design tasks.
The first round focused on Data Structures and Algorithms. I was asked two medium-level DSA questions.
The second round was a Low-Level Design (LLD) round. I was asked to design a user management system. This round required setting up a local editor and utilizing specific MySQL/GORM packages, which was an interesting constraint. There was also a discussion about my past projects.
The third round was quite challenging. It involved three DSA questions, ranging from medium to hard difficulty, which had to be solved in an online editor. Similar to the second round, there was a detailed discussion about my projects. Additionally, this round delved into deeper system concepts such as threads, Kafka's workings, and identifying memory leaks.
Regrettably, I was not able to clear the third round. The compensation offered for this role was 29LPA base with an additional 1L bonus.
Interview Questions (1)
Design a Low-Level Design for a user management system. This round required setting up a local editor and using specific MySQL/GORM packages. There was also a discussion about past projects.
Summary
I interviewed for a Senior Software Engineer role at PayTm, successfully navigating four rounds including technical, DSA, core Java, and system design challenges. I received an offer, but ultimately declined it due to my preference for Work From Home.
Full Experience
I came across a Google form on LinkedIn and decided to apply. After 1-2 weeks, I received a call from a recruiter who explained the role and process, then scheduled my first interview and shared details about an upcoming online assessment.
Interview Rounds
Round 1 – Technical + DSA
This round started with introductions and a deep dive into my current projects. We discussed my contributions, the technology stack I used, and my problem-solving approaches. For DSA, I was given a basic Linked List problem, where I discussed multiple approaches and optimizations. Java questions focused on Lambdas and Stream APIs. I received strong positive feedback from HR an hour later, and the next round was scheduled.
Round 2 – Online Assessment (Hackerrank)
I completed both questions successfully. One was an easy-level problem which I don't recall the exact details of, and the other was the classic Longest Common Substring problem, which I solved completely.
Round 3 – Core Java, Design Patterns & System Design
This round began with detailed project discussions, including my technology choices and the reasoning behind them. Topics covered included Design Patterns, various Spring Boot concepts, and authentication mechanisms. I felt I could have explained authentication better. We also went through some SQL queries. The next day, HR informed me that the feedback was positive and scheduled the final round.
Round 4 – High-Level System Design
This discussion focused on my major contributions in my current role. For the HLD question, I was asked to design a system similar to Shiprocket, with a particular emphasis on order management and payment processing. The interviewer was very professional and supportive, making it a smooth experience.
Final Outcome
After 2-3 days, HR informed me that I had cleared all rounds and shared the offer letter. However, I ultimately declined the offer as PayTm has a Work From Office (WFO) policy, and I prefer Work From Home (WFH).
Interview Questions (2)
I was given the classic Longest Common Substring problem in the online assessment, which I solved completely.
I was asked to design a system similar to Shiprocket, specifically focusing on order management and payment processing.
Preparation Tips
I prepared by focusing on in-depth project discussions, as they heavily focused on my real-world experience. I also brushed up on core Java, Spring Boot, authentication flows, and SQL. For DSA, my focus was on Linked Lists, Strings, and Dynamic Programming basics. For system design rounds, I practiced clear thinking and structuring my solutions, as it was more about the approach than just scale.