Interview Experience: bounteous x Accolite

My interview journey with Accolite for a Software Engineer role began with an online assessment. This assessment was split into two sections. The first section comprised 30 multiple-choice questions, which tested my knowledge in code debugging, output analysis, data structures and algorithms, SQL queries, and concepts in Java and C++. Notably, there were no questions on core computer science fundamentals in this section.

The second section presented a single Data Structures and Algorithms problem, for which I had 45 minutes to solve. The problem involved an ant moving on the x-axis, starting from the origin (0) and needing to reach a target position 'x'. The ant could move 'a' units forward or 'b' units backward, with the constraint of not going behind position 0. The objective was to find the minimum steps to reach 'x', and a hint suggested using a Breadth-First Search (BFS) approach.

Following the online assessment, I proceeded to the online interview round. The interviewer started by asking me to introduce myself, then quickly moved on to technical questions. I was asked to solve LeetCode problem #6, 'ZigZag Conversion'.

Beyond the DSA problem, the interviewer delved into several Computer Science fundamentals. We discussed the concepts of deadlock and starvation, along with various deadlock avoidance methods. I had to differentiate between processes and threads, and explain multiprogramming and page faults. Database concepts were also covered, specifically normalization (1NF, 2NF, 3NF), and I described network topologies and their types. Lastly, I clarified the distinctions between deep copy and shallow copy, and explained the use of a copy constructor.

Initially, two more technical rounds and an HR round were planned. However, I decided not to participate in the subsequent rounds as I was not comfortable with the two-year company bond clause associated with the offer.