Amazon SDE 2 interview experience | Rejected
Summary
I interviewed for an SDE 2 role at Amazon, going through three rounds covering DSA, Leadership Principles, and Low-Level Design. Despite clearing the initial DSA round, I was ultimately rejected after the subsequent rounds.
Full Experience
Applied through: Referral Process: After being referred, I received an email from the recruiter asking for a few details. Within 2–3 days, I got a call from the HR saying I had an interview scheduled for the next day.
Round 1: DSA Round
The interviewer was friendly and made me feel comfortable. He asked one data structures and algorithms question based on the two-pointer approach.
Problem Statement:
You need to buy monitors for m desks. Each desk can have at most 2 monitors. You’re given a list of monitor prices, and for each desk, the total price of monitors should not exceed a given budget X. Find out how many monitors you can buy.
Example:
X = 100
m = 3
n = 6
arr = [50, 60, 40, 70, 20, 90]
One possible allocation:
- Desk 1: 50, 40
- Desk 2: 60, 20
- Desk 3: 90 (We can’t pair 90 with 20 as 90 + 20 > 100)
My approach: I used a two-pointer technique and explained my solution. The interviewer was satisfied with my approach.
Leadership Principles Questions:
- 2 behavioral questions (don’t remember exact wording)
Got a call from HR the same day — I had cleared the round. HR scheduled two more interviews for the next day: one DSA + one System Design.
Round 2: DSA + Leadership
DSA Question:
Count Square Submatrices with All Ones – LeetCode
I initially provided a brute-force O(n^3) solution, but the interviewer was expecting an optimized O(n^2) solution. He gave a hint, and I was able to complete the problem with guidance.
My thoughts: This round didn’t go as well as I had hoped since I needed a hint to solve the problem.
Leadership Principles Questions:
- When was the last time you worked outside of your comfort zone?
- How do you manage and adapt to new tasks?
Round 3: Low-Level Design (LLD)
Problem: Design an online food delivery system like Swiggy/Zomato. I explained the architecture, components, and interactions. The interviewer seemed satisfied.
Leadership Principles Questions:
- Two behavioral questions (specifics not recalled)
Final Outcome: After 2–3 days, I followed up with HR. She said the update was still pending. The next day, I received a rejection email.
Interview Questions (5)
Buy Monitors for Desks with Budget
You need to buy monitors for m desks. Each desk can have at most 2 monitors. You’re given a list of monitor prices, and for each desk, the total price of monitors should not exceed a given budget X. Find out how many monitors you can buy.
Example:
X = 100
m = 3
n = 6
arr = [50, 60, 40, 70, 20, 90]
One possible allocation:
- Desk 1: 50, 40
- Desk 2: 60, 20
- Desk 3: 90 (We can’t pair 90 with 20 as 90 + 20 > 100)
Count Square Submatrices with All Ones
Worked Outside Comfort Zone
When was the last time you worked outside of your comfort zone?
Manage and Adapt to New Tasks
How do you manage and adapt to new tasks?
Design an Online Food Delivery System
Design an online food delivery system like Swiggy/Zomato.