My Arcesium SSE Interview Experience
Summary
I recently interviewed for a Senior Software Engineer position at Arcesium. Despite not clearing the final Hiring Manager round due to a need for more clarity in theoretical concept explanations, I gained valuable insights into their interview process which focused heavily on core CS fundamentals.
Full Experience
My interview journey for the Senior Software Engineer role at Arcesium began with a HackerRank online test, primarily focusing on Data Structures & Algorithms and general problem-solving. This initial screening round set the stage for the subsequent technical discussions.
Round 2: Technical Interview
The second round was a technical interview where I tackled the Koko Eating Bananas problem, which I solved using a binary search approach. Beyond the coding, we had a deep dive into my resume projects, discussing their architecture and my contributions. There was also a significant discussion around Kafka fundamentals and its real-world applications, testing my knowledge of distributed systems concepts.
Round 3: Low Level Design (LLD)
In the LLD round, I was challenged to design an Uber-like system. I approached this by breaking it down into core entities such as User, Driver, Ride, Payment, Location, and Vehicle. A strong emphasis was placed on database normalization and ensuring the system's scalability, which required me to think critically about schema design and architectural considerations.
Round 4: Hiring Manager Round
The final round was with the Hiring Manager, which turned out to be quite theory-heavy. We extensively discussed database indexing, specifically differentiating between Clustered and Non-Clustered Indexes, and I had to illustrate my points with diagrams. Design Patterns also came up, with a focus on the Factory Pattern – I had to explain its purpose, when to use it, and provide sample code. Finally, we delved into SOLID Principles, particularly the Open/Closed Principle, discussing potential failure cases and resolution strategies in the context of the Factory Pattern.
Outcome
Unfortunately, I was rejected after the HM round. The feedback I received indicated that my theoretical concepts needed to be explained with more clarity, depth, and concrete examples.
Interview Questions (5)
The problem involves finding the minimum eating speed 'k' such that Koko can eat all bananas within 'H' hours. This typically requires a binary search approach on the possible speed values.
Design an Uber-like ride-sharing system, focusing on core entities like User, Driver, Ride, Payment, Location, and Vehicle. Emphasis was placed on database normalization and scalability considerations.
Explain the differences between Clustered and Non-Clustered Indexes, including their internal workings and when to use each. Diagrams were expected to illustrate the concepts.
Explain the Factory Pattern, including its purpose, when to apply it, and provide sample code demonstrating its implementation.
Discuss the Open/Closed Principle from SOLID, including its application and potential failure cases, specifically within the context of the Factory Pattern and resolution strategies for these failures.
Preparation Tips
Based on my experience, I would advise future candidates to focus heavily on core Computer Science fundamentals, not just coding. For Low-Level Design, a robust understanding of database design and normalization is crucial. It's essential to be prepared to articulate theoretical concepts with diagrams, write concise code snippets, and explain design trade-offs, especially in theory-heavy rounds. Strong foundations in DBMS, Design Patterns, and SOLID principles are as important as pure problem-solving skills for Arcesium.