CommerceIQ | SDE-2 | Bangalore June 2022 Offer

I brought about 3 years of experience from a small Fintech startup, comprising around 10 team members, located in Noida. My interview process with CommerceIQ took place between June 8-15, 2022, and consisted of four distinct rounds.

Round 1: Problem Solving (1 hour)
I can't recall the exact problem, but it was a LeetCode medium-level question. I was able to articulate both brute-force and optimal approaches and successfully coded the optimal solution within the given time limit.

Round 2: Code Review (1.5 hours)
This round involved two interviewers, a senior engineer and another shadowing him. I was given a Java-based mailing application repository to clone and set up. The core task was to refactor the code and provide detailed comments. I was allowed to go through the repo independently and document my comments in a local text file. Towards the last 30 minutes, the interviewers asked specific questions about the code's scalability, particularly regarding its ability to handle around 1,000 notifications from different users. They also probed into error handling and failure scenarios within the Java code. After the interview, I shared my code review comments file with them.

Round 3: LLD round (1 hour)
I was challenged to implement the move-forward and backward functionality of a web browser. This involved discussing which data structures to use and justifying my choices. My approach was to use a doubly linked list, refreshing elements when a new page loaded, or maintaining a current pointer to the active browser node. I coded this solution and was able to execute it successfully.

Round 4: Hiring Manager Round (45 minutes)
This was a more relaxed discussion. I introduced myself and elaborated on my previous work. The round also included behavioral questions such as describing an instance of conflict with a senior or team-mate, a time I found a task difficult and how I resolved it, and a discussion about my strengths and weaknesses along with plans for improvement. This round felt like a thorough discussion about my work experience and interests, both technical and non-technical.

Result:
I received an offer from CommerceIQ, having also secured offers from CoinDCX and PepperContent. I had a 30-minute discussion with the Director to negotiate the offer and gain further insight into the company and its business plans. I felt that the recruiter and HR were very accommodating with scheduling changes. While the code-review round initially made me apprehensive due to the depth comments could entail, I focused on avoiding repetitive feedback and highlighting broader areas. The HM and LLD rounds particularly impressed me and helped me lean towards CommerceIQ’s offer. The interviewers were friendly and asked questions in a non-interrogating manner, which was a refreshing change from other companies. The director clearly understood my concerns regarding the offer and presented their pitch compellingly. Despite potentially bargaining for a higher offer from CoinDCX, I was genuinely happy with CommerceIQ's work culture and team, so negotiating for a slightly higher hike didn't seem as crucial to me. Furthermore, my two years of experience at Amazon, coupled with many senior leaders at CommerceIQ also coming from Amazon, provided a sense of familiar vision and guiding principles for the company.