Flipkart | SDE-1 | 2024 grad | selected
Summary
I successfully cleared 4 rounds of interviews for the SDE-1 position at Flipkart as a 2024 graduate, which included an online test, two problem-solving rounds, and a hiring manager discussion, ultimately leading to a selection.
Full Experience
I successfully interviewed for the SDE-1 role at Flipkart as a 2024 graduate, which involved four distinct rounds, culminating in a selection offer.
Round-1 (Online Test): This round consisted of three coding questions. I received the selection mail for this round after 10 days, following which it took almost 10-12 days for the first round to actually happen.
Round-2 (PS/DS Round): This round took place the day after I cleared Round-1. Two questions were asked:
- Symmetric Tree: I solved this question in about 15-20 minutes.
- Maximal Square: I dedicated approximately 30 minutes to solving this problem.
On the very same day, I received a mail confirming that I had cleared both Round-1 and Round-2.
Round-3 (PS/DS Round): This round also happened the next day and involved three questions:
- Minimum Number of Jumps to Reach End: I spent a considerable amount of time on this, discussing approaches from brute-force to an optimized greedy solution.
- Find Square Root of Number Up to Given Precision Using Binary Search: The constraints for this problem were high. Initially, I was giving a normal solution, but the interviewer was very supportive and helped me realize that binary search was the appropriate method, which I then solved.
- Sliding Window Maximum: This is a standard problem that I had solved many times. I was asked to directly provide the optimized approach, which I did in just 10 minutes.
A few hours after this round, I received an email informing me about an upcoming HM (Hiring Manager) round scheduled for the same day. However, it was postponed due to some work emergencies and eventually happened the following day.
Round-4 (HM Round): This round lasted around 50 minutes. I was primarily asked questions related to my internships, my favorite project, and numerous behavioral questions.
Finally, I received the selection mail after 5 days.
Interview Questions (5)
Given an array of integers where each element represents the max number of steps that can be made forward from that element. Write a function to return the minimum number of jumps to reach the end of the array (starting from the first element). If an element is 0, then we cannot move through that element.
Preparation Tips
My preparation was centered around solving a wide array of DSA questions, primarily from LeetCode. I made it a point to always start by considering a brute-force approach and then iteratively working towards a more optimized solution. Throughout my problem-solving process, I continuously communicated my thought process and approach to simulate interview conditions. For the hiring manager round, I thoroughly reviewed all my projects and internship experiences to discuss them effectively. I initially applied for this role through a form that was circulated by HR on LinkedIn.