Google Interview Experience SDE-1

I applied for a software engineering role through Google’s career portal. After two weeks, I received a call from the recruitment team. We had a brief 15–20 minute discussion covering my background, soft skills, projects, current role, and salary expectations to assess my basic fit for the position. Following this, I filled out a candidate form. The next day, they explained the complete interview process and shared preparation resources for Data Structures and Algorithms (DSA). As a working professional focused on development, I requested two weeks to refresh my DSA fundamentals, which was approved. After 1.5 weeks, they checked on my progress and scheduled my Preliminary Phone Screen.

📞 Preliminary Phone Screen (45 mins)

The interview was conducted on Google Meet and lasted 45 minutes. The question type was Medium–Hard, specifically involving Trees. The process was structured:

• 5 mins: Understanding the problem
• 15 mins: Discussing the approach and edge cases
• 20 mins: Coding on the whiteboard
• 5 mins: Complexity analysis and wrap-up

I successfully handled all edge cases and optimized my code. The interviewer seemed happy and provided positive feedback, leading to my shortlisting for the Onsite (Online) rounds.

💻 Onsite Interviews (3 DSA Rounds in One Day)

Round 1 — DSA (Google Germany)

This round focused on Directory structure creation (Design + Edge cases) and was rated Medium difficulty. I provided an optimized solution quickly, clearly explaining my choice of data structures and handling follow-ups effectively. I confidently discussed time and space complexities. Although I couldn’t complete a follow-up question due to time constraints, I explained my approach clearly. This round went very well, and the interviewer was satisfied.

Round 2 — DSA (Google India)

This was a complex and tricky Graph Problem, rated Hard. The round started with a discussion about my projects. It took me 10–12 minutes to fully understand the question. Initially, I proposed a suboptimal approach, but after discussion, I found the optimal solution. Unfortunately, time ran out before I could complete the full implementation. The interviewer seemed unsatisfied with the outcome of this round.

Round 3 — DSA (Google California)

This round presented a Hard problem involving Strings. I discussed my approach thoroughly, identified failure cases, and refined my logic. I managed to write complete working code with 10 minutes remaining and confidently answered most follow-up questions. The interviewer was happy with my overall solution.

📬 Final Result

Two weeks after the onsite interviews, I was informed that I did not make it to the next stage. I believe the second interview was the deciding factor in my rejection.

💡 Reflection

Despite the rejection, the entire process was an incredible learning experience. I gained insights into Google’s structured and professional interview process, the critical importance of clear communication and handling edge cases, and the ongoing need to stay consistent with DSA, even while working in development-heavy roles. I am grateful for the opportunity and am looking forward to preparing better for my next attempt.