LinkedIn | SDE | Bangalore | Dec 2024
Summary
I recently interviewed for an SDE position at LinkedIn in Bangalore. My experience involved a phone screen, two DSA rounds, a system design round, and a hiring manager discussion. Unfortunately, despite my efforts, I received a rejection, primarily due to what I believe was my performance in the System Design round.
Full Experience
I was reached out by a recruiter on LinkedIn for an SDE role. I have 2.5 years of experience and currently work as a Software Engineer at a FAANG-level company, having completed my B.Tech from an NIT.
Phone Screen Round
The interview started with a discussion about my current project, followed by technical questions on Operating Systems, Java, JVM internals, and SQL. After about 15 minutes, the interviewer presented a medium-hard graph problem: finding a path for a knight on an infinite 2D grid from a start to an end point. I explained both DFS and BFS approaches, detailing why BFS would be more suitable here, and then implemented my solution. The interviewer seemed satisfied. Two days later, I was informed that I had cleared this round and would proceed to four more.
Round 1: DSA Round
This round was heavily focused on Data Structures and Algorithms. The first problem was a hard-level n-ary tree problem that required representing it as a graph to explore combinations for an optimal solution. I explained my approach and coded it, but couldn't find a way to further optimize the time complexity beyond evaluating all combinations, despite the interviewer's suggestion. The second problem involved powers and mathematical interpretation. I shared my approach, implemented the code, and solved it successfully.
Round 2: DSA Round
After introductions, we immediately delved into two DSA problems within an hour. The first was a tree problem requiring level order traversal and indegree calculations. I proposed multiple approaches, including reversing the level order traversal, before explaining the optimal one and implementing it. This took around 40 minutes. The second problem was a classic 1D DP problem using the pick-and-not-pick strategy. I quickly explained how to achieve O(1) space complexity and coded it, finishing just as the time ran out.
Round 3: High-Level System Design
Two interviewers conducted this round, asking me to design a job scheduling system. The core discussion revolved around scaling the solution, identifying bottlenecks, and addressing security concerns. It was a very interactive session with numerous follow-up questions on components like load balancers and API gateways.
Round 4: Hiring Manager Round
This 30-40 minute round involved general discussions about my typical day at work, the tech stack I've used, and my motivations for seeking a change from my current company.
Outcome and Reflection
Two days later, the recruiter informed me that the feedback was not positive. I tried to get more details on my performance but did not receive a response. Based on my assessment, I believe the System Design round might have been the reason for my rejection. While the experience was valuable, I felt the expectations in some rounds, like solving one hard and one medium-hard problem within an hour, were unrealistic. It felt like interviewers lacked empathy for time constraints. Nevertheless, it was a good learning opportunity to identify areas where I need to improve my efficiency and competence.
Interview Questions (2)
The problem was a medium-hard graph problem. It involved finding the shortest path for a knight on an infinite 2D grid from a given start coordinate to an end coordinate.
I was asked to design a job scheduling system. The discussion focused on scaling the solution, identifying potential bottlenecks, and addressing security concerns. We also discussed components like load balancers and API gateways, with the interviewers asking many follow-up questions during the design process.