Papaya Global | Senior Software Engineer | 12 Jan 2025
Summary
I interviewed for a Senior Software Engineer role at Papaya Global, where the focus was heavily on Java and Spring core concepts. Despite demonstrating strong fundamentals, I was rejected after the first round, receiving constructive feedback to enhance my system design and concurrency handling skills.
Full Experience
My interview process for a Senior Software Engineer role at Papaya Global began with a 1-hour technical phone screen. This round started with behavioral questions where I introduced myself, discussed my work experience, responsibilities, and my motivations for joining Papaya Global. We also covered my career aspirations and technical interests. Following the behavioral segment, the interview transitioned into technical questions. These were quite focused on Java and Spring. I was asked to list and explain key features of Java 8, describe the internal workings of HashMap, explain and provide solutions for cyclic dependencies in Spring, and detail Spring autowiring types. We also had a discussion comparing HashMap and ConcurrentHashMap. The interviewer appreciated my Java and Spring knowledge but suggested areas for improvement, particularly in system design and optimizing concurrency handling. Ultimately, I was rejected after this first round.
Interview Questions (5)
I was asked to list and explain key features of Java 8.
Explain how HashMap works internally in Java, including how it stores key-value pairs, hash code usage, and collision handling mechanisms.
Define cyclic dependency in Spring and discuss potential issues. How would you fix or avoid cyclic dependencies?
Explain what autowiring is in Spring and describe its different types.
Discuss the key differences between HashMap and ConcurrentHashMap in Java, considering thread safety, performance, null keys/values, and internal structure.