Payal SE2 interview experience

Round 1: Technical Interview - DSA & System Design

The first round covered both Data Structures & Algorithms and some system design concepts. I was asked to find the index of an unbalanced parenthesis in a string. Additionally, the interviewer delved into system design, asking about alternatives to API gateways and the principles behind separating microservices. There was also a database query question, which I don't recall precisely but found challenging.

Round 2: Technical Interview - DSA & Language Specific

This round focused on Data Structures & Algorithms. I encountered the 'Trapping Rain Water' problem. While I hadn't solved it before, the interviewer was helpful and guided me by breaking down the problem into smaller parts. There were also some specific questions related to Golang, though I don't recall the exact details.

Round 3: Technical Interview - System Design & Core Concepts

The third round was heavily focused on system design and advanced concepts. I was asked about implementing optimistic versus pessimistic locking in specific scenarios, a topic that came up because I had mentioned using it previously. We also discussed the pros and cons of gRPC and why one might choose gRPC over traditional HTTP.

Round 4: Hiring Manager Round

The final round was with the hiring manager and consisted of standard behavioral questions. I was asked about my motivations for leaving my current job and what my expectations were for this new role at Paypal.

After completing all rounds, I waited for a response. The recruiter initially informed me that results would be out in two weeks. However, three weeks passed without a reply. Ultimately, I received a rejection email after two months.