Paypal | Software Engineer 1 | Feb 2022 | Offer
Summary
I interviewed for the Software Engineer 1 role at Paypal in February 2021 and successfully received an offer. The process involved an online assessment, two technical rounds focusing on data structures, algorithms, and system design, followed by a hiring manager discussion covering behavioral and general system concepts.
Full Experience
My interview journey for the Software Engineer 1 position at Paypal began on February 26, 2021. I am a 2021 graduate currently working at a service-based company in Bangalore, India.
Online Assessment (1 hour)
I started with an online assessment that featured two medium-level questions. I managed to solve approximately 1.8 of them. Based on my performance in the OA and my resume, I was shortlisted for the technical interviews.Technical Round 1 (1 hour)
This round began with a basic introduction and a discussion about my past experience. The interviewer then delved into some core computer science concepts, asking about the internal working of a hashmap and various multi-threading concepts with follow-up questions. I was also asked to write code for two problems:- Checking if a given Linked List is a Palindrome.
- Counting pairs in an array whose sum is divisible by K.
Technical Round 2 (1 hour)
The second technical round involved an in-depth discussion about my past experience, the challenges I faced, and follow-up questions on those. A significant system design question was posed: 'How would you handle millions of requests on a single database server, possibly using a queuing mechanism?' I also had to write code for the 'Evaluation of a Postfix Expression'. Towards the end, there were some questions on Low-Level Design (LLD), specifically using the example of 'Car --> Brand --> different models', and a few questions related to REST APIs.Hiring Manager Round (1 hour)
The final round was with the hiring manager. It started with a basic introduction. I was then given two coding problems:- Printing unique elements from two arrays (e.g.,
a = [1,5,7,8,9,12] b = [1,3,6,5,7]with an expected output of[3, 6, 8, 9, 12]). - Checking if a given number is prime.
Interview Questions (9)
Palindrome Linked List
Write code to check if a given linked list is a palindrome.
Count Pairs with Sum Divisible by K
Given an array of integers and an integer K, write code to count the number of pairs (i, j) such that i < j and (arr[i] + arr[j]) is divisible by K.
Handle Millions of Requests on a Single Database Server
Discuss strategies and mechanisms, such as queuing, to handle millions of requests directed at a single database server efficiently.
Evaluate Postfix Expression
Write code to evaluate a given postfix expression.
LLD: Car, Brand, Models
Design a Low-Level Design (LLD) for a system involving Cars, Brands, and different Models, explaining the relationships and classes involved.
Unique Elements from Two Arrays
Given two arrays, e.g., a = [1,5,7,8,9,12] and b = [1,3,6,5,7], print all unique elements from both arrays. The expected output for the example is [3, 6, 8, 9, 12].
Check if Number is Prime
Write code to check if a given number is prime.
What Happens When You Type a URL
Explain the entire process that occurs when you type a URL into your browser and press Enter, up to the point where the webpage is rendered.
Web Page Development Considerations
Discuss key aspects and considerations one should keep in mind when building a web page.