PayPal | SWE Intern 2024 | Virtual | Selected
Summary
I interviewed virtually for the SWE Intern 2024 position at PayPal and received an offer. The process included an online test with a unique coding problem, a technical live coding round focusing on 'Kth Permutation Sequence', and a final HR interview.
Full Experience
My interview journey for the SWE Intern 2024 position at PayPal was a positive one. I am currently in my pre-final year of B.E. CSE at Anna University, MIT. The entire process was virtual and consisted of three rounds.
Round 1: Online Test (October 30, 2023)
This round, conducted on HackerRank, lasted 40 minutes and included 5 MCQ questions covering DSA and OOPS concepts, along with one coding question. The coding problem was titled 'Break Sort'. I had to determine the minimum operations required to sort an array by breaking down elements. The example given involved transforming [3, 4, 3] into [1, 2, 2, 2, 3] in 2 operations. After about 15 days, I heard back from PayPal University Hiring.
Round 2: Technical Interview - Live Coding (Virtual) (November 22, 2023, 9 AM)
The interview began with introductions. We then discussed some basic technical questions before moving to a live coding session on HackerRank. I was asked about my preferred language. The main question was 'Kth Permutation Sequence (With arrays)', which was stated to be a LeetCode Hard problem. The interviewer first explained the problem and provided test cases. I was given 5 minutes to strategize my approach, which I then explained, addressing cross-questions and edge cases. The interviewer seemed satisfied, and I proceeded to code my solution, adding comments and explaining each line. Finally, I performed a dry run for two test cases, explaining every step, which again satisfied the interviewer.
Round 3: HR Interview (Virtual) (November 22, 2023, 2 PM)
This round also started with introductions. We discussed my projects in detail, covering aspects like team roles, work distribution, contributions, and leadership. I was also presented with tricky situational questions designed to assess my prioritizing and analytical skills. The interviewer was content with my responses, offering a few minor corrections. I concluded by asking some questions about the company.
Overall, the interviewers were very friendly and kind, making the process enjoyable. It was a great opportunity.
Result:
I received the offer after 20 days and was selected for the SWE Summer Internship 2024. The internship duration is 12 weeks, with a stipend of 100,000/- per month. The role offered locations in Chennai/Bangalore.
Interview Questions (2)
Given an array arr of n positive integers, the following operations can be performed 0 or more times:
- Choose an index
iwhere0 <= i < n - Choose 2 integers,
xandy, such thatx + y = arr[i] - Replace
arr[i]with two elements, the two valuesxandy
Determine the minimum number of operations required to sort the array.
Example
n = 3arr = [3, 4, 3]
The array can be sorted in 2 operations:
Choose i = 0 arr[0] = 3. Choose x = 1 and y = 2. Replace arr[0] with x and y arr = [1, 2, 4, 3].
Choose i = 2 arr[2] = 4. Choose x = 2 and y = 2. Replace arr[2] and arr = [1, 2, 2, 2, 3].
Return 2.
The set [1, 2, 3, ..., n] contains a total of n! unique permutations. By listing and labeling all of the permutations in order, we get the following sequence for n = 3:
'123''132''213''231''312''321'
Given n and k, return the kth permutation sequence.