Target Interview | Sr Engineer | Rejected
- Result
- Rejected
- Posted
- 12 Sept 2025
Summary
I had my interviews with Target for a Senior Engineer role, which I primarily used as a mock for upcoming opportunities. Unfortunately, I was rejected after the second round, which clearly showed me that I need to improve my HLD and LLD skills.
How it went
I had my interviews with Target today after completing the Online Assessment previously. All the interviews were scheduled for a single day.
Round 1 - DSA + LLD
This round focused on Data Structures & Algorithms and Low-Level Design.
1. Rotten Oranges: I was given the classic problem of finding the minimum time for all fresh oranges to rot in a grid.
2. Design Notification system LLD: I was asked to design a notification system at a low level, focusing on its various components and interactions.
Round 2 - HLD
This round was centered around High-Level Design.
1. Design Distributed Logging System: I was tasked with designing a distributed logging system, discussing its architecture and key considerations.
I was ultimately rejected after the second round. I didn't actually have a strong desire to join Target, but I used this experience as a crucial mock interview for upcoming, more significant opportunities. It was a valuable learning experience, and it clearly showed me that I need to dedicate more focus to improving my High-Level Design (HLD) and Low-Level Design (LLD) skills.
Questions asked (2)
- 01
Design Notification System (LLD)
System Design
Design a Low-Level Design (LLD) for a notification system. Consider various notification types (e.g., email, SMS, push), user preferences, templates, delivery mechanisms, and handling of different message states (sent, failed, read).
- 02
Design Distributed Logging System (HLD)
System Design
Design a High-Level Design (HLD) for a distributed logging system. Consider components like log producers, aggregators, storage (e.g., Elasticsearch, S3), indexing, search, real-time processing, scalability, reliability, and data retention policies.
How they prepared
My experience in these interviews made it clear that I need to focus significantly more on High-Level Design (HLD) and Low-Level Design (LLD) concepts to prepare for future interviews.