Vimeo - SDE 3 - Interview Experience
Summary
I interviewed for an SDE-3 role at Vimeo, which involved three rounds covering DSA, LLD, Java, and system design concepts. Unfortunately, I was rejected after the final round, primarily due to challenges with a specific system design problem.
Full Experience
I had the opportunity to interview for an SDE-3 position at Vimeo after applying multiple times and reaching out to a recruiter. The interview process consisted of three rounds.
The first round, lasting 1.5 hours, focused on Data Structures & Algorithms and Low-Level Design, conducted by an SDE-3. I discussed user threads and kernel threads, and also faced a medium-level DSA problem involving two arrays to find the maximum difference under certain conditions (this part was not a specific LeetCode type problem). For the LLD part, I was asked to design a Chess game, where the interviewer specifically looked for basic SOLID principles and Design Patterns, and I coded a few parts of it.
The second round, also 1.5 hours, was with an SDM and primarily focused on LLD and Java. We had an in-depth discussion about Singletons in Java. I was then tasked with designing a Logger in a local IDE, emphasizing proper Design Patterns and requiring runnable code. The interviewer asked me to zip and send the code, which he then tested. Additionally, there were Java questions regarding String, its various implementations, and memory allocation.
The third and final round, a 1.5-hour session with a senior SDM, covered LLD, SQL, and Java. I faced SQL queries and was asked to design a braking system for a bicycle in a local IDE. This question was quite ambiguous; the interviewer wanted me to consider the bicycle as a game object and think about its behavior in a basic physics context, such as how applying brakes would slow it down. I also answered Java questions related to the Equals and Hashcode methods.
Ultimately, I was rejected after the third round. I believe my inability to properly grasp the requirements for the braking system design and deliver an overall extensible code led to this outcome. Despite the rejection, my overall experience with Vimeo was positive, and the recruiter was very helpful throughout the process.
Interview Questions (7)
I was asked to discuss user threads and kernel threads in detail.
I was tasked with designing a Chess game. The interviewer looked for my understanding of basic SOLID principles and Design Patterns. I coded a few core parts of the game.
There was an in-depth discussion about Singletons in Java.
I had to design a Logger in a local IDE. The key focus was on using proper Design Patterns. I provided runnable code, which the interviewer later tested.
I answered Java questions concerning String, its various implementations, and memory allocation.
I was asked to design a braking system for a bicycle in a local IDE. The question was ambiguous; the interviewer wanted me to consider the bicycle as an object in a game, thinking about its behavior in a basic physics context (e.g., how applying brakes slows down speed).
I answered Java questions related to the Equals and Hash Code methods.