I recently interviewed for the Software Development Engineer (SDE) - Level 2 role at Zoho.
Here’s a detailed breakdown of my experience across all rounds.
Round 1: Online Assessment (Coding & Aptitude)
Level: Medium
Duration: 90 minutes
Mode: Remote
This was the first hurdle, consisting of two sections:
Coding Problems (2–3)
Maximum Sum of a Contiguous Subarray
Kadane’s Algorithm variation.
Palindrome String Check
Check if a string is palindrome (ignoring case & non-alphanumeric characters).
Kth Smallest Element in Unsorted Array
Aptitude & Logical Reasoning
Series completion
Data interpretation
Basic probability & logical reasoning
Round 2: Technical Interview 1 (DSA Focus)
Level: Medium
Duration: 60 minutes
Mode: Remote
This was a live coding round focusing on problem-solving skills and DSA clarity.
Problems Asked:
Vertical Order Traversal of Binary Tree
Discussed BFS vs DFS and when to use each.
Intersection Point of Two Singly Linked Lists
Implement a Trie
Operations: insert, search and startsWith.
This was the most challenging round, covering System Design + Core CS Fundamentals.
Key Topics:
System Design:
Design a URL Shortener (like Bitly). Discussed schema design, scalability and collision handling.
Databases:
Explained ACID properties and how databases enforce them.
OS Concepts:
Difference between process vs thread and when to use each.
Project Deep Dive:
Walked through a complex resume project, explaining design decisions and challenges faced.
Round 4: HR Round
Level: Medium
Duration: 45 minutes
Mode: Remote
Conversational round testing cultural fit and career aspirations.
Sample Questions:
Tell me about yourself and your journey into software development.
Why do you want to join Zoho?
What do you know about our culture/products?
Where do you see yourself in 3–5 years?
Describe a challenging situation at work and how you overcame it.
What are your salary expectations?
Outcome:
I was thrilled to be selected!
Preparation Tips
Practice coding regularly.
Focus on arrays, strings, linked lists, trees, graphs and dynamic programming.
Understand time & space complexity deeply.
Revise System Design patterns: caching, load balancing, database types etc.
During interviews, explain your thought process clearly before coding.
Don’t hesitate to ask clarifying questions – it shows engagement and critical thinking.
General Advice:
Consistency matters more than last-minute cramming.
Build strong problem-solving habits, stay calm during interviews and always communicate your reasoning.
I recently interviewed for the Software Development Engineer (SDE) - Level 2 role at Zoho. \nHere’s a detailed breakdown of my experience across all rounds.
\n
Round 1: Online Assessment (Coding & Aptitude)
\n
\n
Level: Medium
\n
Duration: 90 minutes
\n
Mode: Remote
\n
\n
This was the first hurdle, consisting of two sections:
\n
Coding Problems (2–3)
\n\n
\n
Maximum Sum of a Contiguous Subarray \nKadane’s Algorithm variation.
\n
\n
\n
Palindrome String Check \nCheck if a string is palindrome (ignoring case & non-alphanumeric characters).
\n
\n
\n
Kth Smallest Element in Unsorted Array
\n
\n\n
Aptitude & Logical Reasoning
\n
\n
Series completion
\n
Data interpretation
\n
Basic probability & logical reasoning
\n
\n
Round 2: Technical Interview 1 (DSA Focus)
\n
\n
Level: Medium
\n
Duration: 60 minutes
\n
Mode: Remote
\n
\n
This was a live coding round focusing on problem-solving skills and DSA clarity.
\n
Problems Asked:
\n\n
\n
Vertical Order Traversal of Binary Tree \nDiscussed BFS vs DFS and when to use each.
\n
\n
\n
Intersection Point of Two Singly Linked Lists
\n
\n
\n
Implement a Trie \nOperations: insert, search and startsWith.
This was the most challenging round, covering System Design + Core CS Fundamentals.
\n
Key Topics:
\n
\n
\n
System Design: \nDesign a URL Shortener (like Bitly). Discussed schema design, scalability and collision handling.
\n
\n
\n
Databases: \nExplained ACID properties and how databases enforce them.
\n
\n
\n
OS Concepts: \nDifference between process vs thread and when to use each.
\n
\n
\n
Project Deep Dive: \nWalked through a complex resume project, explaining design decisions and challenges faced.
\n
\n
\n
Round 4: HR Round
\n
\n
Level: Medium
\n
Duration: 45 minutes
\n
Mode: Remote
\n
\n
Conversational round testing cultural fit and career aspirations.
\n
Sample Questions:
\n
\n
Tell me about yourself and your journey into software development.
\n
Why do you want to join Zoho?
\n
What do you know about our culture/products?
\n
Where do you see yourself in 3–5 years?
\n
Describe a challenging situation at work and how you overcame it.
\n
What are your salary expectations?
\n
\n
Outcome: \nI was thrilled to be selected!
\n
Preparation Tips
\n
\n
\n
Practice coding regularly. \nFocus on arrays, strings, linked lists, trees, graphs and dynamic programming.
\n
\n
\n
Understand time & space complexity deeply.
\n
\n
\n
Revise System Design patterns: caching, load balancing, database types etc.
\n
\n
\n
During interviews, explain your thought process clearly before coding.
\n
\n
\n
Don’t hesitate to ask clarifying questions – it shows engagement and critical thinking.
\n
\n
\n
General Advice:
\n
Consistency matters more than last-minute cramming. \nBuild strong problem-solving habits, stay calm during interviews and always communicate your reasoning.
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