YOE: 1.5 Application Source: Referral (from a senior employee with 15+ years at Microsoft) Screening Test (HackerRank) Q1: Difference Array Question (Easy) You are given an array and multiple range update queries. Each query asks you to add a given value to all elements in a subarray range [l, r]. After performing all queries, return the final array. Example:...

I recently went through the Meta interview process and wanted to share my experience. Hopefully it helps someone set the right expectations. Phone Screen I got two medium-level questions, both from the Top 50 Meta tag on LeetCode. I was able to solve them successfully, so that gave me some confidence going forward. Onsite Interviews Round 1: Coding I got two problems. I was able to solve both optimally in about 35 minutes. ...

I am currently in my first year and have been practicing DSA using Python. I also know a little bit of Java. Should I continue solving problems in Python, switch to Java or try learning a different language for DSA?

How I Started Getting 2+ Recruiter Messages Daily For the past 2 months, I’ve been getting at least 2 recruiter messages daily, and here’s exactly what worked for me 1. Optimize Your Profile Update your LinkedIn headline with the role you’re targeting + key technologies. Rewrite your About section to highlight your journey, strengths and skills. ...

I see many people trying to solve hard problems every day, thinking that’s the only way to improve. But honestly, it can sometimes feel too much and discouraging. So what’s better? Solving a few easy or medium problems every day to stay consistent. Trying harder problems, even if it means solving fewer and struggling more. ...

I recently interviewed for the Software Development Engineer (SDE) - Level 2 role at Zeta . Here’s a detailed breakdown of my experience across all rounds. Interview Rounds Round 1 – Data Structures & Algorithms (DSA) | Attribute | Details | |-----------------|--------------|...

Round 1 – MCQs (10 Java Programming + 10 Aptitude) Focus: Deeper Java pointer/reference and array manipulation — not just “what’s the output” questions. Aptitude: Included classic problems like train problem, speed & work, probability — challenging and time-consuming. Key Takeaway: Time management is crucial in this round. Round 2 – DSA (HackerRank Style) (6 Problems) Duration: 2 hours. Sample Problems: Sherlock and Array Top View of a Tree ...

I was contacted by a recruiter from Vunet Systems for a role requiring the following skills and experience: 3-5 years of experience .NET, OpenTelemetry, APM, Monitoring, AWS, Docker, Kubernetes Hybrid work model Currently, I have 4 years of experience with a CTC of 22 LPA (base)....

I recently got this question in an Amazon Online Assessment (OA) for SDE-2. Thought I’d share my experience + approach since it’s a pretty neat problem. Given an array arr of size n and two integers: m → size of subarray to pick k → max number of +1 increments allowed (total across the whole array) Task: Pick a subarray of size m Apply ≤ k increments (on any elements in that subarray) Maximize the bitwise AND of the chosen subarray Observations 1. Nature of AND AND keeps only the bits that are 1 in every number. So, if we want the final AND to have a certain bit set, that bit must be 1 in all m numbers of the window. 2. Role of Increments By adding +1 repeatedly to a number, at some point a given bit flips to 1 (due to binary carry). Our job is to spend ≤ k total increments to make every number in a window have the same set of target bits. 3. Greedy by Bits Build the answer bitmask from high to low. At each step ask: `text Can I make some window of length m have all bits of this candidate mask using ≤ k increments? ` 4. Cost for One Number to Satisfy a Target Mask X We want a final value y ≥ a such that (y & X) == X. Case 1: (a & X) == X → already good → cost = 0 Case 2: a X but missing some X bits The smallest y ≥ a that has all X bits is (a | X). cost = (a | X) - a 5. Sliding Window Check For a fixed target mask X: Compute per-element costs. Use a sliding window of size m. If any window has sum(costs) ≤ k, then X is achievable. Step-by-step Approach 1. Upper bound Compute an upper bound for the answer: maxVal = max(arr) + k (We can’t push bits higher than what increments allow.) 2. Build the answer bit-by-bit (MSB → LSB) Start with ans = 0. For each bit from the highest present in maxVal down to 0: candidate = ans | (1 X and missing some bits) → cost = (a | X) - a Slide a window of size m over the cost array: If any window sum ≤ k → feasible. `java import java.util.*; public class MaxAndSubarrayWithIncrements { public static long maxAndSubarray(int[] arr, int m, long k) { int n = arr.length; if (m n) return 0; long[] a = new long[n]; long maxA = 0; for (int i = 0; i maxA) maxA = a[i]; } long maxVal = maxA + k; // upper bound of what AND could reach int highestBit = 63 - Long.numberOfLeadingZeros(maxVal); // up to where we should try long ans = 0L; for (int bit = highestBit; bit >= 0; bit--) { long candidate = ans | (1L = m) windowSum -= cost[i - m]; if (i >= m - 1) { if (windowSum = a such that (y & mask) == mask private static long fixCost(long a, long mask) { if ((a & mask) == mask) { return 0L; // already has all required bits } else if (a = a that surely contains mask is mask itself return mask - a; } else { // a >= mask but missing some required bits -> push to a|mask long y = a | mask; return y - a; } } public static void main(String[] args) { System.out.println(maxAndSubarray(new int[]{1, 4, 10, 2}, 2, 8)); // 10 System.out.println(maxAndSubarray(new int[]{1, 1, 1}, 3, 3)); // 2 } } ` Complexity Let B = 1 + floor(log2(max(arr) + k)) (number of bits we try). Time: O(B * n) (we do one linear scan per bit to check feasibility with a sliding window). Space: O(n) for the temporary cost array (can be reduced with some care, but O(n) is simple and fine).

Below is a structured breakdown of the Meesho SDE-3 interview process, including the rounds, sample questions and preparation tips. Interview Rounds Overview Several interview experiences indicate a pattern of the following rounds: Low-Level Design (LLD) / Machine Coding (Possible) System Design / HLD – varies based on role ...

At the SDE-3 (L6) level, Amazon evaluates **deep technical expertise, system design at scale and leadership aligned with Amazon’s principles**. 🔹 1. Coding & Algorithms (45–60 min) Even at senior levels, strong problem-solving and coding ability are essential. Questions often involve optimizations, concurrency or distributed scenarios. Example Coding Questions: Find the first missing positive integer in an unsorted array (O(n), O(1) space)....

Here’s a curated list of the **most commonly asked problems* in *Amazon SDE interviews**, along with quick descriptions to help you plan your prep. 📌 Array & String Two Sum – Find two numbers in an array that add up to a target. Roman to Integer – Convert Roman numeral string to integer. Valid Parentheses – Check if brackets are balanced. Merge Two Sorted Lists – Merge two sorted linked lists. Best Time to Buy and Sell Stock – Max profit from buying/selling stock once. ...

Hi Everyone, I wanted to ask if anyone else has experienced something similar with Uber’s Codesignal process. I’ve taken the test twice in the past 3 months for SDE2 Backend roles: Attempt 1: Solved 3 out of 4 questions. Attempt 2: Solved all 4 questions within the time limit. Despite that, I haven’t received any invite for further rounds or updates from Uber. ...

Problem Statement You are given an array of N positive integers. The array has an associated value called the Arm Value, which is determined as follows: Calculate the sum of all odd numbers in the array. Calculate the sum of all even numbers in the array. If the sum of odd numbers is odd, then: Arm Value = | (sum of even numbers) – (sum of odd numbers) |...

Hi All, Looking for advice from folks who’ve worked at Walmart Global Tech or NetApp in India, especially regarding culture, resume value and long-term career growth. My Background Experience: 7 years 2 months College: Tier-3 Current CTC: 28.7 LPA (28 Fixed + 70K Variable) Current Role: Cognizant (Bengaluru) – working on Golang-based backend systems (11 months) Title: SE-2 (Client Side) / Senior Associate (Cognizant) ...

I got two easy questions in my Google technical interview. I fully solved the first one, but for the second, I only had the general idea and wrote some initial code. It missed a lot of edge cases, but the interviewer understood my approach and we ended up spending about 30 minutes discussing it. Honestly, it felt like the interviewer was doing most of the talking—pointing out edge cases and gaps in my code. The interviewer mentioned they care more about problem-solving than just code, but I still feel a bit down about how that last question went. Does this mean it’s likely a rejection? Ironically, it was probably the nicest interviewer I’ve ever had and in my experience, that usually ends up being the one who doesn’t pass me.

The Problem I had code that looked like this: for (String id : customerIds) { sendPaymentReminder(id); // Sequential execution } Profiler results: 90% of total execution time stuck here. ...

This guide outlines practical strategies to improve the quality and accuracy of AI-generated responses. Use these techniques to get clear, relevant and actionable output. 1. Be Specific, Not Vague Why: AI works best when given clear, unambiguous instructions. How: Replace: "Tell me about space" With: "Explain the formation of black holes in simple terms for a 12-year-old, using bullet points and analogies."...

| Aspect | Prompt Patterns | Ad-hoc Prompts | |---------------------|--------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------| | Structure | Predefined, reusable, and consistent | Unstructured and improvised | | Output Quality | Predictable and aligned with expectations | Varies greatly; often inconsistent | | Efficiency | Saves time by reusing tested templates | Requires rewriting or trial-and-error | | Scalability | Easy to share and apply across teams | Hard to replicate across users | | Error Reduction | Minimizes ambiguity and hallucinations | Higher risk of irrelevant or incorrect responses | | Learning Curve | Easier to train others with examples | Requires individual skill and intuition | | Use Case Adaptability | Can be mixed and matched like Lego blocks | Usually tied to a single one-off need |

Easy Level Fibonacci Number Find nth Fibonacci number using DP. Concepts: Recursion, memoization, tabulation. Climbing Stairs Ways to climb n steps taking 1 or 2 steps at a time. Concepts: DP recurrence. ...

Easy Level Reverse String Reverse the characters of a string. Concepts: Two-pointer swap, in-place modification. Reverse Words in a String Reverse the order of words in a sentence. Concepts: Splitting, trimming spaces....

Easy Level Find Second Largest Element in Array Find the second largest unique number in the array. Concepts: Iteration, comparison, single pass. Find Third Largest Element in Array Find the third largest unique number in the array. Concepts: Sorting, min-heap, iteration. ...

Arrays & Strings Two Sum – Find two numbers that add to a target. Product of Array Except Self – Without division. Maximum Subarray – Kadane’s Algorithm. 3-Sum – Triplet sum to zero. Container With Most Water – Max area between bars. Longest Substring Without Repeating Characters – Sliding window technique. Add Binary – Sum two binary strings. Linked Lists...

Hey everyone, I’m currently preparing for coding interviews and want to focus on mastering the essential DSA patterns. Could you recommend a list of must-know patterns along with resources or examples to practice? I’ve been practicing problems mostly in C++, but I’m open to learning new techniques or languages if that helps. Any advice or suggestions would be really helpful. Thanks!

Hey everyone, I’ve recently started preparing for system design interviews and I’m looking for some guidance. Could you recommend freely available resources that I can refer to? I’ve been practicing DSA in C++, but I only know the basics of Java. Should I consider switching to Java for system design or stick with C++? Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

1. Sliding Window Patterns Fixed-Size Sliding Window – e.g., max sum of subarray of size K. Variable-Size Sliding Window – e.g., smallest substring with given characters. 2. Two Pointers Patterns Opposite Direction Two Pointers – e.g., pair sum in sorted array. Same Direction Two Pointers (Fast & Slow) – e.g., detect cycle in linked list. 3. Prefix/Suffix Techniques Prefix Sum Array – e.g., range sum queries. ...

Hi all, I have an upcoming interview with Apple for a Java Backend role. I'd really appreciate if anyone who has recently interviewed (or is currently interviewing) for this team could share their experience.

Coding Questions: Merge Intervals Classic interval merging problem. Given overlapping intervals, merge them into a minimal set of non-overlapping intervals. Identify the Pattern (Look-and-Say Sequence) 1 11 ...

Design WhatsApp The interviewer wanted me to walk through the end-to-end architecture, including: Messaging flow (1:1 and group) Message storage and delivery guarantees Media handling (images, videos etc.) Scalability and availability...

I completed three rounds of interviews with Microsoft on July 19th, followed by the Hiring Manager (HM) round on July 27th. Since then, I haven't heard back from the recruiter. Has anyone who interviewed around the same time received a verbal offer or any updates? Based on your experience, how long does Microsoft usually take to respond after the HM round? YOE: 5 Current CTC: 21 LPA (INR) Should I still stay hopeful or consider it a silent rejection?