Google — Software Engineer ✅ Passed
Level: Intern
Round: Full Journey · Type: Multiple Types · Difficulty: 4/10 · Duration: 180 min · Interviewer: Unfriendly
Topics: String Manipulation, Data Structures, Behavioral Questions, System Design
Location: Mountain View, CA
Interview date: 2026-01-24
Summary
Round 1: Coding
Question: I had to solve three easy coding problems: converting snake_case to camelCase, formatting a number with commas every 1000 digits, and printing all 1000-digit numbers.
Round 2: Behavioral (BQ)
Question: I was asked about my leadership experience, challenges I faced, changes in my hobbies, and how I help others integrate into a team. I also had a hypothetical question about a bug found right before delivery.
Round 3: Coding
Question: I had to develop an OCR to recognize handwritten numbers (1-200) and handle 180-degree rotations, plus design a server class to log request start and end times.
Details
Preparation Tips & Key Takeaways
What I Learned
- I learned to be prepared for unconventional easy coding questions.
- Practicing behavioral questions is crucial to communicate experiences clearly and concisely.
- Being able to explain my thought process during the coding rounds was very important.
Recommended Preparation
Coding Practice
- Practice string manipulation and number formatting questions.
- Focus on easy-level LeetCode questions to build confidence.
Behavioral Questions
- Prepare STAR stories for leadership experiences and problem-solving scenarios.
- Practice discussing your hobbies and how you contribute to a team.
System Design
- Review basic system design principles for handling requests and logging.
- Understand the use of hashmaps and min-heaps for efficient data storage and retrieval.
Resources I Recommend
- LeetCode for coding practice.
- Cracking the Coding Interview for behavioral questions.
- System Design Primer for system design concepts.
Common Pitfalls to Avoid
- Not being able to explain my thought process clearly.
- Rushing through the coding problems without proper testing.
- Being unprepared for unexpected questions in the behavioral round.