Meta | E5 | Seattle | Reject

System Design: Proximity services, design FB search for nearby businesses. Used similar concepts to designing Yelp. I felt confident in this round; I provided many optimizations before time ran out. The interviewer said it was fine, as I had already shared more than enough information.

Coding 1: Add Strings: The caveat was that integers could have decimals such as "5.09". I coded this, and while running through test cases, I found and fixed a bug.

Binary Tree Right Side View: I provided the two-queue solution as only 15 minutes remained. I verbally mentioned a small optimization.

Coding 2: Pow(x, n): I provided the optimal solution. Merge k Sorted Arrays: I provided the optimal solution but gave an incorrect time complexity. I stated O(length of longest array), but it should have been O(l + m + n), where l, m, and n are the lengths of the three arrays.

Behavioral: This was an unusual experience. The interviewer wasn't interested in the STAR method and kept asking about learning, which threw me off. The questions asked were:

• Tell me about a time when you had a difference of opinion with a teammate.
• Tell me about a time when you had to pivot in the middle of a project.
• Tell me about a time when a project was delayed.
• Tell me about a time when you had to pick up a new technology.
• Tell me about a time when you mentored someone.

I received a rejection from the recruiter after two weeks. My assessment is to not take the behavioral round lightly. Although I had prepared scenarios for some questions, I couldn't apply them to the questions asked, and I felt the interviewer wasn't satisfied during the call.