PayPal | SE-2 | | March [Accepted]

I interviewed for a Software Engineer II position at PayPal in , India. The interview process began with an online assessment on Hackerrank, which consisted of two coding problems. The first round was a DSA round, where I was asked to flatten a nested list using both recursive and stack-based solutions. The second question was to find the index of an element in a sorted array given a target element, with a time complexity of less than O(n). The second round focused on LLD and code review. I was given a sample Java method to review and was asked to identify optimizations using SOLID principles and design patterns. I was then tasked with designing an API and database for a simple LLD problem. The problem involved a UI with three buttons (red, blue, and green) and a "calculate" button. Users could click any of the three buttons multiple times, and upon clicking "calculate", the count of each button click should be displayed. I explained the database structure, the most suitable database, API routes, method types, and how to optimize the solution using a cache service like Redis. The third round was with the hiring manager, where I discussed my recent project in detail and answered some behavioral questions. I was also asked a simple DSA problem. Overall, the interviews were good, but the process was lengthy and exhausting. I was referred in late October, received the test in late January, and the interview rounds were scheduled in late February and early March. Communication from HR was lacking, and I found it difficult to get updates on my application. PayPal should streamline the interview process and keep candidates informed about the status of their applications.