Google Interview Experience for Application Engineer (Off-Campus) Fresher

Before giving the interview for Application Engineer at Google, I had tried for the roles of Software Developer as well as Strategic Cloud Engineer, which I didn’t get through. I received an email from HR who was handling my candidature for the previous two roles regarding an opportunity for the AE role. So the process comprised 3 technical interviews, based on problem-solving (DSA and Algo) and system design.

ROUND 1: It was taken by a person who worked at one of the offices in Germany. For the first 15mins, we discussed the projects I mentioned in my resume, why did I choose to do them, and went deep into the technologies I used. Then, I was given a question to solve. The question was relatively on the easier end and he explained it through an example of Google photos, which I don’t remember exactly how it was related, unfortunately, but in a nutshell, the question was:

Suppose the system receives IDs- 4,5,2,3,10. So the smallest ID which has not been received is to be outputted. In this case, 1. Now if ID 1 is received, the next smallest ID not received would be 6. I was asked to write two functions, one for taking in the ID as input and the other to output the smallest ID not received. The interview was for an hour and we discussed this question for 30 mins. Along with discussing the optimizations, he would ask in-depth about any data structure or any other approach I would suggest. The latter 15 mins revolved around Google’s core values, how I managed difficult situations when raised in a group, and related questions. 

I passed this round and the next round happened the next week.

ROUND 2: This round was based on system design. the interview went on for an hour, in which the first 15 mins involved a brief discussion about the projects I had done, and for the next half an hour, I was asked to design an e-commerce website. It is a standard question and the rest of the interview again focused on Google’s core values and how my personality is aligned with them.

The third round took place 2 weeks later.

ROUND 3: This round was again based on problem-solving, the question being https://leetcode.com/problems/happy-number/. The interview length was again an hour, the first 15 mins were devoted to discussing my projects, code solving comprised the next half an hour, and the rest, was the same as the previous rounds.

2 weeks later I was asked to email them my transcripts, and in another week I received a call from my recruiter congratulating me I received the job!

TIP: Be calm throughout, it’s okay to not be able to answer, the interviewers are kind enough to help you to think in the right direction. Also, think out loud, every small thought that comes across your mind related to the solution, and try openly discussing it with the interviewer. While discussing your projects, use the STAR method.

All the best for your upcoming interviews!