Software Engineer Intern at Google – Online Coding Challenge and Phone Interview
Background
I am a third-year computer science student at XYZ University. I have a strong interest in web development and data structures and algorithms. I have done some projects using HTML, CSS, JavaScript, React, Node.js, MongoDB, etc. I applied for the software engineer intern role at Google through their careers website. I received an email inviting me to take an online coding challenge on HackerRank.
Online Coding Challenge
The online coding challenge consisted of two questions that had to be solved in 90 minutes. The questions were based on arrays and strings. The first question was to find the longest common prefix of an array of strings. The second question was to check if a string is a valid palindrome, ignoring case and punctuation. The questions were not very hard, but they required some careful thinking and edge-case handling. I used JavaScript as my programming language and passed all the test cases for both questions. I received an email the next day saying that I qualified for the phone interview round.
Phone Interview
The phone interview was scheduled for a week later. It was a 45-minute session with a Google engineer. The interviewer introduced himself and asked me to briefly tell him about myself and my projects. He then asked me to open a Google Doc and write code for a problem. The problem was to implement a queue using two stacks. He gave me some hints and examples along the way. He also asked me some follow-up questions, such as how to optimize the time and space complexity, how to handle exceptions, and how to test the code. I used JavaScript again and explained my logic and approach as I wrote the code. The interviewer seemed satisfied with my solution and asked me if I had any questions for him. I asked him about his role, his projects, and his experience at Google. He gave me some insightful answers and thanked me for my time.
Key Learnings and Takeaways:
- I learned that Google’s online coding challenge and phone interview are focused on data structures and algorithms, so it is important to practice and review them before the interview.
- I learned that Google’s interviewers are looking for not only the correct solution, but also the optimal solution, so it is important to analyze the time and space complexity of the code and look for ways to improve it.
- I learned that Google’s interviewers are also looking for the ability to communicate clearly and effectively, so it is important to explain the logic and approach of the code, as well as the assumptions and trade-offs made.
- I learned that Google’s interviewers are open to giving hints and feedback, so it is important to listen carefully and ask clarifying questions if needed.
- I learned that Google’s interviewers are interested in knowing more about the candidates, so it is important to prepare a brief introduction and some questions to ask them.
Outcome:
I received an email two weeks later saying that I got an offer for the software engineer intern role at Google. I was very excited and happy to accept the offer. I am looking forward to working at Google and learning from the best engineers in the industry.