🎯 Interview Strategy (product MNCs, SDE-1/SDE-2)
Typical loop
| Round | What | Prep source |
|---|---|---|
| Online assessment | 2–3 DSA problems, 60–90 min | DSA Roadmap (Java) + contests |
| DSA / coding (×2) | Medium–hard problems, communication | Pattern Playbook |
| LLD / machine coding | OOP design + working code | Low-Level Design & Machine Coding |
| System design (HLD) | SDE-2: expected; SDE-1: sometimes lighter | System Design Roadmap · Case Studies |
| Internals deep dive | ”How does X work under the hood?” | Internals Roadmap |
| AI system design | LLM gateway, RAG, agents (increasingly common) | AI & Agent Patterns · Orbit - Use Cases |
| Behavioral / hiring manager | Leadership principles, ownership, conflict | Behavioral & STAR |
| Project deep dive | ”Tell me about the most complex thing you built” | Orbit - Overview |
Company notes (verify each loop with recent candidates: Glassdoor, LeetCode Discuss, Blind)
- Amazon: Leadership Principles in every round; DSA + LLD/HLD; bar raiser
- Google: DSA-heavy, emphasis on problem solving and communication; “Googleyness”
- Microsoft: DSA + design + a lot of project discussion
- Uber / Atlassian / Flipkart / Swiggy / PhonePe / Razorpay: strong machine-coding/LLD rounds + HLD
- AI-first companies: expect LLM-system design, practical coding, and sometimes take-home projects
Timeline
- W15: resume ready, start applying (referrals first; they have the highest conversion)
- W17–W22: interviews with lower-priority companies first (practice), dream companies later
- W23+: full interview mode
Mock sources
Peers (weekly swap) · Pramp · interviewing.io · Hello Interview mocks · LeetCode mock assessments · record yourself explaining a design