Interview Experience - Lyft | Software Engineer | L4

Summary

• Job Role: Software Engineer

• Number of Rounds: 5

• Offer Status: Offer

• Location: San Francisco

• Candidate Name: Not disclosing due to signed NDA

Interview Process

A recruiter reached out to me in November via LinkedIn. After reviewing my resume, the team initially decided that my skill set was not the best fit for their current needs. However, I stayed in touch with the recruiter, and after some time, new positions opened up that aligned better with my experience.

The interview process started with a technical phone screen, followed by an onsite interview consisting of four rounds. After the onsite, I received a verbal offer within a few days. The next step was the team-matching phase, where I had conversations with different managers. This step was relatively quick, taking only a few days. Once I was matched with a team, I received the official offer letter.

Interview Rounds

Round 1: Technical Phone Screen

• Duration: 60 minutes

• Difficulty Level: Medium

• Experience:
  This was a one-hour phone interview conducted over a shared coder pad. The entire session was focused on solving a single medium-level coding problem. The interviewer encouraged me to verbalize my thought process while solving the problem. I received feedback that I had passed this round within a day.

• Key Learnings:

  • Clearly articulate your thought process while solving problems.

  • Time management is important, as most of the time is dedicated to coding.

Round 2: Onsite Interview - Laptop Test

• Duration: 90 minutes

• Difficulty Level: Medium

• Experience:
  The interviewer provided a problem statement and discussed different approaches with me. We worked together to refine the approach before I implemented the solution on my own laptop. The key focus was on getting a working solution first and then improving it. At the end, I demonstrated my implementation and submitted the zipped project via email. The problem itself was not algorithmically complex but required a solid understanding of data structures.

• Key Learnings:

  • Have a skeleton project set up in advance for quick implementation.

  • Focus on making a working solution first before refining the code.

  • Be ready to explain your implementation clearly during the demo.

Round 3: Onsite Interview - System Design

• Duration: 60 minutes

• Difficulty Level: Difficult

• Experience:
  This round focused on system design. The question was a standard one that can be found in system design preparation guides. However, the interviewer delved deep into NoSQL concepts, an area I was less confident in. Additionally, there were some quick calculations around memory and CPU requirements, which I was not adequately prepared for. Apart from that, the discussion covered database table design, API design, and system diagramming.

• Key Learnings:

  • Be well-versed in NoSQL concepts if interviewing for backend roles.

  • Practice basic resource estimation for memory and CPU usage.

  • Ensure that you can articulate your design choices clearly.

Round 4: Onsite Interview - CS Fundamentals

• Duration: 60 minutes

• Difficulty Level: Medium

• Experience:
  This was another coding interview conducted on a shared coder pad. The problem was a medium-level algorithmic question. Fortunately, I had encountered a similar problem on LeetCode before, which helped me solve it efficiently. I first implemented a basic working solution and then iterated to optimize it.

• Key Learnings:

  • Recognizing patterns from past practice can be highly beneficial.

  • Start with a working solution before optimizing.

  • Communicating thought processes clearly is key to success.

Round 5: Onsite Interview - Experience Discussion

• Duration: 45 minutes

• Difficulty Level: Medium

• Experience:
  This round was a behavioral interview with a hiring manager. The discussion revolved around past projects, challenges I faced, and my role in those projects. The interviewer also asked about teamwork, conflict resolution, and what I was looking for in a team. The conversation was open-ended and aimed at assessing both my technical experience and communication skills.

• Key Learnings:

  • Be prepared to discuss past projects in detail.

  • Have examples ready for conflict resolution and teamwork scenarios.

  • Clearly articulate what you are looking for in a team.

Final Thoughts

• Staying in touch with the recruiter and following up played a key role in getting this opportunity. Persistence can be crucial in cases where the initial response is not favorable.

• Practicing system design, particularly NoSQL concepts and resource estimation, would have improved my performance in that round.

• Setting up a basic project structure for the laptop test in advance can save valuable time.

• Having exposure to a wide variety of coding problems on platforms like LeetCode can be highly beneficial for algorithmic rounds.

• The experience round is not just about past projects but also about demonstrating communication and teamwork skills.

Overall, the process was structured well, and the team was supportive throughout. My biggest takeaway is to keep preparing consistently and stay persistent even if the initial response is not in your favor.