Unthinkable
Experienced
Website
6+ CGPA
Application Process
I applied for the Software Engineer role through LinkedIn by submitting an application through the job posting. After a few days the company responded with next steps; the first stage was an online coding assessment on problem-solving and DSA.
The process was smooth with clear communication. I didn't progress further, but it gave me insight into the company's expectations and the prep required for coding rounds.
Topics Prepared
Interview Rounds (1)
Detailed breakdown of each evaluation round, problems encountered, and round takeaways.
Online Coding Interview
Questions & Problems Asked (1)
Problem: Shortest Path in a Binary Matrix
find shortest path length from source to destination in a binary grid (four-directional, path length = number of 1s), return -1 if none.
I recognized it as a grid shortest-path problem, initially considered DFS but switched to BFS since it guarantees shortest paths in unweighted grids. I used a queue, tracked visited cells and path length, and handled blocked start/end cells by returning -1.
Round Experience
Note: my recorded approach described eight-directional movement and 0-valued cells, while the stated problem specifies four directions and 1s -- I'm keeping that discrepancy as originally described.
Why I was rejected: mainly time constraints and difficulty fully optimizing my solution within the limit.
Round 1 — My Takeaways
- build strong DSA fundamentals, practice under real time constraints, focus on optimization speed, keep my resume concise and my projects easy to explain.
Resume Tips
Keep the resume concise (one page), highlight relevant skills/projects/achievements.
Mention projects with tech stack and my exact contributions.
Preparation Tips
Practice DSA consistently, focus on patterns not just individual questions.
Solve under time constraints.
Build and explain my projects clearly.
Preparation Strategy
My prep lasted about three months. I started with a strong DSA foundation while working on my core stack (Node.js, React.js), initially focusing on understanding concepts deeply, then moved to regular platform practice.
