Google | Software Engineer | Interview Experience
Interview Date: Not specified
Result: Not specified
Difficulty: Not specified
Interview Process
I had a coding and behavioral interview with Google for the Software Engineer position. The interview began with general behavioral questions about my previous projects and experiences. I was asked about a time when I faced a challenge, how I dealt with it, and what I learned.
After the behavioral questions, the interviewer moved on to coding problems.
Technical Questions
- Problem Title: Robot Grid Distance Challenge
- Description: Given a grid with obstacles, determine the shortest path from the top-left corner to the bottom-right corner.
- LeetCode Ref: LC-63
- Difficulty: Medium
- Topics: Depth-First Search, Backtracking
Tips & Insights
I explained my approach using a depth-first search algorithm to navigate through the grid and keep track of distances. I also implemented a backtracking method to avoid revisiting nodes unnecessarily. During the discussion, I analyzed the time complexity of my solution, concluding it was O(m * n) in the worst case, where m and n are the dimensions of the grid. I asked about the team’s culture and ongoing projects, leading to a discussion about innovation at Google. Overall, the interview experience was positive and insightful.