Cracking Optiver's Software Engineer OA: Mastering Data Structures with Squirrel Simulation

optiver | Software Engineer | Interview Experience

Interview Date: Not specified
Result: Not specified
Difficulty: Not specified

Interview Process

The interview process included an online assessment (OA) that focused on a programming design problem. The task was to design a class called SquirrelResearch to track the hiding and retrieving of nuts by squirrels in various locations and levels.

Technical Questions

  • Data Structures: Design a class to manage multi-level storage for nuts, including methods for hiding and retrieving nuts with specific rules regarding location, uniqueness, and expiration.

Tips & Insights

  • Focus on understanding the requirements for managing multi-layer storage and the associated rules for hiding and retrieving items.
  • Pay attention to sorting and expiration mechanisms as they are critical to the problem’s requirements.