airbnb | Software Engineer | Interview Experience
Interview Date: Not specified
Result: Not specified
Difficulty: Not specified
Interview Process
The interview process began with an HR outreach that indicated a good match for the position. The first round involved an exploration call with an Engineering Manager (EM), which unexpectedly turned into a behavioral interview. The feedback from the EM was positive, but despite expressing the need for preparation time, the follow-up from HR was aggressive and unprofessional. After a couple of weeks, communication ceased, and the candidate felt ghosted. The interview schedule lacked detailed information, and after completing the interviews, there was no further communication for three days.
Technical Questions
- System Design: Designed a job scheduler notification feature. The discussion was superficial, lacking depth in API and database topics.
- Core Values: Discussed core values; the candidate is also a host, which contributed positively to the conversation.
- System Design: Designed an API for updating calendar events. The discussion was general, with a focus on data structures.
- Coding: Solved a problem related to summing values in a spreadsheet, which involved recursion, graph traversal, and hash sets. The problem was challenging within the 45-minute timeframe, but the interviewer provided helpful hints.
Tips & Insights
The interviewers were sharp and of a high level, likely at the senior or staff level. The candidate felt uncertain about their chances of receiving a rejection notice.