bytedance | Software Engineer Intern | Interview Experience
Interview Date: November 11
Result: Rejected
Difficulty: Average
Interview Process
The interview started with a brief discussion about my background. The interviewer then asked several basic machine learning questions, including the formula for Transformers, the K-means algorithm and its optimal average, and the E-step and M-step of Gaussian Mixture Models (GMM).
The coding question involved finding the maximum absolute difference in an array. I implemented a solution with O(n²) complexity and did not arrive at the optimal solution. I felt confident about the earlier questions, but the final coding question did not yield an optimal answer.
I applied in late October, interviewed on November 11, and received a rejection on November 17. I had previously interviewed twice with this company, both times receiving immediate rejections after the interviews. The process felt disorganized and wasted my time.
Technical Questions
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Machine Learning
- Transformer formula
- K-means algorithm and its optimal average
- GMM E-step and M-step
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Coding
- Maximum Difference Between Node and Ancestor (Array, Max-Min, Absolute Difference)
Tips & Insights
Be prepared for basic theoretical questions in machine learning. Practice coding problems to optimize solutions, as the interview may focus on efficiency.