JPMorgan Chase & Co.

Role: Java Developer - SD2 (SDE2)

College: Not Specified

Interview Date: November 2024

Interview Type: Full-Time

Result: Selected

Difficulty: Easy-Medium (for OA), Generally good for interview rounds

Rounds: Online Assessment + 3 rounds

Topics Asked: Data Structures, Algorithms, System Design, Code Review, Behavioral/Managerial

Experience:

The candidate, previously an SDE2 at Airbus, applied for a Java Developer - SD2 (SDE2) role in Bangalore.

Online Assessment (November 2024):

The OA consisted of two easy-medium questions. The candidate solved both, submitting them after passing all tests, though acknowledging further optimization was possible. Within a week, the candidate received a call confirming passage and was asked for basic details about current employment and compensation.

Interview D-day (November 2024):

Three rounds, each 50 minutes long, were conducted on HackerRank. All three rounds occurred regardless of performance in previous ones.

Round 1: System Design

Taken by a very experienced technical member. The task was to "Improve the system design of a Google Drive-like system." The candidate was given a skeleton of basic components (load balancer, file fetching service, user service, S3 DB) and had to add/optimize components for robustness and scalability. The round went well, covering many concepts, though the interviewer expected more focus on scalability using event streaming services. Felt like 7.5/10.

Round 2: Behavioral / Managerial Round

This round included an introduction, a basic explanation of the candidate's current work, and situational behavioral questions. Topics covered conflict resolution, teamwork, ethics & morality, and outlook on feedback. The conversation flowed smoothly. Felt like 9.5/10.

Round 3: DSA & Code Review

• DSA: "Count the number of duplicates in an array." The candidate used a HashMap in Java.
• Code Review: A large chunk of production code with poor coding standards was provided. The candidate had to identify issues related to OOPs, static, volatile keywords, and basic code writing standards.

The candidate felt good about this round, despite having to resubmit the DSA question due to an initial oversight regarding multiple duplicates and some trouble with the 'volatile' keyword during the code review. Felt like 9/10.

Final Verdict:

Within 2-3 days, the recruiter confirmed positive reviews and selection for SD2. A compensation discussion followed, and the offer was received in the second week of December.