D.E Shaw

Role: Member Technical Staff (MTS) / SDE

College: B.Tech in CSE

Interview Date: Sept 2024 – Jan 2025

Interview Type: Full-Time

Result: Offer

Difficulty: Challenging (Hiring Manager Round was the most in-depth and challenging)

Rounds: Online Assessment, Tech Onsite Round 1, Tech Onsite Round 2, Tech Onsite Round 3, Hiring Manager Round

Topics Asked: Data Structures and Algorithms (Maximize Score of Numbers in Ranges, Lexicographically smallest string after k deletions, Count inversions where arr[i] >= 2 * arr[j] for i < j), Object-Oriented Programming (Composition vs Inheritance), System Design (Low-level design of Google Classroom), SQL (Query for A-B table difference), Project discussion

Experience:

The interview process, described as a "mini UPSC journey," began in September 2024 and concluded with an offer in January 2025.

The process included an Online Assessment (details not specified).

Tech Onsite Round 1 details were not specified.

Tech Onsite Round 2 included coding questions like "Maximize Score of Numbers in Ranges" and "Given a string and an integer k, return the lexicographically smallest string after at most k deletions."

Tech Onsite Round 3 involved a DSA question: "Count inversions where arr[i] >= 2 * arr[j], i < j." It also covered OOP concepts, specifically "Composition vs Inheritance," and System Design, with a low-level design of Google Classroom (teachers, students, subjects). Project discussions based on the resume were also part of this round.

The Hiring Manager Round was described as the "final boss fight" and the most challenging and in-depth round. It involved a resume walkthrough, discussion on full-time and internship projects, and a SQL question: "Query for A-B table difference."