I applied online. The process took 3 weeks. I interviewed at Capital One (Virginia Beach, VA) in Nov 2020
Interview
Great recruiter. Always on the lookout to help. Interview consisted of behavioral, case, and technical interview phases. Consider practicing the STAR method for behavioral interview. Practice linked list and trees.
Interview questions [1]
Question 1
- Why Capital One?
- Tell me about a time when you had to overcome opposition to implement a solution.
- Share an example of when you had to motivate others to achieve your goals
- Tell me about a time you explained a technical concept to someone non-technical.
- What’s the project you’re most proud of?
- Describe a time you learned something new to achieve a goal.
- Tell me about a time when a project didn’t go the way you expected it to go.
Expecting a challenging experience, I found the interview at Capital One to be intense, particularly during the system design section. The question on designing a rate limiter with a token bucket algorithm took me by surprise; mid-way through the problem, I realized it was very similar to a drill I’d practiced on prachub.com just days earlier. The technical rounds included several DSA questions, and the interviewers were thorough but supportive. Ultimately, I received an offer and happily accepted, feeling well-prepared despite the pressure.
Interview questions [1]
Question 1
Design a rate limiter using a token bucket algorithm and discuss how it would handle bursty traffic and distributed deployments.
Recruiter screening to begin with. Then, technical discussion about java, spring boot, design pattern, small coding tasks and followed by design assessment for distributed systems. Finally, managerial round for the team fit
Scheduled a call with recruiter. Recruiter didnt show up for the screening call and cancelled it 5 mins after the scheduled time. Dropped a follow up email and got no response. After a week, I got an email from the recruiter stating I am selected for the next round i.e Assessment. Sent me an email with the assessment description but no link. When I sent a follow up email asking for the link, I got ghosted again. It was a bad experience. Felt like she is toying with me. Why ghost an applicant repetitively? Unprofessional recruiter who doesn't respect an applicant's time or efforts!