Hi Everyone,

I’ve gained a lot from this community, so I wanted to give back by sharing my recent interview experience.

YOE: 5.9
Current Company: Service-based
Current CTC: 22 LPA (fixed)
This was supposed to be my first PBC.

I interviewed with PayPal for the Senior Software Engineer – Frontend role. Here’s how it went:

Online Assessment (July):
Questions based on React.js, CSS, and DSA.

Technical Rounds (August + sept):

DSA Round – Focused on Heap and Hash-based problems.
System Design Round – Core JS fundamentals, with a mix of LLD + DSA.
Role Specialization Round – React.js focused. Task was to implement cart functionality (LLD + HLD).

I received positive feedback from all three rounds and was invited to the Bar Raiser round.

Bar Raiser:
Expected a mix of Behavioral + HLD, but it was heavily focused on optimization and payment systems.
No behavioral questions were asked.
I was able to answer most, but struggled with payment system–related ones.

Eventually, I was informed that they were moving forward with another candidate (no detailed feedback).

Verdict: Rejected

Although I felt a bit low (feeling very sad) after the result, this experience has been a real eye-opener for me. The process stretched over 2 months, and by the time I reached the Bar Raiser, I thought I was almost selected. But as they say-you never really know until the end.

I hope sharing this helps others in their preparation.

All the very best!