Interview Experience: Kotak + Omniful + Salesforce
Anonymous User
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Interview

Status: B.Tech - CSE, Tier 1 College, 6 YOE
Current Role: SDE 2 at a mid-stage startup
Location: Bangalore
Date: Aug 2025

I recently interviewed with a number companies and received offers from three of them. Here's my detailed interview experience:

Kotak Mahindra Bank (SDE 2) - Hyderabad [Aug 2025]

Verdict: OFFER ✅

Total Rounds: 3

Round 1 - Bar Raiser Round (1 hour 30 minutes):
This was a comprehensive round split into three sections:

  1. Algo/DS (40 minutes): Classic Two Sum problem - given an array of numbers and a target, find if a pair exists whose sum equals the target.

  2. Low-Level Design (30 minutes): Design an Uber-like ride-hailing system. Requirements weren't provided upfront, so I had to ask clarifying questions.

    • Tip: Focus on the most obvious and necessary requirements to manage time effectively. Design classes and DB schemas for core functionality and incorporate design patterns wherever possible.

  3. HLD Concepts (20 minutes): Not a traditional system design round, but concept-focused questions covering:

    • Strong consistency in distributed systems
    • Quorum-based systems
    • Message brokers and event-driven architecture
    • Around 5 questions total on distributed systems concepts

Round 2 - Algo/DS (1 hour):
Two coding problems:

  1. Decode Ways: Given a string of digits, find how many ways it can be decoded into characters using mapping {1→A, 2→B, ..., 26→Z}. For example, "25" can be decoded as "BE" or "Y" (2 ways).

  2. Number of Islands: Given a 2D matrix of 0s and 1s, count the number of islands (connected regions of 1s). Classic DFS/BFS problem.

Round 3 - System Design + Behavioral (1 hour):

  1. System Design: Design a Transaction Enrichment Service that:

    • Consumes multiple raw event streams (payment events, user metadata, merchant info)
    • Enriches those events based on type (adds risk scores, merchant categories, geo-location)
    • Produces a unified enriched stream
    • Stores data in scalable, queryable format for analytics

  2. Behavioral: STAR method questions focusing on:

    • Past disagreements and resolution strategies
    • Key problems solved in previous experience

Omniful (SDE 2) - Gurgaon [Jul 2025]

Verdict: OFFER ✅

Total Rounds: 2

Round 1 - Golang + DB Concepts + Project Experience:

  1. Coding Challenge: Implement a function to calculate sum of squares of natural numbers up to N (1² + 2² + 3² + ... + N²).

    • Twist: Must implement concurrently using goroutines to distribute computational load across multiple workers.

  2. Technical Discussion: Database concepts and deep dive into past projects with counter-questions.

Round 2 - Golang LLD + Project Deep Dive + Behavioral:

  1. Low-Level Design: Design and implement a multi-level cache system in Golang.

    • Focus on extensibility and loose coupling
    • Solution involved multiple interfaces for flexibility

  2. Experience Discussion: Extensive drilling on past projects and behavioral questions.

Salesforce (SMTS) - Bangalore [Aug 2025]

Verdict: OFFER ✅

Total Rounds: 4 (1 Online Assessment + 3 Interview Rounds)

Round 1 - HackerRank Online Assessment (90 minutes):

  • Given 7 days to complete
  • 2 medium LeetCode-style problems
  • Successfully solved both

Round 2 - Algo/DS Interview (Google Meet):

  1. Sequence Building Problem: LeetCode medium based on backtracking with focus on edge cases handling.

  2. Knapsack Variant: LeetCode medium/hard DP problem. Key was identifying it as a knapsack variation and formulating the DP solution.

Round 3 - Low-Level Design:
Not precisely remember but it was about designing a system to handle various heterogeneous events. (on similar lines of Kotak one, but different use case)

  • Discussed class diagrams and database schemas
  • Emphasized extensible and loosely coupled design
  • Initially uncertain about performance, but received positive feedback

Round 4 - Hiring Manager Round (Onsite):

  • Extensive discussion on past projects and experience
  • Behavioral questions expecting STAR method responses
  • Pro Tip: Prepare authentic stories about accomplishments, learnings, disagreements, etc. in STAR format. This preparation was invaluable during the interview.

Key Takeaways:

  1. Preparation Pays Off: Having stories ready in STAR format for behavioral rounds is crucial
  2. Design Patterns Matter: Knowledge of design patterns significantly helps in LLD rounds
  3. Language-Specific Skills: For Golang roles, understanding concurrency patterns (goroutines, channels) is critical

Timeline: All interviews conducted between July-August 2025. Received offers from these three companies.

offer: https://leetcode.com/discuss/post/7127666/salesforce-vs-kotak-vs-omniful-offers-by-6unp/

Good luck to everyone preparing for similar roles!

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