Motive Software Engineer Interview Questions
& Process

Had a recruiter phone screen first. Then went through a coding round, Leetcode style. Next was a Hiring Manager Screen where they asked technical questions about my past experience. After that, there was a practical task: Write an API. Then a system design round, which didn't go well. Following that, another coding round, Leetcode style. Finally, a top grading session with the engineering manager, involving behavioral questions and questions about my past experience.

So the interview was for a Software Engineer Internship and it was all about seeing how I solve problems and think algorithmically. It was just one technical round. Started with a quick intro, then we got into a data structures and algorithms question. The interviewer was cool, let me ask stuff before we started. The main task was to build a simple version of Minesweeper. They gave me a 2D grid with some mines, and I had to make a board where each empty spot told you how many mines were nearby. It really tested my matrix traversal skills, handling edge cases, and writing clean code. I used nested loops and a helper function to check neighbors and update the board. They wanted me to talk through my thinking, explain my plan, and chat about how to make it better. I messed up an edge case at first, but after we talked it through and I fixed it, I got it working. They liked how clear my logic was and how I debugged it. It was a good challenge for my algorithms and logic, and a good reminder to handle edge cases and write maintainable code when you're under pressure.

Totally disappointed with how they didn't tell me anything about my application outcome. I put in a lot of time and effort for 7 rounds of interviews and was really hoping to get some feedback or at least know why I didn't get the job. But nope, still no idea what's going on or why I was rejected. It's super frustrating because I really think getting feedback is important for learning and getting better. Knowing why I was rejected would help me a lot with future applications and figuring out how I could fit in there. This probably won't be read by anyone, but I just wanted to write down my feelings. Worst experience ever.