I applied through an employee referral. The process took 2 months. I interviewed at Rakuten (Singapore) in Sept 2015
Interview
I went through a very lengthy and tiresome interview process of 4 rounds as most everyone went through but it dragged a bit more than 2 months. 1) Online technical test and video pre-recorded questions 2) Technical interview with Direct manager/Team Lead 3)Technical interview + Behavioral interview with Section Manager 4) Essay writing on 2 Rakuten books written by their CEO and followed by final interview. The problem is I didn't expect the final round to be still a technical interview and in fact the toughest technical interview in all 3 rounds. The first 2 technical rounds were pretty easy. It's ok to fail candidate but I feel Rakuten doesn't respect candidate's time and effort. Such technical challenges should be put up front rather than letting me even go through essay writing, put aside all the waiting time in between.
Applied online. Initial screening with the hiring manager. Questions from resume. Technologies used. Java basic questions. Salary expectations. About the role and team. Leetcode question - no coding - just mention the approach. System design question.
Interview questions [1]
Question 1
Leetcode question - no coding - just mention the approach. System design question.
Disorganized, no HR reached out to discuss about the administrative details and salary and benefits, the hiring manager reached out directly, scheduled a meeting and asked about HR questions(visa, RTO etc.)
The hiring manager was late for over 5 mins minutes, no apologies, no greetings. Negative experience
The interview covered Python libraries, networking, and my software engineering experience. While questions were basic, they can be tricky for seniors. Review your definitions alongside your past projects to succeed.