2020 Giftpack Frontend Engineer Internship Interview Experience

Overview

The internship program at Giftpack offers students the opportunity to gain practical experience in various roles. This particular experience focuses on the Frontend Engineer internship. The application process involves multiple stages, designed to assess the candidate's suitability for the role and the company culture. The interviews are conducted in English, but the language may vary based on the office location applied for.

Interview Rounds

The Giftpack internship interview process consists of six phases, effectively encompassing three main interviews:

1. Resume Reviews: Initial screening of applications based on qualifications and experience.
2. Interest Talks: A 45-minute phone call to discuss the candidate's background, projects, and basic technical knowledge. Questions covered React, Redux, and server-side rendering with Next.js. Algorithm problems were also presented, requiring verbal explanations of solutions.
3. Professional Screening: Project Demo: Candidates are assigned a project to be presented with a live demo. The project involves API access, data visualization, and implementation using Next.js and Redux. The candidate explains their approach, tech stack, project structure, and any challenges encountered.
4. Team Talk & Coffee Hours: An informal meeting (in-person or online) to assess cultural fit and provide the candidate an opportunity to learn about the work environment at Giftpack.
5. Acceptance or Rejection: Based on the overall performance in the previous phases, a decision is made regarding the candidate's application.
6. Welcome Party: (If Accepted) Onboarding.

Interest Talks - Details

During the Interest Talks, the candidate was asked about their experience with React and related front-end technologies. The interviewer inquired about React's functionality, potential drawbacks, the purpose of Redux, and the benefits of server-side rendering, specifically experience with Next.js. Algorithmic problem-solving skills were evaluated through verbal explanations, emphasizing the importance of understanding Big-O notation.

Project Preparation - Details

The project required the candidate to work with a large dataset (10.8 million rows) obtained through a provided API. Key areas of focus included:

• Correct API Access and Data Handling
• Data Visualization Techniques
• Generating Data Insights
• Utilizing Next.js and Redux
• Implementing SEO Meta Tags

Professional Screening: Project Demo - Details

During the project demo, the candidate presented their project, detailing the tech stack (React, Redux, Chart.js, Ant Design, memoizee), third-party APIs used, page structure, chart types implemented, and any extra features added. The candidate discussed API fetching and querying strategies, optimization techniques like memoization, and challenges encountered during development. A Q&A session followed, addressing questions about the project and general technical knowledge.

Key Takeaways

• The Giftpack interview process is comprehensive and evaluates candidates on technical skills, problem-solving abilities, and cultural fit.
• Strong understanding of front-end technologies like React, Redux, and Next.js is crucial for success.
• Experience with data visualization and API integration is highly valued.
• The ability to clearly articulate technical concepts and project details is essential for the project demo.
• The final interview phase primarily focuses on cultural alignment and is less technical in nature.