Jio Cinema (Viacom18) SDE Frontend Interview Experience

Overview

This document details the interview process for a Frontend Software Development Engineer (SDE) position at Jio Cinema (Viacom18). The candidate underwent a three-round interview process, which assessed their technical skills in JavaScript, system design capabilities, and overall fit within the organization.

Interview Rounds

Round 1: JavaScript Fundamentals

This round focused on the candidate's understanding of core JavaScript concepts. The interviewer explored topics such as:

• Event Loop
• Microtask Queue
• Macrotask Queue
• Prototypes
• Deep Copy techniques for objects

In terms of CSS, questions covered various methods for centering a div element and the distinctions between position: absolute and position: relative.

Regarding React, the discussion revolved around Hooks. Additionally, the candidate faced output-based questions related to Promises.

Round 2: System Design

The candidate was tasked with designing a carousel configuration for an internal tool. This involved defining essential fields such as card size, title, and category. The challenge required the candidate to identify all necessary fields to effectively manage carousel configurations within the internal tool.

From a user-facing perspective, the task involved consuming data from the backend and implementing a solution adaptable to multiple devices. The discussion also emphasized performance optimization, web security considerations, and other relevant system design factors.

Round 3: Hiring Manager + System Design

This round involved a discussion of the candidate's past projects with the hiring manager. The manager's focus was on performance improvements, especially within the context of Jio's OTT platform, where SEO plays a crucial role. The candidate highlighted their experience in enhancing web vitals, optimizing Lighthouse scores, and working with sitemaps to improve search engine visibility.

Furthermore, the candidate was asked to build a sample video player using Vanilla HTML, requiring them to utilize the Jio Cinema website's playback API (https://apis-jiovoot.voot.com/playbackjv/v5/3968475). This task demanded careful API handling and implementation to ensure a seamless playback experience.

The conversation also encompassed the candidate's knowledge of CORS (Cross-Origin Resource Sharing), where they explained their approach to handling cross-origin issues to ensure secure data exchange between the frontend and backend.

Towards the end, the hiring manager inquired about the candidate's motivation for joining the team, along with standard HM-related questions regarding motivations and cultural fit.

Key Takeaways

• The interview process heavily emphasizes a strong foundation in JavaScript fundamentals, including asynchronous programming and prototypal inheritance.
• System design questions focus on practical application and considerations for scalability, performance, and security in a real-world environment.
• Experience with performance optimization techniques, particularly regarding web vitals and SEO, is highly valued within the context of Jio's OTT platform.
• The ability to work with APIs and implement functional components, such as a video player, is crucial.
• Understanding of CORS and security best practices is expected.