Zillow Interview Process

I applied at Zillow for the post of Software Engineer through an employee referral. My interview process at Zillow had four rounds - two telephonic interviews, one coding test and one on site interview. The interview process took more than a month.

Round 1 - Telephonic Screening
I received a call from a technical recruiter after I applied for the post. This screening lasted for only fifteen minutes and it was all about the basic things. He asked me about me and my strong areas. He asked me why I was interested in joining Zillow and all. In my opinion, it was just to ensure the authenticity of the candidate.

Round 2 - Coding Test
After the telephonic call, I received an email from them about a coding test. This test was conducted through email and I had two hours to complete the test. I won't say that the test was easy as it depends from person to person and the amount of efforts one has put in preparation. Some of the questions given to me in this coding test:
Q1. WAP to convert string to Long.
Q2. WAP to insert a node in a trinary tree.

Round 3 - Telephonic Interview
After I successfully completed my coding test, I was scheduled for the telephonic interview with a developer. The interview took place after about a week. There were many questions asked and the interview lasted for about 45 minutes. Some of the topics on which questions were asked:
Q1. Java garbage collector algorithm.
Q2. Difference between process and thread.
Q3. Abstract class vs. interfaces.
Q4. Hash vs. bst.
Q5. WAP to find the first unique character in a string.
Other than all these, there were some behavior based questions as well. I was also asked why I wanted to join Zillow and other questions like these.

Round 4 - On-Site Interview
Finally, I was called for an on-site interview. This was a loop interview which lasted for about four hours. The interviewers kept changing and returning. Many questions were asked and it all began with questions on the basic concepts but soon lifted up for more complex questions and coding problems. I got stuck with an SQL design question but I was helped by the interviewer and was able to give a solution for the problem then.
Q1. You are given a file which contains all possible numbers on a 32-bit architecture. Now, 4 numbers are missing from that file. Find the 4 missing numbers.

How to crack (get into) Zillow Interview

The interview process at Zillow is highly professional. Though about a month was burned for that, it was totally worth it. Except the first telephonic screening by the recruiter, none of the round was about just completing formality. Thus, you need to prepare really hard if you dream of working in the company.

The coding test is moderately difficult but that is the first step in the ladder and thus you must at any cost prepare really well for that. I believe that you need not be perfect in the personal interviews but you must be perfect with coding tests. That is your base and that will generate the impression on your interviewers.

After that, you will face a telephonic interview. That interview is a long one and there will be a lot of questions asking you to differentiate between this and that. So be clear with the terms. You can Google such questions and prepare. A few coding problems will also be asked. Don't panic if you don't know it but instead try to find a way and if you are on a right track, you will be helped by the interviewer for sure.

The technical on-site interview is really long and that is where, more than anything, you will need your patience and your confidence level. There will be 4-5 interviewers in total however you might only begin with 1 or two. Mostly, the questions will be basic in nature but then you will be given a few coding problems again. Use the same approach again.

The people at Zillow are highly professional and you will love being interviewed. If you get an offer, accept it even if you are not allowed to negotiate. The company is really good with such a talented employees. All the best for your interviews.