Data Engineer - AWS FinTech

Amazon

Given a binary tree, find the lowest common ancestor (LCA) of two given nodes in the tree. According to the definition of LCA on Wikipedia: “The lowest common ancestor is defined between two nodes p and q as the lowest node in T that has both p and q as descendants (where we allow a node to be a descendant of itself). For example: If the tree is [3,5,1,6,2,0,8,null,null,7,4], p = 5, q = 1, then the expected output is 3, because the LCA of nodes 5 and 1 is 3. If the tree is [3,5,1,6,2,0,8,null,null,7,4], p = 5, q = 4, then the expected output is 5, because the LCA of nodes 5 and 4 is 5, since a node can be a descendant of itself according to the LCA definition. If the tree is [1,2], p = 1, q = 2, then the expected output is 1. Consider these constraints: The number of nodes in the tree is in the range [2, 10^5]. -10^9 <= Node.val <= 10^9 All Node.val are unique. p != q p and q will exist in the tree.

Amazon

Let's explore scalability with a practical scenario. Imagine you're building a social media platform like Twitter, which needs to support millions of users who are constantly posting, liking, and re-sharing content. Consider these factors: Data Volume: Users generate terabytes of data daily. Read/Write Ratio: The platform experiences a high read-to-write ratio (many more reads than writes). Real-time Updates: Users expect to see new content and updates in real-time. Given these requirements, discuss the following: What are the key scalability challenges you anticipate? How would you approach scaling the platform's architecture to handle the increasing load, including database design, caching strategies, and load balancing? Describe specific technologies and techniques you might use to address each challenge. What are the trade-offs associated with different scaling approaches, and how would you evaluate the effectiveness of your scaling efforts?

Amazon

Tell me about a time you exemplified one of Amazon's leadership principles. For example, consider the 'Customer Obsession' principle. Can you describe a situation where you went above and beyond to meet a customer's needs, even when it was challenging or required you to think outside the box? What specific actions did you take, and what was the outcome? Alternatively, let's explore the 'Bias for Action' principle. Share an instance where you had to make a quick decision with limited information. What was the situation, what factors did you consider, and how did you mitigate the risks associated with acting swiftly? Or perhaps you can elaborate on a time you demonstrated 'Ownership.' Describe a project or task where you took full responsibility for the outcome, even when things didn't go as planned. How did you handle the setbacks, and what did you learn from the experience? Another good principle to discuss could be 'Invent and Simplify.' Tell me about a time you created an innovative solution to a complex problem, while keeping it simple and easy to use. What was the problem, what was your solution, and how did you ensure its simplicity? Finally, tell me about a time where you had to 'Learn and Be Curious'.