What I Learned From 8 Tech Interviews: From Browser Requests to System Design

Background

The author graduated in 2015 from a 985 university, spent time in startups, and started looking for a job in a large company in late 2016.

1. Afanti

First round

Written test covering Python basics, mutable vs immutable objects, garbage collection, and a simple data‑model design.

Second round

Self‑introduction, project questions, basic system‑design discussion, and follow‑up on the written test.

Third round (CTO)

Extensive questions on server deployment, Nginx details, and a deep dive into the full lifecycle of a browser request.

Browser request flow (summary)

Client and server communicate via HTTP over TCP (or TLS for HTTPS). The request passes through the physical, data‑link (ARP), network (routing, DNS), transport (TCP three‑way handshake), and application layers. On the server side, Nginx handles static resources, forwards dynamic requests to uWSGI, which invokes Django via the WSGI interface, processes middleware, view logic, and returns a response through uWSGI back to Nginx and finally to the browser.

2. XueTang Online

Interview rounds focused on Python basics, Django experience, system design, and a final HR discussion.

3. Guokr

Technical interview included Python, database query writing, and a classic O(1) stack problem that returns max/min values.

4. Veeva

Phone interview, a homework task to implement a leap‑year function with proper engineering and testing, followed by Python/Django questions and a short‑URL design problem.

5. Zhihu

Multiple rounds covering project experience, basic algorithms, TCP, epoll, Tornado, and a system‑design question about WeChat red‑packet architecture.

6. Spring Rain Doctor

Practical coding tasks based on real‑world scenarios, system design of a chat tool, and a final CTO interview revisiting the browser request question.

7. 360

Written test with Python and Linux questions, followed by technical discussions on Python, Django, and serialization.

8. Toutiao

Several rounds with Python coding, including Fibonacci and linked‑list reversal, Redis usage, cache‑stampede mitigation, and extensive system‑design discussions.

def fib(n):
    a, b = 0, 1
    for x in range(n):
        a, b = b, a + b
    return b

def reverse(node):
    p = node
    cur = node.next
    p.next = None
    while cur:
        tmp = cur.next
        cur.next = p
        p = cur
        cur = tmp
    return p

Conclusion

The author ultimately accepted an offer from Toutiao after a series of intensive interviews, emphasizing the importance of solid fundamentals, system‑design practice, and early preparation for social‑recruitment.