Round 1 Technical Interview with Lead Data Engineer (Online)

We began by discussing the job responsibilities and the importance of data engineering in generating insights and addressing reporting needs.

• Question: Can you describe your experience in developing large-scale data structures and pipelines to organize, collect, and standardize data?
• Question: How have you designed database systems and managed ETL processes for both real-time and offline analytics?
• Question: How have you used Hadoop architecture and HDFS commands to build data pipelines?

I explained my previous projects involving the design and implementation of data pipelines using various technologies, including Apache Spark and Apache Kafka. I highlighted how these pipelines enabled the ingestion of vast amounts of data from different sources, transforming and preparing it for downstream analytics.

I elaborated on my experience with Hadoop ecosystem tools such as Hive and Pig, explaining how they were instrumental in processing and storing data in HDFS. I discussed the optimization of queries and data retrieval techniques to improve performance.

Tip: Focus on sharing details about large-scale data engineering projects you have undertaken in the past. Emphasize your ability to handle massive data volumes and the techniques you used to optimize data pipelines for performance and scalability.

Tip: Discuss your experience in designing data models and ETL processes for both real-time streaming and batch processing. Mention the technologies you used, such as Apache Kafka for real-time streaming and Apache Spark for batch processing.

I applied for Senior Data Engineer position at CVS Health through their online job portal. After submitting my application, I received an email confirming the receipt of my application. After 3 weeks, I was contacted by a Talent Acquisition Specialist to schedule an initial phone screening in which she explained about the role and asked me questions about my current work. The phone screening went well, and I was invited to participate in a series of online interviews.