Agoda is an online travel booking platform specializing in accommodations, flights, and more. Based in Asia and part of Booking Holdings, their diverse team of over 6,000 employees from 90+ nationalities brings a rich blend of creativity and collaboration. Agoda's mission is to bridge the world through travel, thereby fostering empathy, understanding, and happiness.

As a Data Scientist at Agoda, you will be based in Bangkok and work on some of the most advanced machine learning and big data platforms globally. You will tackle real-world challenges like dynamic pricing, customer intent prediction, and personalized recommendations. Key responsibilities include designing algorithms, mining large datasets, and collaborating with developers and business owners to deliver high-quality results.

The ideal candidate for this role possesses 4+ years of hands-on data science experience, proficiency in AI/ML/DL and statistics, and is skilled in SQL and coding languages like Python, PySpark, or Scala. Strong communication and teamwork skills are essential, along with the ability to work independently. Having an advanced degree and experience in NLP, image processing, or big data frameworks is a plus.

Welcome to Interview Query's guide on preparing for the Data Scientist position at Agoda. By the end of this guide, you'll gain valuable insights into the interview process, enhance your preparation, and boost your chances of securing the role. Happy reading!

Typically, interviews at Agoda vary by role and team, but commonly Data Scientist interviews follow a fairly standardized process across these question topics.

Submitting Your Application

The first step is to submit a compelling application that reflects your technical skills and interest in joining Agoda as a data scientist. Whether you were contacted by an Agoda recruiter or have taken the initiative yourself, carefully review the job description and tailor your CV according to the prerequisites.

Tailoring your CV may include identifying specific keywords that the hiring manager might use to filter resumes and crafting a targeted cover letter. Furthermore, don’t forget to highlight relevant skills and mention your work experiences.

Recruiter/Hiring Manager Call Screening

If your CV happens to be among the shortlisted few, a recruiter from the Agoda Talent Acquisition Team will make contact and verify key details like your experiences and skill level. Behavioral questions may also be a part of the screening process.

In some cases, the Agoda hiring manager stays present during the screening round to answer your queries about the role and the company itself. They may also indulge in surface-level technical and behavioral discussions.

The whole recruiter call should take about 30 minutes.

Technical Virtual Interview

Successfully navigating the recruiter round will present you with an invitation for the technical screening round. Technical screening for the Agoda data scientist role usually is conducted through virtual means, including video conference and screen sharing. Questions in this 1-hour long interview stage may revolve around machine learning, statistics, and certain programming languages relevant to the role like Python or SQL.

In the case of data scientist roles, take-home assignments regarding data manipulation, machine learning models evaluation, or algorithm challenges are incorporated. Apart from these, your proficiency against data structures, probability distributions, and coding challenges may also be assessed during the round.

Onsite Interview Rounds

Followed by a second recruiter call outlining the next stage, you’ll be invited to attend the onsite interview loop. Multiple interview rounds, varying with the role, will be conducted during your day at the Agoda office. Your technical prowess, including programming, machine learning modeling capabilities, and system design, will be evaluated against other finalized candidates throughout these interviews.

During the onsite interview, a presentation round regarding the take-home assignments may also be a part of the evaluation for the data scientist role at Agoda.

Technical Assessments

Agoda incorporates multiple rounds of technical assessments focusing on coding, algorithms, and statistical knowledge. You may encounter:

• An online coding assessment, which may include questions ranging from easy to hard levels on platforms like Codesignal.
• A technical discussion round focusing on your solution to the programming assignment, tackling probability and statistics questions.
• Additional rounds focusing on advanced technical aspects like architecture and platform-specific discussions.

Final Interview and Cultural Fit

Agoda values cultural fit along with technical expertise. The final round involves interaction with senior management where behavioral and cultural fit questions are predominant. This round aims to ensure that you align with Agoda’s core values and the collaborative nature of their team.

Quick Tips For Agoda Data Scientist Interviews

• Focus on brushing up your algorithm skills. Agoda's technical assessments emphasize proficiency in solving challenging algorithms.
• Prepare for a diverse range of questions from machine learning algorithms to advanced statistical concepts. Make sure you understand the theory and can apply it practically.
• Be prepared for behavioral and cultural fit questions. Highlight examples from your past experiences that demonstrate how you align with Agoda's values of diversity, experimentation, and collaboration.

Practice for the Agoda Data Scientist interview with these recently asked interview questions.

Agoda Data Scientist Coding and Algorithms Interview Questions

Case studies appear in 97% of Agoda job interviews. They are predominantly asked during software engineer (97%) interviews.

1 - Write a function to return the sum of the elements in a matrix. Suppose you are given a matrix of integers. Your task is to write a function that returns the sum of the elements in the matrix. The function should handle both positive and negative integers and return the sum as an integer.

Example 1:

Input: python matrix = [[1, 2, 3], [4, 5, 6], [7, 8, 9]]

Output: python matrix_sum(matrix) -> 45

Example 2:

Input: python matrix = [[-1, -2, -3], [-4, -5, -6], [-7, -8, -9]] Output: python matrix_sum(matrix) -> -45

2 - Create a function to add together all combinations of adjacent integers in a string of integers. Write a Python function that adds together all combinations of adjacent integers of a given string of integers named int_str.

Example 1:

Input:

python int_str = '12' Output:

python def int_str_addition -> 1 + 2 + 12 = 15

Example 2:

Input:

python int_str = '123' Output:

```python def int_str_addition(int_str) -> 1 + 2 + 3 + 12 + 23 + 123 = 164

in this case, 13 is not part of our sum as 1 and 3 are not adjacent in '123'

```

To practice Algorithms interview questions, consider using the Python learning path or the full list of Algorithms questions in our database.

Agoda Data Scientist Analytics and Experiments Interview Questions

Case studies are present in 2% of Agoda job interviews. They are most frequently encountered during software engineer (2%) interviews.

1 - How would you set up an A/B test to optimize button color and position for higher click-through rates? A team wants to A/B test multiple changes in a sign-up funnel. For instance, they want to test if changing a button from red to blue and/or moving it from the top to the bottom of the page will increase click-through rates. How would you design this test?

To prepare for analytics and experiments, consider using the product metrics learning path and the data analytics learning path.

Agoda Data Scientist Statistics and Probability Interview Questions

There is no data available for Agoda job interviews. Therefore, it is not possible to determine how often specific types of questions come up or which positions they are most frequent for.

1 - How would you explain what a p-value is to someone who is not technical? Explain the concept of a p-value in simple terms to someone without a technical background. Use analogies or everyday examples to make the explanation clear and understandable.

To prepare for statistics and probability interview questions, consider using the A/B testing and statistics learning path and the comprehensive probability learning path.

Agoda Data Scientist Machine Learning Interview Questions

There is no data available for Agoda job interviews. Therefore, it is not possible to determine the frequency or the specific positions for which certain types of questions are most common.

1 - When should you use regularization versus cross-validation in machine learning? Regularization and cross-validation are techniques to improve machine learning algorithms. Explain when to use regularization and when to use cross-validation.

To get ready for machine learning interview questions, we recommend taking the machine learning course.