# Software Engineer
**Role:** Software Engineer · **Level:** Software Engineer
**Company:** [Agoda](https://scaleengineer.com/companies/agoda)
**Difficulty:** Medium to Hard
**Salary:** US$80000 - US$120000
**Experience:** 2 - 5
**Timeline:** ~14 days
This interview process is for a Software Engineer role at Agoda, focusing on assessing technical skills, problem-solving abilities, and cultural fit.
Canonical: https://scaleengineer.com/interviews/agoda/software-engineer-software-engineer
---
## Overall evaluation

- Technical Skills & Problem Solving
- Experience & Ownership
- Cultural Fit & Behavioral Aspects

## Questions asked

- Tell me about yourself.
- Why are you interested in Agoda?
- Describe a time you faced a technical challenge and how you overcame it.
- How would you design a system to handle real-time notifications for a large user base?
- What are the trade-offs between SQL and NoSQL databases?
- Write a function to reverse a linked list.
- How do you stay updated with new technologies?
- Describe a situation where you had a conflict with a team member and how you resolved it.
- What are your strengths and weaknesses?
- Do you have any questions for us?

## Preparation tips

### lists

- Review core computer science fundamentals, including data structures, algorithms, and operating systems.
- Practice coding problems focusing on common patterns and complexities.
- Study system design principles and common architectural patterns.
- Prepare for behavioral questions by reflecting on past experiences using the STAR method.
- Research Agoda's products, services, and company culture.
- Understand the specific technologies and tools used by the team you are applying for.

### studyPlan

- {"title":"Data Structures and Algorithms","longDescription":"Weeks 1-2: Focus on Data Structures (Arrays, Linked Lists, Trees, Graphs, Hash Tables) and Algorithms (Sorting, Searching, Dynamic Programming, Greedy Algorithms). Practice coding problems related to these topics on platforms like LeetCode. Aim for medium-difficulty problems.","shortDescription":"Weeks 1-2: Data Structures & Algorithms (Medium difficulty)"}
- {"title":"System Design","longDescription":"Weeks 3-4: Dive into System Design. Study concepts like scalability, availability, consistency, load balancing, caching, databases (SQL vs. NoSQL), and message queues. Review common system design interview questions and practice designing systems like Twitter feed, URL shortener, etc.","shortDescription":"Weeks 3-4: System Design Fundamentals & Practice"}
- {"title":"Behavioral Preparation","longDescription":"Week 5: Prepare for behavioral and situational questions. Reflect on your past projects and experiences. Use the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) to structure your answers. Think about examples that demonstrate leadership, teamwork, problem-solving, and handling failure.","shortDescription":"Week 5: Behavioral & Situational Questions (STAR Method)"}
- {"title":"Final Preparation","longDescription":"Week 6: Final review. Revisit challenging coding problems, system design concepts, and your behavioral answers. Research Agoda's recent news and product updates. Prepare thoughtful questions to ask the interviewer.","shortDescription":"Week 6: Final Review & Agoda Research"}

## Location differences

- {"location":"Singapore","differences":{"tips":["Familiarize yourself with common distributed system design patterns.","Be prepared to discuss trade-offs in system design choices.","Practice explaining complex technical concepts clearly and concisely."],"interviewFocus":["System Design for scalability and reliability","Deep understanding of distributed systems concepts","Problem-solving and analytical skills"],"commonQuestions":["How would you design a URL shortening service like bit.ly?","Explain the CAP theorem and its implications for distributed systems.","Describe a challenging technical problem you solved and how you approached it."]}}
- {"location":"Bangkok","differences":{"tips":["Practice coding problems on platforms like LeetCode or HackerRank.","Focus on optimizing your solutions for both time and space.","Be ready to explain your thought process while coding."],"interviewFocus":["Data Structures and Algorithms proficiency","Coding efficiency and correctness","Understanding of time and space complexity"],"commonQuestions":["Write a function to find the kth smallest element in a sorted matrix.","Implement a Least Recently Used (LRU) cache.","Discuss the time and space complexity of common sorting algorithms."]}}

## Round 1: Coding Challenge
**Type:** Technical Interview (Coding) · **Difficulty:** Medium · **Duration:** 45 min
Assess coding skills with data structures and algorithms problems.
This round focuses on your fundamental programming skills. You will be asked to solve one or two coding problems, typically involving data structures and algorithms. The interviewer will assess your ability to write clean, efficient, and correct code, as well as your problem-solving approach and communication skills. Expect to write code in a shared editor and explain your thought process throughout.
**Interviewers look for:** Clean, efficient, and correct code.; Logical and structured approach to problem-solving.; Ability to explain the solution and its complexity.; Consideration of edge cases and potential improvements.
**Evaluation criteria:** Correctness of the solution.; Efficiency of the code (time and space complexity).; Clarity and readability of the code.; Problem-solving approach and ability to handle edge cases.; Communication of thought process.
**Common rejection reasons:** Inability to articulate thought process.; Poorly optimized code.; Fundamental misunderstanding of data structures or algorithms.; Incorrect approach to problem-solving.
## Questions

- Given an array of integers, return indices of the two numbers such that they add up to a specific target.
- Implement a function to check if a binary tree is a valid Binary Search Tree (BST).
- Find the length of the longest substring without repeating characters.

## Preparation tips

- Practice coding problems on platforms like LeetCode, HackerRank, or Coderbyte.
- Focus on understanding the time and space complexity of your solutions.
- Be prepared to explain your approach and justify your choices.
- Practice coding in your preferred language and ensure you are comfortable with its syntax and standard libraries.

## Round 2: System Design
**Type:** System Design Interview · **Difficulty:** Hard · **Duration:** 60 min
Assess ability to design scalable and robust software systems.
This round evaluates your ability to design complex software systems. You'll be presented with a high-level problem (e.g., design a social media feed, a ride-sharing service) and expected to propose a scalable and robust solution. The interviewer will probe your design choices, focusing on aspects like data storage, APIs, scalability, fault tolerance, and performance.
**Interviewers look for:** A structured approach to system design.; Knowledge of common design patterns and technologies.; Ability to identify and address potential bottlenecks.; Thoughtful consideration of trade-offs.; Clear communication of the design.
**Evaluation criteria:** Ability to design scalable, reliable, and maintainable systems.; Understanding of distributed systems concepts.; Consideration of trade-offs and constraints.; Clarity and structure of the design.; Ability to handle ambiguity and ask clarifying questions.
**Common rejection reasons:** Lack of clarity in system design.; Failure to consider scalability and performance bottlenecks.; Inability to discuss trade-offs effectively.; Overly simplistic or overly complex designs without justification.
## Questions

- Design a URL shortening service like bit.ly.
- Design a system to count unique visitors to a website in real-time.
- How would you design a distributed cache?

## Preparation tips

- Study common system design interview topics (e.g., load balancing, caching, databases, message queues).
- Practice designing systems by drawing diagrams and explaining your choices.
- Familiarize yourself with trade-offs between different technologies and approaches.
- Read system design case studies and articles.

## Round 3: Behavioral and Cultural Fit
**Type:** Behavioral Interview · **Difficulty:** Medium · **Duration:** 45 min
Assess behavioral competencies and cultural fit.
This round focuses on your past experiences, behavioral competencies, and cultural fit. You'll be asked questions about how you've handled specific situations in previous roles, such as dealing with conflict, managing challenging projects, or working in a team. The goal is to understand your working style, motivations, and how you align with Agoda's values.
**Interviewers look for:** Examples of collaboration and teamwork.; Demonstrated problem-solving skills in real-world scenarios.; Honesty and self-awareness.; Positive attitude and enthusiasm.; Alignment with Agoda's culture.
**Evaluation criteria:** Behavioral competencies (teamwork, communication, problem-solving).; Alignment with Agoda's values.; Motivation and enthusiasm for the role and company.; Self-awareness and ability to reflect on past experiences.; Cultural fit.
**Common rejection reasons:** Lack of self-awareness.; Inability to provide specific examples.; Negative attitude or blaming others.; Poor communication or interpersonal skills.; Mismatch with company culture or values.
## Questions

- Tell me about a time you had to work with a difficult colleague. How did you handle it?
- Describe a project you are particularly proud of and your role in it.
- How do you handle constructive criticism?

## Preparation tips

- Prepare examples using the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) for common behavioral questions.
- Reflect on your strengths, weaknesses, and career goals.
- Research Agoda's company culture and values.
- Be ready to discuss why you are interested in Agoda and this specific role.