# l3
**Role:** Software Engineer · **Level:** Software Engineer II
**Company:** [Airbus SE](https://scaleengineer.com/companies/airbus-se)
**Difficulty:** Medium to Hard
**Salary:** US$90000 - US$120000
**Experience:** 2 - 5
**Timeline:** ~14 days
This interview process is for a Software Engineer II (L3) position at Airbus SE. It is designed to assess a candidate's technical skills, problem-solving abilities, and cultural fit within the company. The process typically involves multiple rounds, starting with HR screening and progressing through technical assessments and a final managerial interview.
Canonical: https://scaleengineer.com/interviews/airbus-se/software-engineer-ii-software-engineer
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## Overall evaluation

- Technical Skills
- Behavioral and Soft Skills
- Development Practices
- Problem Solving Approach

## Questions asked

- Tell me about yourself.
- Why are you interested in this role at Airbus?
- Describe a challenging project you worked on and how you overcame obstacles.
- How do you handle tight deadlines and pressure?
- What are your strengths and weaknesses?
- Describe a time you had a conflict with a colleague and how you resolved it.
- How do you stay updated with new technologies?
- Explain the concept of [specific technical concept relevant to the role, e.g., RESTful APIs, Object-Oriented Programming principles, database normalization].
- Design a system for [e.g., a URL shortener, a social media feed, a ride-sharing service].
- Write code to solve [specific coding problem, e.g., find the kth largest element in an array, implement a binary search tree].
- What are your career aspirations?
- Do you have any questions for us?

## Preparation tips

### lists

- Review fundamental computer science concepts, including data structures, algorithms, and operating systems.
- Practice coding problems on platforms like LeetCode, HackerRank, or similar.
- Study system design principles and common architectural patterns.
- Prepare for behavioral questions using the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result).
- Research Airbus SE, its mission, values, and recent projects.
- Understand the specific technologies and tools mentioned in the job description.
- Prepare questions to ask the interviewer about the role, team, and company culture.

### studyPlan

- {"title":"Data Structures and Algorithms","longDescription":"Weeks 1-2: Focus on core data structures (arrays, linked lists, trees, graphs, hash maps) and algorithms (sorting, searching, dynamic programming, graph traversal). Practice implementing these in your preferred language. Review Big O notation for time and space complexity analysis.","shortDescription":"Weeks 1-2: Data Structures & Algorithms fundamentals. Practice implementation and complexity analysis."}
- {"title":"System Design","longDescription":"Weeks 3-4: Dive into system design. Study concepts like scalability, availability, reliability, load balancing, caching, databases (SQL vs. NoSQL), and microservices architecture. Work through common system design interview problems.","shortDescription":"Weeks 3-4: System Design principles. Study scalability, databases, and microservices. Practice design problems."}
- {"title":"Behavioral Preparation","longDescription":"Week 5: Prepare for behavioral questions. Reflect on your past experiences and identify examples that demonstrate leadership, teamwork, problem-solving, and conflict resolution. Use the STAR method to structure your answers.","shortDescription":"Week 5: Behavioral questions preparation. Use STAR method for past experiences."}
- {"title":"Company and Role Research","longDescription":"Week 6: Research Airbus SE thoroughly. Understand the company's history, values, current projects, and the specific role you are applying for. Prepare insightful questions to ask the interviewer.","shortDescription":"Week 6: Company research and question preparation. Understand Airbus and the role."}

## Location differences

- {"location":"Toulouse, France","differences":{"tips":["Research Airbus's current projects and technological focus areas.","Be prepared to discuss your experience with safety-critical systems.","Highlight any experience with embedded software or RTOS.","Understand the importance of rigorous testing and validation in aerospace."],"interviewFocus":["Understanding of aerospace industry specific challenges","Experience with real-time operating systems (RTOS)","Knowledge of safety standards (e.g., DO-178C)","Familiarity with embedded systems"],"commonQuestions":["Can you describe a complex technical problem you solved at your previous role?","How do you approach debugging a large-scale distributed system?","Tell me about a time you had to work with a difficult stakeholder.","What are your thoughts on the latest trends in aerospace software development?","How do you ensure the security and reliability of software in a safety-critical environment?"]}}
- {"location":"Hamburg, Germany","differences":{"tips":["Familiarize yourself with Airbus's digital transformation initiatives.","Showcase your experience with modern software development practices.","Be ready to discuss your contributions to open-source projects if applicable.","Emphasize your ability to adapt to fast-paced development cycles."],"interviewFocus":["Proficiency in cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, GCP)","Experience with containerization (Docker, Kubernetes)","Strong understanding of CI/CD pipelines","Agile methodologies and practices"],"commonQuestions":["Describe your experience with cloud-native architectures.","How do you handle scaling challenges in a microservices environment?","Tell me about a time you disagreed with your team lead.","What are your thoughts on the application of AI/ML in aviation?","How do you prioritize tasks when faced with multiple deadlines?"]}}
- {"location":"Bremen, Germany","differences":{"tips":["Research Airbus's commitment to sustainability.","Be prepared to discuss your leadership potential and mentoring experience.","Highlight your ability to design robust and scalable systems.","Showcase your understanding of the full software development lifecycle."],"interviewFocus":["System design and architecture","Performance tuning and optimization","Mentorship and team collaboration","Understanding of software lifecycle management"],"commonQuestions":["How do you approach performance optimization in software?","Describe a situation where you had to mentor junior engineers.","Tell me about a project that failed and what you learned from it.","What are your thoughts on the future of sustainable aviation and the role of software?","How do you ensure code quality and maintainability?"]}}

## Round 1: HR Screening Call
**Type:** HR Screening · **Difficulty:** Easy · **Duration:** 30 min
Initial call with HR to discuss your background, motivation, and basic fit.
The initial HR screening call is a brief conversation to assess your overall fit for the role and the company. The recruiter will review your resume, discuss your career goals, and provide an overview of the position and the interview process. This is also an opportunity for you to ask initial questions about the role or the company.
**Interviewers look for:** Enthusiasm for the role and Airbus; Clear and concise communication; Basic alignment with company values; Professionalism
**Evaluation criteria:** Basic understanding of resume and experience; Communication skills; Motivation for the role and company; Cultural fit assessment
**Common rejection reasons:** Lack of clear communication; Inability to articulate thought process; Poor understanding of fundamental concepts; Negative attitude or lack of enthusiasm
## Questions

- Can you tell me about your background and experience?
- Why are you interested in working at Airbus?
- What are your salary expectations?
- What are you looking for in your next role?

## Preparation tips

- Be prepared to talk about your resume and career path.
- Research Airbus and the specific role.
- Think about why you are a good fit for Airbus.
- Prepare a few questions to ask the recruiter.

## Round 2: Technical Coding Interview
**Type:** Technical Interview (Coding) · **Difficulty:** Medium · **Duration:** 60 min
Solve coding problems focusing on data structures and algorithms.
This round focuses on your core technical skills. You will typically be asked to solve one or two coding problems, often 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.
**Interviewers look for:** Strong grasp of fundamental CS concepts; Ability to translate requirements into working code; Logical and systematic approach to problem-solving; Clear explanation of code and logic
**Evaluation criteria:** Proficiency in coding; Understanding of data structures and algorithms; Problem-solving skills; Ability to write clean and efficient code; Communication of technical approach
**Common rejection reasons:** Inability to solve coding problems efficiently; Poor understanding of data structures and algorithms; Code quality issues (e.g., unreadable, inefficient); Difficulty explaining the thought process behind the solution
## Questions

- Given an array of integers, find the two numbers that add up to a specific target.
- Implement a function to reverse a linked list.
- Find the kth smallest element in a Binary Search Tree.
- Write a function to determine if a string is a palindrome.

## Preparation tips

- Practice coding problems on platforms like LeetCode or HackerRank.
- Review common data structures and algorithms.
- Be prepared to explain your thought process while coding.
- Practice writing code on a whiteboard or shared editor.

## Round 3: System Design Interview
**Type:** Technical Interview (System Design) · **Difficulty:** Hard · **Duration:** 60 min
Design a scalable software system based on a given problem statement.
This round assesses your ability to design and architect software systems. You'll be given an open-ended problem (e.g., design Twitter's news feed, design a URL shortener) and expected to discuss various aspects like requirements gathering, API design, data modeling, scalability, and trade-offs.
**Interviewers look for:** Ability to design complex systems from scratch; Understanding of distributed systems concepts; Pragmatic approach to design trade-offs; Consideration of various system components (databases, caching, load balancers)
**Evaluation criteria:** System design capabilities; Understanding of scalability, availability, and reliability; Knowledge of architectural patterns; Ability to handle trade-offs; Communication of design choices
**Common rejection reasons:** Lack of understanding of system design principles; Inability to design scalable and reliable systems; Poor trade-off analysis; Not considering edge cases or failure scenarios
## Questions

- Design a system like TinyURL.
- Design the backend for a ride-sharing service like Uber.
- How would you design a distributed caching system?
- Design a system to count the top K trending items on Twitter.

## Preparation tips

- Study common system design patterns and concepts.
- Practice designing various types of systems.
- Be prepared to discuss trade-offs and justify your design decisions.
- Think about scalability, reliability, and performance.

## Round 4: Hiring Manager Interview
**Type:** Managerial Interview · **Difficulty:** Medium · **Duration:** 45 min
Discuss your experience, teamwork, and career goals with the hiring manager.
The final round is typically with the hiring manager. This interview focuses on your overall experience, behavioral aspects, career goals, and how you would fit into the team. The manager will assess your leadership potential, teamwork skills, and long-term aspirations.
**Interviewers look for:** Ability to work effectively in a team; Proactive approach to challenges; Potential for growth and mentorship; Alignment with Airbus's values and culture
**Evaluation criteria:** Teamwork and collaboration skills; Problem-solving approach; Leadership potential; Cultural fit with the team and company; Career aspirations and alignment with role
**Common rejection reasons:** Lack of alignment with team goals; Poor collaboration or communication skills; Unrealistic expectations; Inability to demonstrate leadership potential
## Questions

- Tell me about a time you had to lead a project or a team.
- How do you handle disagreements within a team?
- What are your long-term career goals?
- How do you prioritize your work when you have multiple competing tasks?
- What do you think you can bring to our team?

## Preparation tips

- Reflect on your past experiences and how they relate to the role.
- Prepare examples that showcase teamwork, leadership, and problem-solving.
- Think about your career goals and how this role fits into them.
- Be ready to discuss your understanding of the team's work and Airbus's culture.