This interview process is designed to assess candidates for the Senior Software Engineer 2 role at Akamai. It evaluates technical proficiency, problem-solving skills, system design capabilities, and cultural fit within the company.
Rounds·4
Timeline·~14d
Experience·5 - 10 yrs
Comp band·US$150000 - US$200000
Interview time·225 min
Evaluation
Preparation
Tips
Study plan
Fig · Study plan — 05 phases
01 / 05Phase 01 of 05
Weeks 1-2: DSA fundamentals and practice (medium/hard).
Weeks 1-2: Focus on core Data Structures and Algorithms. Cover arrays, linked lists, trees, graphs, hash tables, heaps, sorting, searching, dynamic programming, and greedy algorithms. Practice problems on platforms like LeetCode, HackerRank, focusing on medium to hard difficulty.
Phase 02 of 05
Weeks 3-4: Distributed Systems concepts and theory.
Weeks 3-4: Dive deep into Distributed Systems concepts. Study topics like CAP theorem, consistency models (strong, eventual), replication strategies, consensus algorithms (Paxos, Raft), distributed transactions, message queues, and microservices architecture. Read relevant papers and blog posts.
Phase 03 of 05
Weeks 5-6: System Design principles and practice.
Weeks 5-6: Focus on System Design. Learn principles of designing scalable, reliable, and maintainable systems. Cover topics like load balancing, caching, database design (SQL vs. NoSQL), API design, message queues, and monitoring. Practice designing common systems like Twitter feed, URL shortener, etc.
Phase 04 of 05
Week 7: Networking, CDN, and Akamai research.
Week 7: Networking and Akamai Specifics. Review TCP/IP, HTTP, DNS, and CDN concepts. Research Akamai's core products (CDN, security, edge computing) and understand their business model and recent news. Prepare to discuss how your skills align with Akamai's offerings.
Phase 05 of 05
Week 8: Behavioral prep and mock interviews.
Week 8: Behavioral and Mock Interviews. Prepare behavioral questions using the STAR method. Practice explaining past projects and technical decisions. Conduct mock interviews to simulate the actual interview environment and get feedback.
Questions
Locations
Fig · Regions — 03 locations
01 / 03Location
Interview focus
Common questions
Tips
Location
Interview focus
Common questions
Tips
Location
Interview focus
Common questions
Tips
Rounds
Expand a step for evaluation criteria, sample questions, and prep notes.
Technical Interview (Coding) · 60 min · Software Engineer (Peer)
This round focuses on your core data structures and algorithms knowledge. You will be presented with one or two coding problems, typically on a shared online editor. The interviewer will assess your ability to understand the problem, devise an efficient solution, implement it correctly, and analyze its time and space complexity. Expect follow-up questions to explore alternative approaches or optimizations.
What they look for
Evaluation
Sample questions
Given a binary tree, find the lowest common ancestor of two given nodes in the tree.
Implement a function to find the k-th largest element in an unsorted array.
Design and implement a data structure that supports adding and retrieving elements in a specific order (e.g., LRU Cache).
Prep for this round
Common rejection reasons
System Design Interview · 60 min · Senior Software Engineer / Architect
This round assesses your ability to design complex, scalable, and reliable systems. You'll be given an open-ended problem (e.g., design a URL shortener, a social media feed, a distributed key-value store). The interviewer will expect you to clarify requirements, define APIs, choose appropriate technologies, design the architecture, and discuss potential bottlenecks and solutions.
What they look for
Evaluation
Sample questions
Design a system like Twitter's news feed.
Design a distributed rate limiter.
Design a URL shortening service like bit.ly.
Prep for this round
Common rejection reasons
Behavioral / Manager Interview · 45 min · Hiring Manager / Senior Engineering Manager
This round focuses on your past experiences, behavioral traits, and overall fit with the team and Akamai's culture. You'll be asked questions about your career history, how you handle specific situations (e.g., conflict resolution, dealing with failure, managing deadlines), and your motivations for joining Akamai. Use the STAR method to provide concrete examples.
What they look for
Evaluation
Sample questions
Tell me about a time you faced a significant technical challenge and how you overcame it.
Describe a situation where you had to work with a difficult team member. How did you handle it?
Tell me about a project you are particularly proud of and your role in it.
How do you stay updated with new technologies and industry trends?
Prep for this round
Common rejection reasons
Technical Leadership / Executive Interview · 60 min · Director of Engineering / Principal Engineer
This final round, often with a senior leader, focuses on your technical leadership, strategic thinking, and ability to influence technical direction. You might discuss your vision for certain technologies, how you've driven significant technical initiatives, and your approach to mentoring and growing engineering teams. This is an opportunity to showcase your senior-level impact and strategic mindset.
What they look for
Evaluation
Sample questions
Describe a time you significantly improved the performance or scalability of a system. What was your approach?
How do you approach mentoring junior engineers and fostering a culture of learning?
What are the biggest technical challenges facing Akamai today, and how would you address them?
Tell me about a time you had to make a difficult technical trade-off. What was the outcome?
Prep for this round
Common rejection reasons
DSA
Frequently reported on Akamai loops
Other guides
