This interview process is designed for a Senior Software Engineer 2 position at Autodesk, focusing on assessing a candidate's technical expertise, problem-solving abilities, system design skills, and cultural fit within the company. The process is rigorous and aims to identify individuals who can contribute significantly to complex projects and mentor junior engineers.
Rounds·4
Timeline·~14d
Experience·5 - 10 yrs
Comp band·US$140000 - US$180000
Interview time·180 min
Evaluation
Preparation
Tips
Study plan
Fig · Study plan — 04 phases
01 / 04Phase 01 of 04
Weeks 1-2: Data Structures & Algorithms fundamentals. Practice coding and complexity analysis.
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.
Phase 02 of 04
Weeks 3-4: System Design principles. Focus on scalability, databases, caching, and APIs.
Weeks 3-4: Dive into system design concepts. Study topics like database design (SQL vs. NoSQL), caching strategies, load balancing, message queues, API design, and microservices architecture. Work through common system design interview problems.
Phase 03 of 04
Week 5: Behavioral questions preparation. Use STAR method.
Week 5: Prepare for behavioral and situational questions. Reflect on your past experiences related to teamwork, conflict resolution, leadership, and handling challenges. Use the STAR method to structure your answers.
Phase 04 of 04
Week 6: Company research and question preparation. Understand Autodesk's products and culture.
Week 6: Research Autodesk, its products (e.g., AutoCAD, Revit, Fusion 360), its competitors, and its company culture. Understand the role and responsibilities of a Senior Software Engineer at Autodesk. Prepare specific questions to ask the interviewers about the team, projects, and company.
Questions
Locations
Fig · Regions — 02 locations
01 / 02Location
Interview focus
Common questions
Tips
Location
Interview focus
Common questions
Tips
Rounds
Expand a step for evaluation criteria, sample questions, and prep notes.
Technical Screening (Coding) · 45 min · Software Engineer / Senior Software Engineer
This initial technical screening round focuses on your core computer science fundamentals. You will be asked to solve one or two coding problems, typically involving data structures and algorithms. The interviewer will assess your ability to understand the problem, devise an efficient solution, write clean and correct code, and analyze its time and space complexity. Expect to explain your thought process throughout the coding exercise.
What they look for
Evaluation
Sample 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.
Find the kth largest element in an unsorted array.
Prep for this round
Common rejection reasons
System Design · 60 min · Senior Software Engineer / Engineering Manager
This round evaluates your ability to design large-scale, distributed systems. You'll be presented with an open-ended problem (e.g., design Twitter's feed, a URL shortener, or a ride-sharing service) and expected to propose a high-level architecture. This includes defining APIs, choosing databases, designing data models, implementing caching, and considering scalability and reliability. You should be prepared to discuss trade-offs and justify your choices.
What they look for
Evaluation
Sample questions
Design a system like Google Maps.
Design a rate limiter for an API.
Design a distributed cache.
Prep for this round
Common rejection reasons
Behavioral Interview · 45 min · Hiring Manager / Senior Team Member
This round focuses on your behavioral and situational responses. You'll be asked questions about your past experiences, how you handle challenges, work in teams, and demonstrate leadership. The goal is to understand your working style, problem-solving approach in real-world scenarios, and how well you'd fit into the team and company culture. Use the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) to provide structured and specific answers.
What they look for
Evaluation
Sample questions
Tell me about a time you had to work with a difficult colleague. How did you manage the relationship?
Describe a project where you took initiative or demonstrated leadership.
Tell me about a time you failed. What did you learn from it?
Prep for this round
Common rejection reasons
Managerial Interview · 30 min · Hiring Manager
This is typically the final round with the Hiring Manager. The focus is on understanding your career aspirations, how they align with the team's goals and Autodesk's vision, and your overall motivation for the role. The manager will assess your potential for growth, your understanding of the team's work, and your cultural fit. This is also an opportunity for you to ask in-depth questions about the team, projects, and career development.
What they look for
Evaluation
Sample questions
What are your long-term career goals, and how does this role at Autodesk fit into them?
What interests you most about working on this specific team and our products?
How do you approach learning new technologies or domains?
Prep for this round
Common rejection reasons
DSA
Frequently reported on Autodesk loops
Other guides
