Scale Engineer

Software Engineer

Software EngineerSoftware Engineer IIMedium to Hard

This interview process for a Software Engineer II at Canonical is designed to assess a candidate's technical proficiency, problem-solving abilities, and cultural fit within the company. It typically involves multiple rounds, starting with an HR screening, followed by technical interviews focusing on data structures, algorithms, system design, and coding, and concluding with a managerial or team-fit interview.

Rounds·4

Timeline·~7d

Experience·2 - 5 yrs

Comp band·US$90000 - US$130000

Interview time·165 min

Evaluation

What they measure.

  • Problem-solving skills
  • Algorithmic thinking
  • Data structure knowledge
  • Coding proficiency and best practices
  • System design capabilities
  • Scalability and performance considerations
  • Communication skills
  • Teamwork and collaboration
  • Cultural fit and alignment with Canonical's values

Preparation

How to prepare.

Tips

  1. Review fundamental data structures (arrays, linked lists, trees, graphs, hash maps) and algorithms (sorting, searching, dynamic programming, graph traversal).
  2. Practice coding problems on platforms like LeetCode, HackerRank, or Coderbyte, focusing on medium to hard difficulty.
  3. Study system design principles, common design patterns, and trade-offs for building scalable and reliable systems.
  4. Understand core concepts of operating systems, networking, and databases.
  5. Prepare to discuss your past projects in detail, focusing on your contributions, challenges, and learnings.
  6. Research Canonical's products (Ubuntu, LXD, Juju, MAAS, etc.) and their underlying technologies.
  7. Prepare for behavioral questions by thinking about the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) for common scenarios like teamwork, conflict resolution, and handling failure.
  8. Be ready to explain your thought process clearly and concisely during technical discussions.

Study plan

Fig · Study plan — 05 phases

01 / 05
01

Phase 01 of 05

Data Structures and Algorithms

Weeks 1-2: Data Structures & Algorithms Fundamentals. Practice coding problems.

Weeks 1-2: Focus on core data structures and algorithms. Cover arrays, linked lists, stacks, queues, trees (binary, BST, AVL), heaps, hash tables. Implement common sorting and searching algorithms. Practice problems related to these topics on platforms like LeetCode.

Questions

Commonly asked.

  • Given an array of integers, find the contiguous subarray with the largest sum.
  • Design a system to count the number of views for a given URL.
  • Explain the difference between a process and a thread.
  • How would you optimize a slow database query?
  • Describe a time you had to deal with a difficult teammate.
  • What are your strengths and weaknesses as a software engineer?
  • Write a function to reverse a linked list.
  • How do you ensure the quality of your code?
  • What is garbage collection and how does it work?
  • Tell me about a project you are particularly proud of.

Locations

Regional differences.

Fig · Regions — 02 locations

01 / 02

Location

Remote

Interview focus

System design and scalability are often emphasized more in interviews for roles based in regions with a strong focus on cloud infrastructure and large-scale deployments.Candidates in regions with a strong open-source community presence might be asked more about their contributions and understanding of open-source principles.Behavioral questions might be tailored to reflect local work culture and team dynamics.

Common questions

  • How would you design a distributed caching system?
  • Explain the CAP theorem and its implications.
  • Describe a challenging bug you encountered and how you debugged it.
  • What are your thoughts on microservices vs. monolith architecture?
  • How do you handle concurrency in your code?

Tips

  • Research Canonical's presence and projects in your specific region.
  • Highlight any experience with open-source contributions, especially if relevant to Canonical's work.
  • Be prepared to discuss how your problem-solving approach aligns with the local team's working style.

Rounds

Round-by-round.

Expand a step for evaluation criteria, sample questions, and prep notes.

DSA

Coding questions at Canonical.

Frequently reported on Canonical loops

View all at Canonical

Other guides

More at Canonical.