Scale Engineer

Software Engineer

Software EngineerMTS5Hard

The interview process for a Software Engineer (MTS5) at Cohesity is designed to assess a candidate's technical proficiency, problem-solving abilities, system design skills, and cultural fit. The process typically involves multiple rounds, starting with an HR screening, followed by technical interviews focusing on data structures, algorithms, and coding, and culminating in a system design and behavioral interview with senior engineers and hiring managers.

Rounds·4

Timeline·~14d

Experience·5 - 8 yrs

Comp band·US$140000 - US$180000

Interview time·180 min

Evaluation

What they measure.

  • Problem-solving skills
  • Coding proficiency
  • Algorithmic thinking
  • Data structure knowledge
  • System design capabilities
  • Scalability and performance considerations
  • Communication skills
  • Teamwork and collaboration
  • Cultural fit
  • Leadership potential

Preparation

How to prepare.

Tips

  1. Review fundamental data structures and algorithms (arrays, linked lists, trees, graphs, sorting, searching).
  2. Practice coding problems on platforms like LeetCode, HackerRank, or similar.
  3. Study system design principles, including scalability, availability, reliability, and consistency.
  4. Understand distributed systems concepts (e.g., CAP theorem, consensus algorithms, message queues).
  5. Prepare for behavioral questions by reflecting on past experiences using the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result).
  6. Research Cohesity's products, mission, and values to understand how your skills align.
  7. Practice explaining your thought process clearly and concisely.
  8. Prepare questions to ask the interviewer about the role, team, and company culture.

Study plan

Fig · Study plan — 04 phases

01 / 04
01

Phase 01 of 04

Data Structures and Algorithms

Weeks 1-2: DSA fundamentals and practice (LeetCode medium).

Weeks 1-2: Focus on Data Structures and Algorithms. Cover arrays, linked lists, stacks, queues, trees (binary, BST, AVL), heaps, hash tables, graphs. Practice implementing these and solving problems related to them. Aim for 2-3 LeetCode medium problems per day.

Questions

Commonly asked.

  • Given an array of integers, find the contiguous subarray with the largest sum.
  • Design a URL shortening service like bit.ly.
  • How would you design a distributed cache?
  • Describe a time you disagreed with a teammate and how you resolved it.
  • What are the trade-offs between monolithic and microservices architectures?
  • Implement a function to reverse a linked list.
  • Explain the concept of eventual consistency.
  • Tell me about a project you are particularly proud of.
  • How do you handle production issues under pressure?
  • Design a system to count unique visitors to a website.

Locations

Regional differences.

Fig · Regions — 02 locations

01 / 02

Location

USA

Interview focus

Emphasis on practical experience with cloud technologies (AWS, Azure, GCP).Deeper dive into distributed systems concepts and real-world application.Strong focus on leadership and mentorship potential.

Common questions

  • Discuss a challenging technical problem you solved at your previous role.
  • How do you approach debugging a complex distributed system?
  • Describe a time you had to mentor a junior engineer.

Tips

  • Be prepared to discuss specific projects and their impact.
  • Highlight experience with CI/CD pipelines and infrastructure as code.
  • Showcase your ability to lead and influence technical decisions.

Rounds

Round-by-round.

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

DSA

Coding questions at Cohesity.

Frequently reported on Cohesity loops

View all at Cohesity

Other guides

More at Cohesity.