The interview process for a Software Engineer (MTS7) at Cohesity is designed to assess a candidate's technical expertise, problem-solving abilities, system design skills, and cultural fit. The process typically involves multiple rounds, starting with an initial screening and progressing through technical and behavioral interviews.
Rounds·4
Timeline·~14d
Experience·7 - 10 yrs
Comp band·US$170000 - US$220000
Interview time·210 min
Evaluation
Preparation
Tips
Study plan
Fig · Study plan — 05 phases
01 / 05Phase 01 of 05
Weeks 1-2: DSA fundamentals and practice (Easy/Medium).
Weeks 1-2: Focus on Data Structures and Algorithms. Cover arrays, linked lists, trees, graphs, hash tables, heaps, sorting, searching, dynamic programming, and greedy algorithms. Practice problems on LeetCode (Easy/Medium).
Phase 02 of 05
Weeks 3-4: System Design principles and case studies.
Weeks 3-4: Deep dive into System Design. Study concepts like scalability, availability, reliability, consistency, CAP theorem, load balancing, caching, databases (SQL/NoSQL), message queues, and microservices. Review common system design interview questions and case studies.
Phase 03 of 05
Week 5: OS and Networking fundamentals.
Week 5: Operating Systems and Networking. Review concepts such as processes, threads, memory management, concurrency, TCP/IP, HTTP, DNS, and network protocols. Understand how these concepts apply to distributed systems.
Phase 04 of 05
Week 6: Behavioral questions (STAR) and project review.
Week 6: Behavioral and Project Deep Dive. Prepare examples using the STAR method for common behavioral questions (teamwork, leadership, conflict resolution, failures). Revisit your resume and prepare to discuss past projects in detail, focusing on technical challenges and impact.
Phase 05 of 05
Week 7: Company research and mock interviews.
Week 7: Cohesity Specifics and Mock Interviews. Research Cohesity's products, mission, and values. Conduct mock interviews (technical and behavioral) to simulate the actual interview environment and get feedback.
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 Interview (Coding) · 45 min · Software Engineer / Senior Software Engineer
This round focuses on assessing your fundamental programming skills and problem-solving abilities. You will be asked to solve one or two coding problems, typically involving data structures and algorithms. The interviewer will evaluate your approach, the correctness and efficiency of your code, and your ability to communicate your thought process.
What they look for
Evaluation
Sample questions
Given an array of integers, find the contiguous subarray with the largest sum.
Implement a function to reverse a linked list.
Find the kth smallest element in a binary search tree.
Prep for this round
Common rejection reasons
System Design Interview · 60 min · Senior Software Engineer / Staff Engineer
This round assesses your ability to design complex, scalable, and reliable systems. You will be given an open-ended problem (e.g., design a URL shortener, a social media feed, a distributed cache) and expected to discuss the architecture, components, data models, APIs, and trade-offs involved. Focus on scalability, availability, and maintainability.
What they look for
Evaluation
Sample questions
Design a distributed key-value store.
Design a system to count unique visitors to a website.
Design a notification service.
Prep for this round
Common rejection reasons
Behavioral Interview · 45 min · Hiring Manager / Senior Team Member
This round focuses on your behavioral aspects, leadership potential, and how you align with Cohesity's culture. You'll be asked questions about your past experiences, how you handle challenges, work in teams, and your career aspirations. Use the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) to structure your answers.
What they look for
Evaluation
Sample questions
Tell me about a time you had a conflict with a teammate and how you resolved it.
Describe a project you are particularly proud of and your role in it.
How do you handle constructive criticism?
Tell me about a time you failed. What did you learn from it?
Prep for this round
Common rejection reasons
Managerial / Leadership Interview · 60 min · Director of Engineering / VP of Engineering
This final round is typically with a senior leader or the hiring manager. It's a broader discussion covering your technical experience, leadership philosophy, career aspirations, and how you can contribute to Cohesity's strategic goals. They will assess your overall fit for the role and the company at a higher level.
What they look for
Evaluation
Sample questions
What are your long-term career aspirations?
How would you mentor a junior engineer joining the team?
What do you think are the biggest challenges facing the data management industry today?
Describe a time you had to influence a decision at a senior level.
Prep for this round
Common rejection reasons
DSA
Frequently reported on Cohesity loops
Other guides
