The Senior Software Engineer II (IC4) interview at Compass is a comprehensive evaluation designed to assess a candidate's technical expertise, problem-solving abilities, system design skills, and cultural fit. It typically involves multiple rounds, including technical interviews, a system design interview, and a behavioral interview, often with a coding challenge or take-home assignment.
Rounds·4
Timeline·~14d
Experience·5 - 10 yrs
Comp band·US$140000 - US$180000
Interview time·225 min
Evaluation
Preparation
Tips
Study plan
Fig · Study plan — 04 phases
01 / 04Phase 01 of 04
Weeks 1-2: Data Structures & Algorithms fundamentals. Practice 50+ LeetCode medium problems.
Weeks 1-2: Focus on core data structures (arrays, linked lists, trees, graphs, hash maps) and algorithms (sorting, searching, dynamic programming, recursion). Practice implementing these from scratch and analyze their time and space complexity. Solve at least 50 medium-difficulty problems on LeetCode.
Phase 02 of 04
Weeks 3-4: System Design principles. Study scalability, databases, and design common systems.
Weeks 3-4: Dive into system design concepts. Study topics like scalability, availability, reliability, load balancing, caching, databases (SQL vs. NoSQL), message queues, and microservices. Read system design case studies and practice designing common systems like Twitter feed or URL shortener.
Phase 03 of 04
Week 5: Behavioral preparation using STAR method. Research Compass values.
Week 5: Prepare for behavioral interviews. Reflect on your past projects and experiences, identifying examples that demonstrate leadership, teamwork, problem-solving, and handling challenges. Use the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) to structure your answers. Research Compass's values and prepare questions.
Phase 04 of 04
Week 6: Mock interviews for technical and behavioral rounds. Get feedback.
Week 6: Mock interviews. Conduct mock interviews with peers or mentors, focusing on both technical and behavioral aspects. Get feedback on your communication, problem-solving approach, and overall presentation. Refine your answers and strategies based on the 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) · 60 min · Software Engineer / Senior Software Engineer
This round focuses on assessing your core 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 efficiency of your solution, and your ability to write clean, well-structured code. You'll be expected to explain your thought process throughout the problem-solving exercise.
What they look for
Evaluation
Sample questions
Given a binary tree, find its inorder traversal.
Find the median of two sorted arrays.
Implement a function to reverse a linked list.
Prep for this round
Common rejection reasons
System Design Interview · 60 min · Senior Software Engineer / Engineering Manager
This round evaluates your ability to design and architect software systems. You'll be presented with a high-level problem (e.g., design a social media feed, a URL shortener, or a notification system) and asked to propose a solution. The focus is on scalability, reliability, performance, and the trade-offs involved in your design choices. You should be prepared to discuss various components, data models, APIs, and potential challenges.
What they look for
Evaluation
Sample questions
Design a system like Twitter's news feed.
Design a rate limiter.
Design a distributed key-value store.
Prep for this round
Common rejection reasons
Behavioral Interview · 45 min · Hiring Manager / Senior Team Member
This round focuses on your behavioral competencies and how you align with Compass's culture. You'll be asked questions about your past experiences, such as how you've handled challenges, worked in teams, dealt with conflict, or demonstrated leadership. The interviewer aims to understand your working style, motivations, and how you would fit into the team and company.
What they look for
Evaluation
Sample questions
Tell me about a time you had to work with a difficult colleague.
Describe a project you are particularly proud of and your role in it.
How do you stay updated with new technologies?
Prep for this round
Common rejection reasons
Technical Deep Dive / Manager Interview · 60 min · Engineering Manager / Principal Engineer
This final round, often with the hiring manager or a principal engineer, is a deeper dive into your technical expertise and how you can contribute to the specific team. It may involve more in-depth technical questions, discussions about past projects, and an assessment of your potential to grow within the team and company. The focus is on ensuring a strong technical and team fit.
What they look for
Evaluation
Sample questions
How would you design a caching layer for a high-traffic e-commerce site?
Discuss your experience with asynchronous programming.
What are the challenges of maintaining a large microservices architecture?
Prep for this round
Common rejection reasons
DSA
Frequently reported on Compass loops
Other guides
