Scale Engineer

SDE II

Software EngineerKMedium to Hard

Expedia's Software Engineer (SDE II - K Level) interview process is designed to assess a candidate's technical proficiency, problem-solving abilities, system design skills, and cultural fit within the company. The process typically involves multiple rounds, starting with an initial screening and progressing through technical and behavioral assessments.

Rounds·4

Timeline·~14d

Experience·3 - 7 yrs

Comp band·US$120000 - US$165000

Interview time·180 min

Evaluation

What they measure.

  • Problem-solving skills: Ability to break down complex problems, devise efficient solutions, and articulate the thought process.
  • Technical proficiency: Depth of knowledge in relevant programming languages, data structures, algorithms, and software development principles.
  • System design: Ability to design scalable, reliable, and maintainable systems, considering trade-offs and best practices.
  • Collaboration and teamwork: Effectiveness in working with others, communication skills, and ability to contribute positively to a team environment.
  • Adaptability and learning: Willingness to learn new technologies and adapt to changing requirements.
  • Cultural fit: Alignment with Expedia's values, such as customer focus, innovation, and integrity.

Preparation

How to prepare.

Tips

  1. Thoroughly review data structures and algorithms. Practice coding problems on platforms like LeetCode, HackerRank, and GeeksforGeeks, focusing on medium to hard difficulty.
  2. Study system design principles. Understand concepts like scalability, availability, reliability, consistency, and common design patterns (e.g., microservices, caching, load balancing).
  3. Prepare for behavioral questions using the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result). Reflect on past experiences related to teamwork, leadership, problem-solving, and handling challenges.
  4. Research Expedia's products, services, and recent news. Understand the company's mission and values.
  5. Familiarize yourself with common technologies used at Expedia, such as Java, Python, C#, JavaScript, AWS, Kubernetes, and various database technologies.
  6. Practice explaining your thought process clearly and concisely during technical interviews.
  7. 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 (Arrays, Lists, Trees, Graphs, Sorting, Searching, DP).

Weeks 1-2: Focus on Data Structures and Algorithms. Cover arrays, linked lists, trees, graphs, hash tables, sorting, searching, and dynamic programming. Solve at least 5-10 problems per topic. Aim for a solid understanding of time and space complexity.

Questions

Commonly asked.

  • Given an array of integers, find the contiguous subarray with the largest sum.
  • Design a system to manage flight bookings for a major airline.
  • How would you implement a rate limiter for an API?
  • Describe a situation where you had to deal with ambiguity in requirements.
  • What are the trade-offs between monolithic and microservices architectures?
  • Explain the concept of CAP theorem.
  • Tell me about a time you failed and what you learned from it.
  • How do you approach testing your code?
  • Design a URL shortening service like bit.ly.
  • What is the difference between a process and a thread?
  • How would you optimize a slow database query?
  • Describe your experience with cloud platforms like AWS or Azure.
  • Tell me about a challenging project you worked on and your role in it.
  • How do you handle constructive criticism?
  • What are your thoughts on continuous integration and continuous deployment (CI/CD)?

Locations

Regional differences.

Fig · Regions — 03 locations

01 / 03

Location

Seattle, USA

Interview focus

Deep dive into distributed systems and microservices architecture.Emphasis on scalability and performance optimization for high-traffic travel platforms.Understanding of cloud-native technologies (AWS, Azure, GCP).Behavioral questions focusing on collaboration, leadership, and problem-solving in a team environment.Case studies related to the travel industry, such as optimizing search results or managing booking systems.

Common questions

  • How would you design a system to handle real-time flight status updates for millions of users?
  • Describe a complex technical challenge you faced and how you overcame it.
  • Discuss your experience with distributed systems and microservices.
  • Explain the trade-offs between different database technologies (SQL vs. NoSQL) for a travel booking platform.
  • How do you ensure the scalability and reliability of a large-scale application?
  • Tell me about a time you had to mentor a junior engineer.
  • What are your thoughts on the latest trends in cloud computing and their application in the travel industry?

Tips

  • Familiarize yourself with Expedia's technology stack and recent product launches.
  • Prepare specific examples demonstrating your experience with large-scale systems and cloud technologies.
  • Practice explaining complex technical concepts clearly and concisely.
  • Research common challenges in the travel tech industry.
  • Be ready to discuss your contributions to open-source projects if applicable.

Rounds

Round-by-round.

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

DSA

Coding questions at Expedia.

Frequently reported on Expedia loops

View all at Expedia

Other guides

More at Expedia.