Scale Engineer

Senior SDE

Software EngineerMHard

Expedia's Senior Software Engineer (Level M) interview process is designed to assess a candidate's technical expertise, problem-solving abilities, system design skills, and cultural fit within the company. The process typically involves multiple rounds, including technical screenings, coding challenges, system design discussions, and behavioral interviews.

Rounds·4

Timeline·~4d

Experience·5 - 10 yrs

Comp band·US$130000 - US$180000

Interview time·180 min

Evaluation

What they measure.

  • Technical proficiency in relevant programming languages and frameworks.
  • Ability to write clean, efficient, and maintainable code.
  • Strong understanding of data structures and algorithms.
  • Problem-solving skills and logical thinking.
  • System design capabilities, including scalability, reliability, and performance.

Preparation

How to prepare.

Tips

  1. Review fundamental computer science concepts, including data structures, algorithms, and operating systems.
  2. Practice coding problems on platforms like LeetCode, HackerRank, or similar.
  3. Study system design principles and common architectural patterns.
  4. Prepare examples for behavioral questions using the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result).
  5. Research Expedia's products, services, and company culture.
  6. Understand the specific technologies and tools used by Expedia's engineering teams.
  7. Practice explaining your thought process clearly and concisely.
  8. Prepare questions to ask the interviewer about the role, team, and company.

Study plan

Fig · Study plan — 04 phases

01 / 04
01

Phase 01 of 04

Data Structures and Algorithms

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

Weeks 1-2: Focus on core data structures (arrays, linked lists, trees, graphs, hash maps) and algorithms (sorting, searching, dynamic programming, graph traversal). Practice implementing these in your preferred language. Review Big O notation for time and space complexity analysis.

Questions

Commonly asked.

  • Design a URL shortening service like bit.ly.
  • How would you design a system to handle real-time flight status updates for millions of users?
  • Implement a function to find the k-th largest element in an unsorted array.
  • Tell me about a time you had to deal with a difficult stakeholder. How did you manage the situation?
  • Explain the difference between REST and SOAP.
  • How would you design a distributed cache?
  • Describe a situation where you had to learn a new technology quickly. What was your approach?
  • What are the trade-offs between SQL and NoSQL databases?
  • Design an API for booking vacation packages that can handle varying user preferences and dynamic pricing.
  • How do you approach code reviews?
  • Tell me about a time you made a mistake. What did you learn from it?
  • Design a system for personalized travel recommendations.

Locations

Regional differences.

Fig · Regions — 03 locations

01 / 03

Location

Seattle, USA

Interview focus

Deep understanding of distributed systems and cloud technologies (AWS, Azure, GCP).Experience with large-scale data processing and analytics.Strong problem-solving skills applied to travel industry specific scenarios.Ability to lead technical discussions and mentor junior engineers.Cultural alignment with Expedia's values of customer focus, innovation, and collaboration.

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.
  • Tell me about a time you had to mentor a junior engineer. What was your approach?
  • How do you ensure the scalability and reliability of a distributed system?
  • What are your thoughts on microservices vs. monolithic architectures in the context of travel platforms?

Tips

  • Research Expedia's technology stack and recent product launches.
  • Prepare specific examples demonstrating leadership and impact.
  • Be ready to discuss trade-offs in system design decisions.
  • Understand the challenges of building a global, high-traffic platform.
  • Showcase your ability to adapt to new technologies and methodologies.

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.