# Software Engineer
**Role:** Software Engineer · **Level:** L1
**Company:** [Grammarly](https://scaleengineer.com/companies/grammarly)
**Difficulty:** Medium
**Salary:** US$75000 - US$95000
**Experience:** 0 - 2
**Timeline:** ~7 days
Grammarly's Software Engineer L1 interview process is designed to assess foundational technical skills, problem-solving abilities, and cultural fit. It typically involves multiple rounds, starting with an HR screening, followed by technical interviews focusing on data structures, algorithms, and coding proficiency, and concluding with a behavioral or managerial interview.
Canonical: https://scaleengineer.com/interviews/grammarly/l1-software-engineer
---
## Overall evaluation

- Technical Skills
- Behavioral & Cultural Fit
- Potential & Growth

## Questions asked

- Write a function to reverse a linked list.
- Given an array of integers, find the two numbers that add up to a specific target.
- Explain the difference between a stack and a queue.
- How would you find the shortest path in a graph?
- Describe a time you received constructive criticism and how you responded.
- What interests you about working at Grammarly?
- How do you stay updated with new technologies?
- Tell me about a time you had to debug a difficult problem.

## Preparation tips

### lists

- Review fundamental data structures (arrays, linked lists, trees, graphs, hash maps) and algorithms (sorting, searching, graph traversal, dynamic programming).
- Practice coding problems on platforms like LeetCode, HackerRank, or Coderbyte, focusing on easy and medium difficulty.
- Understand time and space complexity (Big O notation).
- Brush up on core programming concepts in your preferred language (e.g., object-oriented programming, functional programming paradigms).
- Prepare to discuss your past projects, highlighting your contributions and the challenges you faced.
- Research Grammarly's products, mission, and values to understand how your skills and aspirations align.
- Prepare questions to ask the interviewer about the role, team, and company culture.

### studyPlan

- {"title":"Data Structures","longDescription":"Weeks 1-2: Focus on Data Structures. Cover arrays, linked lists, stacks, queues, trees (binary trees, BSTs, AVL trees), heaps, and hash tables. Understand their operations, time/space complexity, and common use cases. Practice implementing them and solving problems related to them.","shortDescription":"Weeks 1-2: Data Structures (Arrays, Lists, Trees, Hash Maps)."}
- {"title":"Algorithms","longDescription":"Weeks 3-4: Focus on Algorithms. Cover sorting algorithms (bubble sort, merge sort, quicksort), searching algorithms (binary search), graph algorithms (BFS, DFS, Dijkstra's), and basic dynamic programming concepts. Understand their time and space complexity and when to apply them. Practice solving problems using these algorithms.","shortDescription":"Weeks 3-4: Algorithms (Sorting, Searching, Graphs, DP basics)."}
- {"title":"Coding Practice","longDescription":"Week 5: Coding Practice & Complexity Analysis. Dedicate this week to solving a variety of coding problems that integrate data structures and algorithms. Focus on writing clean, efficient, and well-commented code. Practice analyzing the time and space complexity of your solutions.","shortDescription":"Week 5: Coding Practice & Complexity Analysis."}
- {"title":"Behavioral & Project Review","longDescription":"Week 6: Behavioral Preparation & Project Review. Prepare to discuss your past experiences using the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result). Review your resume and be ready to talk in detail about your projects, challenges, and learnings. Research Grammarly's values and prepare questions.","shortDescription":"Week 6: Behavioral Prep & Project Review."}

## Location differences

- {"location":"Remote","differences":{"tips":["Ensure a stable internet connection and a quiet environment.","Be prepared to share your screen and use online collaboration tools.","Highlight your experience with asynchronous communication."],"interviewFocus":["Adaptability to remote collaboration tools and practices.","Communication skills in a distributed team environment.","Self-motivation and ability to work independently."],"commonQuestions":["Tell me about a challenging project you worked on.","How do you approach debugging a complex issue?","Describe a time you had to learn a new technology quickly."]}}
- {"location":"On-site (e.g., Kyiv, USA)","differences":{"tips":["Be ready to discuss your experiences working in a physical office.","Emphasize your ability to collaborate effectively with colleagues.","Showcase your understanding of team-based workflows."],"interviewFocus":["Collaboration and teamwork within an office setting.","Understanding of agile development principles.","Contribution to team dynamics and problem-solving."],"commonQuestions":["What are your thoughts on pair programming?","How do you handle disagreements within a team?","Describe your experience with agile methodologies."]}}

## Round 1: Technical Coding Round
**Type:** Technical Interview (Coding) · **Difficulty:** Medium · **Duration:** 45 min
Coding challenge focused on data structures and algorithms.
This round is a technical coding interview focused on assessing your ability to solve problems using data structures and algorithms. You will be asked to write code, typically in a shared editor or whiteboard, to solve one or two algorithmic problems. The interviewer will evaluate your approach, your understanding of the underlying concepts, and the efficiency and correctness of your solution. They will also be looking at how you communicate your thought process as you work through the problem.
**Interviewers look for:** Logical thinking; Ability to translate requirements into code; Understanding of Big O notation; Clean and readable code; Effective communication of solutions
**Evaluation criteria:** Problem-solving approach; Coding proficiency; Understanding of data structures and algorithms; Code clarity and efficiency; Communication of thought process
**Common rejection reasons:** Inability to articulate thought process clearly.; Fundamental misunderstanding of data structures or algorithms.; Code that is inefficient, buggy, or not well-structured.; Poor communication skills.
## Questions

- Given an array of integers, return indices of the two numbers such that they add up to a specific target.
- Implement a function to check if a binary tree is a valid Binary Search Tree (BST).

## Preparation tips

- Practice coding problems on platforms like LeetCode.
- Focus on explaining your thought process out loud.
- Be prepared to discuss time and space complexity.
- Ask clarifying questions if the problem statement is unclear.

## Round 2: HR & Behavioral Round
**Type:** Behavioral / HR Interview · **Difficulty:** Easy · **Duration:** 30 min
Assesses cultural fit, motivation, and past experiences.
This round is typically conducted by an HR representative or the hiring manager. It focuses on your background, motivations, and how well you would fit into Grammarly's culture. You'll be asked behavioral questions about your past experiences, teamwork, and how you handle challenges. This is also an opportunity for you to ask questions about the role, team, and company.
**Interviewers look for:** Enthusiasm for the role and company.; Ability to articulate past experiences clearly.; Good communication and interpersonal skills.; Alignment with Grammarly's values.; Potential for growth
**Evaluation criteria:** Communication skills; Teamwork and collaboration; Problem-solving approach in past projects; Cultural fit; Motivation and interest in Grammarly
**Common rejection reasons:** Lack of clarity in explaining past experiences.; Inability to provide specific examples.; Poor alignment with company values.; Negative attitude or lack of enthusiasm.
## Questions

- Tell me about a time you faced a significant challenge in a project and how you overcame it.
- Why are you interested in working at Grammarly?
- Describe a situation where you had to work with a difficult team member.

## Preparation tips

- Prepare answers to common behavioral questions using the STAR method.
- Research Grammarly's mission, values, and products.
- Think about why you are interested in this specific role and company.
- Prepare thoughtful questions to ask the interviewer.