# Software Engineer
**Role:** Software Engineer · **Level:** L2
**Company:** [Grammarly](https://scaleengineer.com/companies/grammarly)
**Difficulty:** Medium
**Salary:** US$110000 - US$150000
**Experience:** 2 - 5
**Timeline:** ~7 days
Grammarly's Software Engineer L2 interview process is designed to assess a candidate's technical proficiency, problem-solving abilities, and cultural fit within the company. The process typically involves multiple rounds, including HR screening, technical interviews focusing on data structures, algorithms, and system design, and a final managerial or behavioral interview.
Canonical: https://scaleengineer.com/interviews/grammarly/l2-software-engineer
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## Overall evaluation

- Technical Proficiency
- Communication and Collaboration
- Cultural Fit

## Questions asked

- Given an array of integers, find the contiguous subarray with the largest sum.
- Implement a function to reverse a linked list.
- Design a URL shortening service.
- Tell me about a time you disagreed with a teammate and how you resolved it.
- How would you design a system to handle millions of concurrent users?
- What are the trade-offs between SQL and NoSQL databases?
- Describe your experience with cloud platforms like AWS or GCP.
- How do you stay updated with new technologies?
- Explain the concept of polymorphism with an example.
- What is a deadlock and how can it be prevented?

## Preparation tips

### lists

- Review fundamental data structures and algorithms (arrays, linked lists, trees, graphs, hash maps, sorting, searching).
- Practice coding problems on platforms like LeetCode, HackerRank, or Coderbyte, focusing on medium-difficulty problems.
- Understand common system design concepts (scalability, availability, databases, caching, load balancing).
- Prepare for behavioral questions by using the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result).
- Research Grammarly's products, mission, and values.
- Be ready to discuss your past projects and technical contributions in detail.
- Prepare thoughtful questions to ask the interviewer.

### studyPlan

- {"title":"Data Structures Fundamentals","longDescription":"Weeks 1-2: Focus on core data structures (arrays, linked lists, stacks, queues, trees, graphs) and their common operations. Practice problems related to traversal, searching, and manipulation. Understand time and space complexity analysis.","shortDescription":"Weeks 1-2: Data Structures (Arrays, Lists, Trees, Graphs). Complexity Analysis."}
- {"title":"Algorithm Mastery","longDescription":"Weeks 3-4: Deep dive into algorithms, including sorting (quicksort, mergesort), searching (binary search), dynamic programming, and graph algorithms (BFS, DFS, Dijkstra's). Solve medium-level problems on these topics.","shortDescription":"Weeks 3-4: Algorithms (Sorting, Searching, DP, Graphs). Medium LeetCode."}
- {"title":"System Design Basics","longDescription":"Week 5: Study system design principles. Learn about designing scalable and reliable systems, including concepts like databases, caching, load balancing, APIs, and microservices. Review common system design interview questions.","shortDescription":"Week 5: System Design Principles (Scalability, Databases, Caching, Load Balancing)."}
- {"title":"Behavioral Preparation","longDescription":"Week 6: Prepare for behavioral and situational questions. Reflect on past experiences and prepare examples using the STAR method. Understand Grammarly's values and how your experiences align.","shortDescription":"Week 6: Behavioral Questions (STAR Method), Grammarly Values."}
- {"title":"Final Review and Practice","longDescription":"Week 7: Mock interviews, review weak areas, and finalize questions for the interviewers. Ensure you are comfortable discussing your resume and past projects.","shortDescription":"Week 7: Mock Interviews, Resume Review, Final Q&A Prep."}

## Location differences

- {"location":"Remote","differences":{"tips":["Highlight your experience working in distributed teams if applicable.","Be prepared to discuss your preferred communication tools and strategies.","Research Grammarly's presence and impact in the specific region."],"interviewFocus":["Adaptability to different work environments.","Communication skills in a remote or hybrid setting.","Understanding of local market trends and technologies."],"commonQuestions":["Discuss a challenging technical problem you solved at your previous role.","How do you approach debugging complex issues?","Describe your experience with agile development methodologies.","What are your thoughts on code reviews and how do you provide constructive feedback?"]}}
- {"location":"Office-based (e.g., San Francisco, Kyiv)","differences":{"tips":["Emphasize your experience working in an office environment and collaborating face-to-face.","Be ready to share examples of successful team projects.","Showcase your understanding of Grammarly's values and how they align with the local office culture."],"interviewFocus":["Teamwork and collaboration skills.","Problem-solving in a collaborative setting.","Understanding of local engineering culture and best practices."],"commonQuestions":["Tell me about a time you had to collaborate with cross-functional teams.","How do you handle disagreements within a team?","Describe a project where you had to make trade-offs between technical excellence and project deadlines.","What are your favorite tools for version control and collaboration?"]}}

## Round 1: HR/Recruiter Screen
**Type:** HR Screening · **Difficulty:** Easy · **Duration:** 30 min
An introductory call with HR to discuss your background, motivation, and fit with Grammarly.
This initial round is conducted by an HR representative or recruiter to assess your overall fit with Grammarly, understand your career aspirations, and confirm your interest in the Software Engineer L2 role. They will also cover logistical aspects like salary expectations and availability. It's an opportunity to learn more about Grammarly's culture and the specifics of the role.
**Interviewers look for:** Enthusiasm for the role and company.; Clear communication.; Basic understanding of software engineering principles.; Alignment with Grammarly's mission.
**Evaluation criteria:** Basic understanding of the role.; Communication clarity.; Cultural alignment.; Motivation for joining Grammarly.
**Common rejection reasons:** Poor communication skills.; Lack of enthusiasm or engagement.; Inability to articulate thought process.; Not aligning with company values.
## Questions

- Tell me about yourself.
- Why are you interested in Grammarly?
- What are your salary expectations?
- What are your strengths and weaknesses?

## Preparation tips

- Research Grammarly's mission, values, and products.
- Be prepared to talk about your resume and career goals.
- Practice answering common behavioral questions.
- Prepare questions to ask the interviewer about the role and company culture.

## Round 2: Data Structures & Algorithms Interview
**Type:** Technical Interview (Coding) · **Difficulty:** Medium · **Duration:** 60 min
A coding challenge focused on data structures and algorithms, assessing problem-solving and implementation skills.
This technical interview focuses on your core computer science knowledge. You will be asked to solve coding problems, typically involving data structures and algorithms. The interviewer will assess your ability to write clean, efficient, and correct code, as well as your understanding of time and space complexity. You'll need to clearly articulate your approach and reasoning.
**Interviewers look for:** Strong understanding of fundamental CS concepts.; Ability to translate requirements into working code.; Logical and systematic approach to problem-solving.; Clear communication of the solution and its trade-offs.
**Evaluation criteria:** Proficiency in data structures and algorithms.; Problem-solving skills.; Coding efficiency and correctness.; Ability to analyze time and space complexity.; Clarity of thought process explanation.
**Common rejection reasons:** Inability to solve coding problems efficiently.; Poor time complexity or space complexity.; Difficulty explaining the thought process.; Incorrect or incomplete solutions.; Lack of understanding of fundamental data structures and algorithms.
## Questions

- Given a binary tree, find its inorder traversal.
- Implement a function to find the kth smallest element in an array.
- Write a function to check if a string is a palindrome.
- Given two strings, find the length of their longest common subsequence.

## Preparation tips

- Practice coding problems on platforms like LeetCode, focusing on medium difficulty.
- Review common data structures (arrays, linked lists, trees, graphs, hash maps) and algorithms (sorting, searching, dynamic programming).
- Be prepared to explain your code and analyze its complexity.
- Practice thinking out loud during problem-solving.

## Round 3: System Design Interview
**Type:** Technical Interview (System Design) · **Difficulty:** Medium · **Duration:** 60 min
A discussion on designing scalable software systems, evaluating architectural thinking and trade-off analysis.
This round evaluates your ability to design and architect software systems. You'll be presented with a high-level problem (e.g., design a URL shortener, a social media feed, or a notification system) and expected to propose a scalable and robust solution. This includes discussing database choices, caching strategies, API design, load balancing, and potential bottlenecks.
**Interviewers look for:** Ability to design complex systems from scratch.; Understanding of distributed systems concepts.; Knowledge of various architectural patterns.; Ability to justify design decisions.; Consideration of non-functional requirements.
**Evaluation criteria:** System design principles.; Scalability and performance considerations.; Trade-off analysis.; Database and storage knowledge.; API design.; Clarity of design explanation.
**Common rejection reasons:** Inability to design scalable and robust systems.; Lack of understanding of system design trade-offs.; Poor consideration of edge cases and failure scenarios.; Difficulty in communicating design choices.; Not considering aspects like availability, latency, and consistency.
## Questions

- Design a system like Twitter's trending topics.
- How would you design a rate limiter?
- Design a distributed key-value store.
- How would you design a system to handle real-time notifications?

## Preparation tips

- Study common system design patterns and concepts.
- Practice designing systems like Twitter feed, TinyURL, or a distributed cache.
- Understand trade-offs between different technologies and approaches.
- Be prepared to draw diagrams and explain your design choices clearly.

## Round 4: Hiring Manager Interview
**Type:** Behavioral/Managerial Interview · **Difficulty:** Medium · **Duration:** 45 min
A discussion focused on behavioral aspects, teamwork, and cultural fit, often led by the hiring manager.
This round, often conducted by the hiring manager, focuses on your behavioral and soft skills. You'll be asked questions about your past experiences, how you handle specific situations (e.g., conflicts, failures, successes), and your approach to teamwork and problem-solving. The goal is to understand how you operate within a team and if you align with Grammarly's culture and values.
**Interviewers look for:** How you handle challenges and conflicts.; Your ability to work effectively with others.; Your proactiveness and ownership.; Your growth mindset and willingness to learn.; Your overall fit within the team and company culture.
**Evaluation criteria:** Behavioral competencies.; Teamwork and collaboration.; Problem-solving approach in a team context.; Adaptability and learning agility.; Alignment with Grammarly's values and culture.
**Common rejection reasons:** Poor collaboration or teamwork skills.; Lack of ownership or accountability.; Negative attitude or lack of enthusiasm.; Inability to handle feedback constructively.; Misalignment with team goals or company culture.
## Questions

- Describe a time you had a conflict with a colleague and how you resolved it.
- Tell me about a project where you faced significant challenges and how you overcame them.
- How do you prioritize your work when you have multiple competing deadlines?
- What motivates you in a work environment?

## Preparation tips

- Prepare examples using the STAR method for common behavioral questions.
- Reflect on your past projects and identify situations demonstrating teamwork, leadership, and problem-solving.
- Be ready to discuss your career goals and how this role fits into them.
- Show enthusiasm and genuine interest in the team and Grammarly.