# Software Engineer
**Role:** Software Engineer · **Level:** L3
**Company:** [Grammarly](https://scaleengineer.com/companies/grammarly)
**Difficulty:** Medium
**Salary:** US$90000 - US$120000
**Experience:** 1 - 3
**Timeline:** ~7 days
The Grammarly Software Engineer L3 interview process is designed to assess a candidate's technical proficiency, problem-solving abilities, and cultural fit within the company. It typically involves multiple rounds, starting with an HR screening, followed by technical interviews focusing on data structures, algorithms, and system design, and concluding with a behavioral and managerial interview.
Canonical: https://scaleengineer.com/interviews/grammarly/l3-software-engineer
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## Overall evaluation

- Technical Skills
- Communication and Collaboration
- Cultural Fit

## Questions asked

- Write a function to reverse a linked list.
- Given an array of integers, find the contiguous subarray with the largest sum.
- Design a system to handle real-time analytics for a website.
- How would you optimize a slow database query?
- Tell me about a time you had to deal with ambiguity in a project.
- What are your strengths and weaknesses?
- Why are you interested in Grammarly?

## Preparation tips

### lists

- Review fundamental data structures (arrays, linked lists, trees, graphs, hash maps) and algorithms (sorting, searching, dynamic programming, graph traversal).
- Practice coding problems on platforms like LeetCode, HackerRank, or Coderbyte, focusing on medium-difficulty problems.
- Understand core computer science concepts such as time and space complexity (Big O notation).
- Study system design principles, including scalability, reliability, and availability. Familiarize yourself with common design patterns.
- Prepare to discuss your past projects and experiences in detail, highlighting your contributions and learnings.
- Research Grammarly's products, mission, and values to understand how your skills and aspirations align.
- Practice behavioral questions using the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result).
- Prepare thoughtful questions to ask the interviewer about the role, team, and company culture.

### studyPlan

- {"title":"Data Structures and Algorithms","longDescription":"Weeks 1-2: Focus on Data Structures and Algorithms. Cover arrays, linked lists, stacks, queues, trees (binary trees, BSTs, AVL trees), heaps, hash tables, graphs. Implement common algorithms like sorting (quicksort, mergesort), searching (binary search), graph traversal (BFS, DFS), dynamic programming, and greedy algorithms. Practice problems on LeetCode (Easy/Medium).","shortDescription":"Weeks 1-2: DSA fundamentals and practice (LeetCode Easy/Medium)."}
- {"title":"System Design","longDescription":"Weeks 3-4: Dive into System Design. Understand concepts like load balancing, caching, database design (SQL vs. NoSQL), message queues, API design, microservices architecture, and distributed systems. Study common system design problems like designing a URL shortener, a Twitter feed, or a chat application. Read relevant articles and case studies.","shortDescription":"Weeks 3-4: System Design principles and common problems."}
- {"title":"Behavioral and Cultural Fit","longDescription":"Week 5: Behavioral and Behavioral Questions. Prepare to discuss your past experiences using the STAR method. Focus on examples that demonstrate teamwork, problem-solving, leadership, handling conflict, and learning from mistakes. Align your answers with Grammarly's core values.","shortDescription":"Week 5: Behavioral questions and STAR method practice."}
- {"title":"Mock Interviews and Final Preparation","longDescription":"Week 6: Mock Interviews and Review. Conduct mock interviews with peers or mentors to simulate the actual interview environment. Review your weak areas identified during practice. Prepare questions to ask the interviewers.","shortDescription":"Week 6: Mock interviews and final review."}

## Location differences

- {"location":"Remote","differences":{"tips":["Ensure a stable internet connection and a quiet environment.","Be prepared to share your screen and use virtual whiteboarding tools.","Clearly articulate your thought process and solutions verbally."],"interviewFocus":["Adaptability to remote collaboration tools and practices.","Communication skills in a distributed environment.","Understanding of asynchronous communication patterns."],"commonQuestions":["How would you design a URL shortener?","Explain the difference between a process and a thread.","Describe a challenging technical problem you solved.","Tell me about a time you disagreed with a teammate."]}}
- {"location":"San Francisco","differences":{"tips":["Research common technical challenges and solutions prevalent in the local tech industry.","Be prepared to discuss your experience with technologies popular in the region.","Understand Grammarly's presence and impact in the local market."],"interviewFocus":["Understanding of local market technical trends and talent pool.","Familiarity with local engineering practices and methodologies.","Cultural nuances and team dynamics specific to the region."],"commonQuestions":["How would you design a system to handle real-time notifications?","What are the trade-offs between SQL and NoSQL databases?","Describe your experience with cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, GCP).","How do you approach debugging complex issues?"]}}

## Round 0: HR Screening
**Type:** HR Screening · **Difficulty:** Easy · **Duration:** 30 min
Initial screening by HR to assess fit and expectations.
This initial screening is conducted by HR to understand your background, career goals, and motivation for applying to Grammarly. They will also discuss salary expectations and logistics. It's an opportunity for you to learn more about the company culture and the role.
**Interviewers look for:** Genuine interest in Grammarly and the role.; Clear communication of career aspirations.; Professionalism and positive attitude.; Good questions about the company and team.
**Evaluation criteria:** Candidate's motivation and interest; Alignment of expectations (role, salary, culture); Overall fit with the team and company
**Common rejection reasons:** Lack of enthusiasm for the role or company.; Unrealistic salary expectations.; Poor fit with the team's working style.; Failure to ask relevant questions.
## Questions

- Why are you interested in this role at Grammarly?
- What are your salary expectations?

## Preparation tips

- Research Grammarly's mission, values, and products.
- Be prepared to discuss your resume and career aspirations.
- Have a clear understanding of your salary expectations.
- Prepare questions to ask the recruiter.

## Round 1: Data Structures and Algorithms
**Type:** Technical Interview (Coding) · **Difficulty:** Medium · **Duration:** 45 min
Coding challenge focused on data structures and algorithms.
This round focuses on assessing your core programming skills. You will be asked to solve coding problems that typically involve data structures and algorithms. The interviewer will evaluate your ability to understand the problem, devise a solution, write clean and efficient code, and analyze its time and space complexity. Expect to use a shared coding environment.
**Interviewers look for:** Logical thinking; Ability to translate requirements into code; Clean and efficient code; Understanding of Big O notation
**Evaluation criteria:** Problem-solving approach; Correctness of the solution; Code quality and efficiency; Understanding of time and space complexity
**Common rejection reasons:** Inability to articulate thought process clearly.; Lack of fundamental data structures and algorithms knowledge.; Poor coding practices (e.g., unreadable code, no error handling).
## Questions

- Given a binary tree, find its inorder traversal.
- Implement a function to find the kth smallest element in an unsorted array.

## Preparation tips

- Practice coding problems on platforms like LeetCode.
- Be prepared to explain your thought process step-by-step.
- Write clean, well-commented code.
- Test your code with edge cases.

## Round 2: System Design
**Type:** Technical Interview (System Design) · **Difficulty:** Medium · **Duration:** 60 min
System design problem to assess architectural skills.
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) and expected to discuss various aspects of the system, including data storage, APIs, scalability, and potential bottlenecks. Focus on explaining your design choices and the trade-offs involved.
**Interviewers look for:** Ability to design complex systems; Understanding of distributed systems concepts; Pragmatic decision-making; Clear communication of design
**Evaluation criteria:** System design approach; Scalability and performance considerations; Reliability and fault tolerance; Choice of technologies and trade-offs
**Common rejection reasons:** Inability to design scalable and reliable systems.; Lack of understanding of trade-offs in system design.; Poor communication of design choices.
## Questions

- Design a system like TinyURL.
- How would you design a rate limiter?

## Preparation tips

- Study common system design patterns and concepts.
- Practice designing systems for scalability and reliability.
- Be prepared to discuss trade-offs between different approaches.
- Think about potential failure points and how to mitigate them.

## Round 3: Behavioral Interview
**Type:** Behavioral Interview · **Difficulty:** Medium · **Duration:** 45 min
Behavioral questions to assess past experiences and cultural fit.
This interview focuses on your past experiences and how you've handled various situations. You'll be asked behavioral questions designed to understand your work style, problem-solving approach, teamwork abilities, and how you align with Grammarly's values. Use the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) to structure your answers.
**Interviewers look for:** Evidence of past behavior that predicts future performance.; Self-awareness and ability to reflect on experiences.; Strong communication and interpersonal skills.; Cultural alignment
**Evaluation criteria:** Behavioral competencies; Teamwork and collaboration skills; Problem-solving approach in past situations; Alignment with Grammarly's culture and values
**Common rejection reasons:** Poor communication skills.; Lack of self-awareness.; Inability to provide specific examples of past behavior.; Not aligning with company values.
## Questions

- Tell me about a time you faced a significant challenge at work and how you overcame it.
- Describe a situation where you had a conflict with a colleague and how you resolved it.

## Preparation tips

- Prepare examples using the STAR method for common behavioral questions.
- Reflect on your strengths, weaknesses, and career goals.
- Understand Grammarly's core values and how you embody them.
- Be honest and authentic in your responses.