# Software Engineer
**Role:** Software Engineer · **Level:** L2
**Company:** [Gusto](https://scaleengineer.com/companies/gusto)
**Difficulty:** Medium
**Salary:** US$110000 - US$140000
**Experience:** 2 - 5
**Timeline:** ~14 days
Gusto'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 initial screening, technical interviews, and a final managerial or team-fit interview.
Canonical: https://scaleengineer.com/interviews/gusto/l2-software-engineer
---
## Overall evaluation

- Technical Skills
- Communication
- Cultural Fit

## 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.
- Design a URL shortening service.
- How would you design a system to handle real-time notifications?
- Tell me about a time you disagreed with a teammate. How did you handle it?
- What are your strengths and weaknesses?
- Why are you interested in working at Gusto?

## Preparation tips

### lists

- Review fundamental data structures and algorithms.
- Practice coding problems on platforms like LeetCode or HackerRank.
- Understand common system design principles.
- Prepare examples for behavioral questions using the STAR method.
- Research Gusto's products, mission, and values.
- Be ready to discuss your past projects and technical contributions in detail.

### studyPlan

- {"title":"Data Structures and Algorithms","longDescription":"Weeks 1-2: Focus on core data structures (Arrays, Linked Lists, Stacks, Queues, Trees, Graphs, Hash Tables) and algorithms (Sorting, Searching, Dynamic Programming, Greedy Algorithms). Practice implementing these in your preferred language and analyze their time and space complexity.","shortDescription":"Weeks 1-2: Data Structures & Algorithms fundamentals. Practice coding and complexity analysis."}
- {"title":"System Design","longDescription":"Week 3: Dive into system design concepts. Understand scalability, reliability, databases, caching, load balancing, and API design. Study common design patterns and architectural styles.","shortDescription":"Week 3: System Design principles. Focus on scalability, databases, and APIs."}
- {"title":"Behavioral and Cultural Fit","longDescription":"Week 4: Prepare for behavioral questions. Reflect on your past experiences and prepare specific examples using the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) that demonstrate your skills in problem-solving, teamwork, and leadership. Also, research Gusto's company culture and values.","shortDescription":"Week 4: Behavioral questions (STAR method) and Gusto's company culture research."}

## 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."],"interviewFocus":["Adaptability to remote collaboration tools and practices.","Communication skills in a distributed team environment.","Self-management and ability to work autonomously."],"commonQuestions":["Describe a challenging technical problem you solved at your previous company.","How do you approach debugging a complex issue?","Tell me about a time you had to work with a difficult stakeholder."]}}
- {"location":"On-site","differences":{"tips":["Be prepared for in-person whiteboarding sessions.","Engage actively in discussions about team collaboration.","Showcase your ability to integrate into an existing team structure."],"interviewFocus":["Collaboration and teamwork within an office setting.","Understanding of local market trends and technologies.","Contribution to in-person team dynamics."],"commonQuestions":["How do you contribute to a positive team culture?","What are your thoughts on pair programming?","Describe your experience with agile methodologies."]}}

## Round 1: Coding and Algorithms Assessment
**Type:** Technical Interview - Coding · **Difficulty:** Medium · **Duration:** 45 min
Coding challenge to assess data structures and algorithms knowledge.
This round focuses on your fundamental programming skills. You will be asked to solve coding problems that test your knowledge of data structures and algorithms. The interviewer will assess your ability to write clean, efficient, and bug-free code, as well as your problem-solving approach and communication skills.
**Interviewers look for:** Clean, efficient, and well-structured code.; Understanding of fundamental algorithms and data structures.; Ability to test and debug code effectively.; Clear communication of the thought process.
**Evaluation criteria:** Correctness of the solution; Efficiency of the solution (time and space complexity); Code quality and readability; Ability to explain the approach
**Common rejection reasons:** Inability to articulate thought process clearly.; Poor coding practices (e.g., unreadable code, lack of comments).; Failure to consider edge cases or optimize solutions.
## 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.
- Review common data structures and algorithms.
- Focus on writing readable and maintainable code.
- Be prepared to explain your thought process step-by-step.

## Round 2: System Design and Architecture
**Type:** Technical Interview - System Design · **Difficulty:** Medium · **Duration:** 60 min
Design a scalable system, assessing architectural and problem-solving skills.
In this round, you'll be asked to design a scalable system or a component of a larger system. This could involve designing a social media feed, a URL shortener, or a notification service. The interviewer will evaluate your ability to think about trade-offs, scalability, reliability, and the overall architecture.
**Interviewers look for:** A structured approach to designing complex systems.; Understanding of distributed systems concepts.; Ability to justify design decisions.; Consideration of various constraints and requirements.
**Evaluation criteria:** Scalability of the proposed solution; Reliability and fault tolerance; Choice of appropriate technologies and data stores; API design and data modeling; Trade-off analysis
**Common rejection reasons:** Lack of understanding of system design principles.; Inability to handle scale or trade-offs.; Poor communication of design choices.; Not considering failure scenarios or edge cases.
## Questions

- Design a system like Twitter's news feed.
- How would you design an API for a ride-sharing service?

## Preparation tips

- Study common system design patterns and architectures.
- Understand concepts like load balancing, caching, databases, and message queues.
- Practice designing systems for scale.
- Be prepared to draw diagrams and explain your design choices.

## Round 3: Behavioral and Team Fit
**Type:** Behavioral and Managerial Interview · **Difficulty:** Medium · **Duration:** 45 min
Assess behavioral competencies, teamwork, and cultural alignment.
This interview focuses on your behavioral and cultural fit. You'll be asked questions about your past experiences, how you handle challenges, work with others, and your motivations. The goal is to understand how you operate within a team and if you align with Gusto's core values.
**Interviewers look for:** Evidence of collaboration and positive team interactions.; Self-awareness and ability to reflect on past experiences.; Alignment with Gusto's mission and values.; Enthusiasm for the role and the company.
**Evaluation criteria:** Teamwork and collaboration abilities; Problem-solving approach in real-world scenarios; Communication clarity; Cultural alignment with Gusto's values; Motivation and career aspirations
**Common rejection reasons:** Poor communication or interpersonal skills.; Lack of alignment with company values.; Negative attitude or lack of enthusiasm.; Inability to provide specific examples for behavioral questions.
## Questions

- Tell me about a time you failed. What did you learn from it?
- How do you handle constructive criticism?
- Why Gusto?

## Preparation tips

- Prepare examples using the STAR method for common behavioral questions.
- Research Gusto's mission, values, and culture.
- Think about your career goals and how this role fits into them.
- Be ready to ask thoughtful questions about the team and the company.