# Software Engineer II
**Role:** Software Engineer · **Level:** L2
**Company:** [Indeed](https://scaleengineer.com/companies/indeed)
**Difficulty:** Medium
**Salary:** US$110000 - US$140000
**Experience:** 2 - 5
**Timeline:** ~14 days
This interview process is designed to assess candidates for the Software Engineer II (L2) position at Indeed. It evaluates technical proficiency, problem-solving skills, collaboration abilities, and cultural fit.
Canonical: https://scaleengineer.com/interviews/indeed/l2-software-engineer
---
## Overall evaluation

- Technical Skills
- Communication & Collaboration
- Behavioral & Cultural Fit

## Questions asked

- How would you design a system to handle real-time notifications for millions of users?
- Given an array of integers, find the contiguous subarray with the largest sum.
- Describe a time you had to deal with a difficult stakeholder. How did you manage the situation?
- Explain the difference between a process and a thread.
- How would you optimize a slow-performing database query?
- Tell me about a project you are particularly proud of and your role in it.

## Preparation tips

### lists

- Review core computer science fundamentals, including data structures, algorithms, and operating systems.
- Practice coding problems focusing on time and space complexity.
- Study system design principles and common architectural patterns.
- Prepare for behavioral questions by reflecting on past experiences using the STAR method.
- Research Indeed's products, culture, and recent news.
- Prepare questions to ask the interviewer about the role, team, and company.

### studyPlan

- {"title":"Data Structures and Algorithms","longDescription":"Weeks 1-2: Focus on fundamental data structures (arrays, linked lists, trees, graphs, hash tables) and algorithms (sorting, searching, dynamic programming, graph traversal). Practice coding problems related to these topics on platforms like LeetCode.","shortDescription":"Weeks 1-2: Data Structures & Algorithms fundamentals. Practice coding."}
- {"title":"System Design","longDescription":"Weeks 3-4: Dive into system design concepts. Study topics like scalability, availability, databases (SQL vs. NoSQL), caching, load balancing, and microservices. Review common design patterns and practice designing scalable systems.","shortDescription":"Weeks 3-4: System Design principles. Practice designing systems."}
- {"title":"Behavioral Interview Preparation","longDescription":"Week 5: Prepare for behavioral interviews. Reflect on your past projects and experiences, identifying examples that demonstrate leadership, teamwork, problem-solving, and conflict resolution. Use the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) to structure your answers.","shortDescription":"Week 5: Behavioral Interview preparation. Use STAR method."}
- {"title":"Company Research and Question Preparation","longDescription":"Week 6: Research Indeed thoroughly. Understand our products, mission, values, and recent company news. Prepare thoughtful questions to ask your interviewers.","shortDescription":"Week 6: Research Indeed. Prepare questions."}

## Location differences

- {"location":"San Francisco","differences":{"tips":["Be prepared to discuss large-scale systems and their design considerations.","Familiarize yourself with common distributed system patterns.","Practice explaining complex technical concepts clearly and concisely."],"interviewFocus":["System Design","Distributed Systems","Scalability"],"commonQuestions":["How would you design a URL shortener service?","Explain the CAP theorem and its implications for distributed systems.","Describe a challenging technical problem you solved and how you approached it."]}}
- {"location":"Austin","differences":{"tips":["Brush up on common data structures and algorithms, especially those related to arrays, trees, and graphs.","Practice coding problems on platforms like LeetCode or HackerRank.","Be ready to discuss your experience with cloud services and deployment."],"interviewFocus":["Data Structures and Algorithms","Coding Proficiency","Cloud Technologies"],"commonQuestions":["Write a function to find the kth smallest element in a sorted matrix.","Implement a Least Recently Used (LRU) cache.","Discuss your experience with cloud platforms like AWS or Azure."]}}

## Round 1: Coding Challenge
**Type:** Technical Interview - Coding · **Difficulty:** Medium · **Duration:** 45 min
Solve coding problems, focusing on data structures and algorithms.
This round focuses on your ability to solve coding problems. You will be given one or two coding challenges and asked to implement a solution. The interviewer will assess your problem-solving approach, coding style, and understanding of fundamental computer science concepts. Expect questions related to data structures, algorithms, and their practical application.
**Interviewers look for:** A systematic approach to problem-solving; Clean, readable, and efficient code; Ability to identify and apply appropriate data structures and algorithms; Understanding of time and space complexity
**Evaluation criteria:** Problem-solving skills; Coding proficiency; Understanding of data structures and algorithms; Code clarity and efficiency
**Common rejection reasons:** Inability to articulate thought process; Poorly structured code; Incorrect or inefficient algorithm implementation; Lack of understanding of fundamental concepts
## Questions

- Given a binary tree, invert the tree.
- Find the first non-repeating character in a string.

## Preparation tips

- Practice coding problems on platforms like LeetCode, HackerRank, or Coderbyte.
- Focus on understanding the time and space complexity of your solutions.
- Be prepared to explain your thought process clearly as you code.
- Practice writing code on a whiteboard or in a shared editor.

## Round 2: System Design Interview
**Type:** Technical Interview - System Design · **Difficulty:** Hard · **Duration:** 60 min
Design a scalable system, focusing on architecture and trade-offs.
This round assesses your ability to design scalable and robust systems. You will be presented with a high-level problem (e.g., designing a social media feed, a URL shortener, or a distributed cache) and asked to propose a solution. The interviewer will evaluate your understanding of system components, trade-offs, scalability, and reliability.
**Interviewers look for:** A structured approach to designing complex systems; Consideration of various components and their interactions; Ability to identify and address potential bottlenecks and failure points; Understanding of trade-offs in design decisions
**Evaluation criteria:** System design skills; Understanding of scalability and performance; Knowledge of distributed systems; Ability to handle trade-offs; Communication of design
**Common rejection reasons:** Lack of clarity in system design; Failure to consider scalability and edge cases; Inability to justify design choices; Poor understanding of distributed systems concepts
## Questions

- Design a system like Twitter's timeline.
- Design a rate limiter.

## Preparation tips

- Study common system design patterns and architectures.
- Practice designing various types of systems, considering factors like load, latency, and availability.
- Familiarize yourself with concepts like databases, caching, load balancing, and message queues.
- Be prepared to discuss trade-offs and justify your design choices.

## Round 3: Behavioral and Manager Interview
**Type:** Behavioral Interview · **Difficulty:** Medium · **Duration:** 45 min
Discuss past experiences and how they align with the role and company culture.
This interview focuses on your past experiences and how they relate to the role and Indeed's culture. You'll be asked behavioral questions designed to understand your work style, problem-solving approach, and how you handle various workplace situations. Prepare to share specific examples using the STAR method.
**Interviewers look for:** Evidence of collaboration and teamwork; Ability to handle challenges and learn from mistakes; Alignment with Indeed's values; Enthusiasm for the role and company
**Evaluation criteria:** Behavioral competencies; Teamwork and collaboration; Problem-solving approach in past experiences; Cultural fit; Motivation and career goals
**Common rejection reasons:** Lack of alignment with team values; Poor communication or collaboration skills; Negative attitude; Inability to provide specific examples for behavioral questions
## Questions

- Tell me about a time you failed. What did you learn from it?
- Describe a situation where you had to work with a difficult team member.
- Why are you interested in this role at Indeed?

## Preparation tips

- Review your resume and identify key projects and accomplishments.
- Prepare specific examples for common behavioral questions (e.g., teamwork, conflict resolution, overcoming challenges).
- Use the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) to structure your answers.
- Be ready to discuss your career aspirations and why you are interested in Indeed.