This interview process is designed to assess candidates for the Staff Software Engineer role at LinkedIn (IC4 level). It evaluates technical expertise, problem-solving abilities, system design skills, leadership potential, and cultural fit within the company.
Rounds·4
Timeline·~14d
Experience·8 - 15 yrs
Comp band·US$180000 - US$250000
Interview time·180 min
Evaluation
Preparation
Tips
Study plan
Fig · Study plan — 04 phases
01 / 04Phase 01 of 04
Weeks 1-2: DSA fundamentals. LeetCode Easy/Medium.
Weeks 1-2: Focus on Data Structures and Algorithms. Cover arrays, linked lists, trees, graphs, hash tables, heaps, and sorting/searching algorithms. Practice problems on LeetCode (Easy/Medium). Understand time and space complexity.
Phase 02 of 04
Weeks 3-4: System Design principles and patterns. Case studies.
Weeks 3-4: Deep dive into System Design. Study topics like load balancing, caching, databases (SQL vs. NoSQL), message queues, microservices architecture, CAP theorem, and distributed transactions. Review common system design interview questions and case studies.
Phase 03 of 04
Week 5: Behavioral questions (STAR method). Leadership examples.
Week 5: Behavioral and Leadership preparation. Reflect on past experiences and prepare stories using the STAR method for questions related to leadership, teamwork, conflict resolution, and failure. Understand LinkedIn's core values.
Phase 04 of 04
Week 6: Mock interviews. Final review. Prepare questions.
Week 6: Mock interviews and review. Conduct mock interviews focusing on all aspects of the process. Review weak areas identified during practice. Prepare insightful questions for the interviewers.
Questions
Locations
Fig · Regions — 02 locations
01 / 02Location
Interview focus
Common questions
Tips
Location
Interview focus
Common questions
Tips
Rounds
Expand a step for evaluation criteria, sample questions, and prep notes.
HR / Recruiter Screen · 30 min · Recruiter / HR
This is typically the first or last round, conducted by an HR representative or recruiter. They will discuss your background, career aspirations, and motivation for joining LinkedIn. This is also an opportunity for you to ask questions about the role, team, compensation, and benefits. The focus is on ensuring a good mutual fit.
What they look for
Evaluation
Sample questions
Why are you interested in working at LinkedIn?
What are your salary expectations?
What are your strengths and weaknesses?
Do you have any questions for me?
Prep for this round
Common rejection reasons
Data Structures And Algorithms Interview · 45 min · Software Engineer
This round focuses on your core computer science fundamentals. You will be presented with one or two coding problems that require you to implement algorithms and data structures. The interviewer will assess your ability to write clean, efficient, and correct code, as well as your problem-solving approach and communication skills.
What they look for
Evaluation
Sample questions
Given a binary tree, find the lowest common ancestor of two given nodes in the tree.
Implement a function to find the k-th largest element in an unsorted array.
Given a string containing just the characters '(', ')', '{', '}', '[' and ']', determine if the input string is valid.
Prep for this round
Common rejection reasons
System Design Interview · 60 min · Senior Software Engineer / Architect
This round assesses your ability to design and architect complex systems. You'll be given an open-ended problem, such as designing a specific service (e.g., a URL shortener, a social media feed) or scaling an existing system. The focus is on your ability to break down the problem, identify requirements, propose a high-level design, and then dive deeper into specific components, considering trade-offs and scalability.
What they look for
Evaluation
Sample questions
Design a system to count unique visitors to a website in real-time.
Design a distributed message queue system.
How would you design a rate limiter for an API?
Prep for this round
Common rejection reasons
Behavioral And Leadership Interview · 45 min · Engineering Manager / Director
This round focuses on your leadership, impact, and how you collaborate within a team and across the organization. You'll discuss your past experiences, focusing on situations where you've taken initiative, mentored others, influenced technical decisions, and driven projects to completion. The interviewer will also assess your alignment with LinkedIn's culture and values.
What they look for
Evaluation
Sample questions
Tell me about a time you had to influence a team to adopt a new technology or approach.
Describe a situation where you mentored a junior engineer. What was the outcome?
How do you handle disagreements with your manager or peers on technical decisions?
What is your approach to ensuring code quality and best practices within a team?
Prep for this round
Common rejection reasons
DSA
Frequently reported on LinkedIn loops
Other guides
