Mercari is looking for a talented Software Engineer at the MG5 level to join our dynamic team. This role involves designing, developing, and maintaining scalable and high-performance software solutions that power our e-commerce platform. You will collaborate with cross-functional teams to deliver innovative features and contribute to the continuous improvement of our engineering practices.
Rounds·3
Timeline·~14d
Experience·5 - 8 yrs
Comp band·US$120000 - US$150000
Interview time·150 min
Evaluation
Preparation
Tips
Study plan
Fig · Study plan — 04 phases
01 / 04Phase 01 of 04
Weeks 1-2: DSA fundamentals and practice.
Weeks 1-2: Focus on Data Structures and Algorithms. Cover arrays, linked lists, trees, graphs, hash maps, sorting, searching, dynamic programming, and greedy algorithms. Practice implementing these and analyzing their time and space complexity.
Phase 02 of 04
Weeks 3-4: System Design principles and patterns.
Weeks 3-4: Dive into System Design. Study concepts like scalability, availability, reliability, load balancing, caching, database design (SQL vs. NoSQL), message queues, and microservices architecture. Work through common system design interview questions.
Phase 03 of 04
Week 5: Behavioral questions and STAR method.
Week 5: Prepare for Behavioral and Situational Questions. Reflect on your past experiences related to teamwork, problem-solving, leadership, conflict resolution, and handling failure. Use the STAR method to structure your answers.
Phase 04 of 04
Week 6: Company research and mock interviews.
Week 6: Company Research and Mock Interviews. Understand Mercari's mission, values, products, and recent developments. Conduct mock interviews with peers or mentors to simulate the actual interview environment and get feedback.
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.
Technical Interview (Coding) · 45 min · Software Engineer (Peer)
This round focuses on your fundamental coding skills. You will be asked to solve one or two 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 problem-solving approach and communication skills. Be prepared to explain your thought process, discuss time and space complexity, and consider edge cases.
What they look for
Evaluation
Sample questions
Given an array of integers, find the contiguous subarray with the largest sum.
Implement a function to reverse a linked list.
Find the kth smallest element in a binary search tree.
Prep for this round
Common rejection reasons
System Design Interview · 60 min · Senior Software Engineer / Engineering Manager
This round evaluates your ability to design and architect complex, scalable systems. You'll be presented with an open-ended problem, such as designing a specific feature or a large-scale service. The interviewer will assess your understanding of distributed systems, databases, caching, load balancing, and other relevant technologies. Focus on clarifying requirements, proposing a high-level design, and then diving deeper into specific components, discussing trade-offs and potential bottlenecks.
What they look for
Evaluation
Sample questions
Design a URL shortening service like bit.ly.
Design a real-time notification system.
How would you design a system to handle millions of concurrent users for a live streaming service?
Prep for this round
Common rejection reasons
Behavioral Interview · 45 min · Hiring Manager / Engineering Manager
This round focuses on your past experiences, behavioral competencies, and cultural fit. You will be asked questions about how you've handled specific situations in previous roles, such as dealing with conflict, managing challenging projects, or working in a team. Use the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) to provide clear and concise answers backed by specific examples. The interviewer will also assess your motivation, career aspirations, and alignment with Mercari's values.
What they look for
Evaluation
Sample questions
Tell me about a time you had to work with a difficult colleague.
Describe a project where you took initiative or leadership.
How do you handle constructive criticism?
Why are you interested in Mercari and this specific role?
Prep for this round
Common rejection reasons
DSA
Frequently reported on Mercari loops
Other guides
