Scale Engineer

Software Engineer

Software EngineerL3Medium

This interview process is for a Software Engineer position at Niantic, specifically at the L3 level. It is designed to assess a candidate's foundational software engineering skills, problem-solving abilities, and cultural fit within the company.

Rounds·3

Timeline·~14d

Experience·0 - 3 yrs

Comp band·US$90000 - US$120000

Interview time·120 min

Evaluation

What they measure.

  • Problem-solving skills
  • Algorithmic knowledge
  • Coding proficiency
  • Communication skills
  • Teamwork and collaboration
  • Cultural fit

Preparation

How to prepare.

Tips

  1. Review fundamental data structures and algorithms (arrays, linked lists, trees, graphs, sorting, searching).
  2. Practice coding problems on platforms like LeetCode, HackerRank, or Coderbyte.
  3. Understand time and space complexity (Big O notation).
  4. Brush up on object-oriented programming (OOP) principles.
  5. Prepare to discuss your past projects and experiences in detail, focusing on your contributions and learnings.
  6. Research Niantic's company culture, values, and games.
  7. Practice behavioral questions using the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result).

Study plan

Fig · Study plan — 04 phases

01 / 04
01

Phase 01 of 04

Data Structures and Complexity

Weeks 1-2: Data Structures (Arrays, Lists, Trees, Graphs) & Complexity Analysis.

Weeks 1-2: Focus on core data structures like arrays, linked lists, stacks, queues, hash maps, trees (binary trees, BSTs), and graphs. Practice implementing them and solving problems related to their usage. Understand their time and space complexities.

Questions

Commonly asked.

  • Given an array of integers, find the contiguous subarray with the largest sum.
  • Implement a function to reverse a linked list.
  • Write a program to check if a binary tree is a valid Binary Search Tree.
  • Describe a situation where you had to collaborate with a difficult team member.
  • How would you design a system to handle user authentication?
  • What are your strengths and weaknesses as a software engineer?
  • Tell me about a time you failed and what you learned from it.

Locations

Regional differences.

Fig · Regions — 02 locations

01 / 02

Location

San Francisco

Interview focus

Problem-solving and algorithmic thinkingCode quality and best practicesCollaboration and communication

Common questions

  • Describe a challenging project you worked on and how you overcame obstacles.
  • How do you approach debugging a complex issue?
  • What are your favorite data structures and why?

Tips

  • Be prepared to discuss your projects in detail.
  • Practice explaining your thought process clearly.
  • Research Niantic's games and values.

Rounds

Round-by-round.

Expand a step for evaluation criteria, sample questions, and prep notes.

DSA

Coding questions at Niantic.

Frequently reported on Niantic loops

View all at Niantic

Other guides

More at Niantic.