Scale Engineer

Software Engineer

Software EngineerL3Medium

The Software Engineer L3 interview process at Notion is designed to assess a candidate's foundational software engineering skills, problem-solving abilities, and cultural fit within the company. It typically involves multiple rounds, including technical assessments, behavioral interviews, and a final hiring manager discussion.

Rounds·3

Timeline·~10d

Experience·1 - 3 yrs

Comp band·US$100000 - US$130000

Interview time·150 min

Evaluation

What they measure.

  • Problem-solving skills
  • Algorithmic thinking
  • Code quality and efficiency
  • Understanding of fundamental computer science concepts

Preparation

How to prepare.

Tips

  1. Review fundamental data structures (arrays, linked lists, trees, graphs, hash maps) and algorithms (sorting, searching, dynamic programming, recursion).
  2. Practice coding problems on platforms like LeetCode, HackerRank, or Coderbyte, focusing on medium-difficulty problems.
  3. Understand object-oriented programming principles and design patterns.
  4. Brush up on system design concepts, even for junior roles, to understand scalability and architecture.
  5. Prepare to discuss your past projects in detail, highlighting your contributions and the challenges you faced.
  6. Research Notion's products, mission, and values to understand how your role contributes.
  7. Prepare answers to common 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 Algorithms Fundamentals

Weeks 1-2: Data Structures (Arrays, Linked Lists, Stacks, Queues, Hash Maps) & Basic Algorithms (Sorting, Searching).

Weeks 1-2: Focus on core data structures like arrays, linked lists, stacks, queues, and hash maps. Practice problems related to these structures, emphasizing time and space complexity analysis. Understand basic sorting and searching algorithms.

Questions

Commonly 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.
  • Explain the difference between a process and a thread.
  • Describe a situation where you had to deal with a difficult stakeholder.
  • How would you design a URL shortener service?
  • 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

Remote

Interview focus

Adaptability to remote collaboration tools and practices.Communication skills in a distributed environment.Proactive problem-solving in a remote setting.

Common questions

  • Describe a challenging bug you fixed and your approach.
  • How do you stay updated with new technologies?
  • Tell me about a time you disagreed with a teammate and how you resolved it.

Tips

  • Ensure a stable internet connection and a quiet environment.
  • Familiarize yourself with Notion's collaboration features.
  • Be prepared to articulate your thought process clearly, as non-verbal cues might be less apparent.

Rounds

Round-by-round.

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

Med

Technical Interview (Coding) · 45 min · Software Engineer

This round focuses on assessing your fundamental programming skills. You will be asked to solve one or two coding problems, typically involving data structures and algorithms. The interviewer will evaluate your approach to problem-solving, your ability to write clean and efficient code, and your understanding of time and space complexity.

What they look for

Logical thinkingAbility to translate requirements into codeAttention to detailBasic understanding of CS fundamentals

Evaluation

  • Problem-solving approach
  • Correctness of the solution
  • Code clarity and efficiency
  • Understanding of data structures and algorithms

Sample questions

  • Given an array of integers, return indices of the two numbers such that they add up to target.

    ArrayHash TableTwo Pointers

  • Implement a function to check if a binary tree is a valid Binary Search Tree.

    TreeDepth-First SearchBinary Search Tree

Prep for this round

  1. 01Practice coding problems on platforms like LeetCode.
  2. 02Be prepared to explain your thought process step-by-step.
  3. 03Write clean, well-commented code.
  4. 04Test your code with edge cases.

Common rejection reasons

  • ×Inability to solve basic coding problems.
  • ×Poor understanding of time and space complexity.
  • ×Lack of clear communication during problem-solving.

DSA

Coding questions at Notion.

Frequently reported on Notion loops

View all at Notion

Other guides

More at Notion.