# Software Engineer
**Role:** Software Engineer · **Level:** L4
**Company:** [Notion](https://scaleengineer.com/companies/notion)
**Difficulty:** Medium to Hard
**Salary:** US$130000 - US$180000
**Experience:** 3 - 7
**Timeline:** ~14 days
The Software Engineer L4 interview process at Notion is designed to assess a candidate's technical proficiency, problem-solving abilities, and cultural fit within the company. It typically involves multiple rounds, including technical assessments, behavioral interviews, and a system design discussion.
Canonical: https://scaleengineer.com/interviews/notion/l4-software-engineer
---
## Overall evaluation

- Technical Skills
- System Design
- Behavioral and Cultural Fit

## Questions asked

- Given an array of integers, find the contiguous subarray with the largest sum.
- Design a URL shortening service like bit.ly.
- Describe a time you disagreed with a team member. How did you resolve it?
- How would you design a system to handle real-time notifications for a social media platform?
- Explain the difference between processes and threads.
- Tell me about a project you are particularly proud of and your role in it.
- How would you optimize a database query that is running slowly?
- What are the trade-offs between using a monolithic architecture versus a microservices architecture?
- Describe a situation where you had to learn a new technology quickly. How did you approach it?
- Design a system to recommend products to users on an e-commerce website.

## Preparation tips

### lists

- Review fundamental data structures and algorithms (arrays, linked lists, trees, graphs, hash maps, heaps).
- Practice coding problems on platforms like LeetCode, HackerRank, or Coderbyte, focusing on medium to hard difficulty.
- Study system design principles, including scalability, reliability, availability, and common design patterns.
- Prepare for behavioral questions by reflecting on past experiences using the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result).
- Understand Notion's products, mission, and values.
- Research common interview questions for Software Engineers at tech companies.
- Practice explaining your thought process clearly and concisely.
- Prepare questions to ask the interviewer about the role, team, and company culture.

### studyPlan

- {"title":"Data Structures and Algorithms","longDescription":"Weeks 1-2: Focus on core data structures (arrays, linked lists, stacks, queues, trees, graphs, hash tables) and their common algorithms (sorting, searching, graph traversal). Practice implementing these from scratch and analyze their time and space complexity. Aim for 2-3 LeetCode problems per day.","shortDescription":"Weeks 1-2: Data Structures & Algorithms Fundamentals. Practice 2-3 LeetCode problems daily."}
- {"title":"Advanced Algorithms","longDescription":"Weeks 3-4: Dive into advanced algorithms (dynamic programming, greedy algorithms, backtracking) and more complex data structures (tries, heaps, segment trees). Continue practicing coding problems, focusing on optimization and edge cases. Start exploring system design concepts.","shortDescription":"Weeks 3-4: Advanced Algorithms & Intro to System Design. Continue LeetCode, focus on optimization."}
- {"title":"System Design","longDescription":"Weeks 5-6: Deepen your understanding of system design. Study topics like database scaling, caching strategies, load balancing, message queues, microservices architecture, and distributed systems. Work through system design case studies and practice designing common applications.","shortDescription":"Weeks 5-6: System Design Principles. Study scaling, caching, databases, and distributed systems."}
- {"title":"Behavioral Preparation","longDescription":"Week 7: Focus on behavioral preparation. Use the STAR method to craft compelling stories for common behavioral questions related to teamwork, leadership, conflict resolution, and handling failure. Also, prepare questions to ask the interviewer.","shortDescription":"Week 7: Behavioral Preparation. Use STAR method for common questions. Prepare your own questions."}
- {"title":"Mock Interviews and Review","longDescription":"Week 8: Mock interviews. Conduct mock interviews with peers or mentors to simulate the actual interview environment. Get feedback on your technical explanations, problem-solving approach, and communication. Review any weak areas identified.","shortDescription":"Week 8: Mock Interviews & Review. Simulate interview conditions and get feedback."}

## Location differences

- {"location":"Remote","differences":{"tips":["Research Notion's presence and impact in the specific region.","Be prepared to discuss how your experience aligns with local user expectations.","Highlight any experience working with distributed teams or in international environments."],"interviewFocus":["Emphasis on collaborative problem-solving and communication skills.","Adaptability to different working styles and time zones.","Understanding of local market trends and user needs."],"commonQuestions":["How would you design a real-time collaboration feature for a document editor?","Discuss a time you had to deal with a difficult stakeholder. How did you handle it?","Explain the trade-offs between SQL and NoSQL databases for a specific use case.","Describe a challenging bug you encountered and how you debugged it."]}}
- {"location":"San Francisco","differences":{"tips":["Familiarize yourself with Notion's core products and their technical architecture.","Prepare to discuss your contributions to significant projects and their impact.","Showcase your ability to think critically about system design and trade-offs."],"interviewFocus":["Deep dive into system design and scalability for complex products.","Assessment of leadership potential and ability to mentor junior engineers.","Understanding of the local tech ecosystem and talent pool."],"commonQuestions":["How would you optimize the performance of a large-scale distributed system?","Tell me about a project where you had to make significant technical trade-offs. What was your decision-making process?","Design an API for a real-time notification system.","What are your thoughts on the latest trends in cloud computing and how can they be applied at Notion?"]}}

## Round 1: Coding Challenge
**Type:** Technical Interview (Coding) · **Difficulty:** Medium · **Duration:** 45 min
Assess core programming skills with coding problems.
This round focuses on your core programming skills. You will be presented with one or two coding problems that require you to implement algorithms and use appropriate 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.
**Interviewers look for:** Strong understanding of fundamental data structures and algorithms.; Ability to translate a problem into a working code solution.; Clear communication of thought process.; Attention to detail and edge case handling.
**Evaluation criteria:** Correctness of the solution; Efficiency of the solution (time and space complexity); Code clarity and organization; Ability to explain the approach and trade-offs
**Common rejection reasons:** Inability to articulate thought process clearly.; Incorrect or inefficient algorithm implementation.; Failure to consider edge cases.; Poor code quality (readability, maintainability).
## Questions

- Given a binary tree, find its inorder traversal.
- Implement a function to find the kth smallest element in an unsorted array.
- Write a function to check if a string is a palindrome, ignoring non-alphanumeric characters and case.

## Preparation tips

- Practice coding problems on platforms like LeetCode, focusing on medium difficulty.
- Be prepared to explain your approach before coding.
- Write code on a whiteboard or shared editor, focusing on readability.
- Think about time and space complexity for your solutions.
- Consider edge cases and test your code mentally.

## Round 2: System Design
**Type:** System Design Interview · **Difficulty:** Hard · **Duration:** 60 min
Assess system design and architecture skills.
This round evaluates your ability to design and architect software systems. You will be given an open-ended problem, such as designing a specific feature or a large-scale system (e.g., a URL shortener, a social media feed, a notification system). The interviewer will assess your understanding of scalability, performance, reliability, and your ability to make sound technical decisions.
**Interviewers look for:** Ability to design complex, scalable, and reliable systems.; Understanding of distributed systems concepts.; Proficiency in choosing appropriate technologies and trade-offs.; Structured approach to problem-solving.; Ability to communicate technical ideas effectively.
**Evaluation criteria:** Scalability of the proposed design; Reliability and fault tolerance; Performance considerations; Trade-off analysis and justification; Clarity and completeness of the design
**Common rejection reasons:** Lack of understanding of system design principles.; Inability to handle scale and performance requirements.; Poor trade-off analysis.; Not considering failure scenarios or reliability.
## Questions

- Design a system like Twitter's news feed.
- Design a rate limiter for an API.
- How would you design a distributed cache?

## Preparation tips

- Study system design concepts: databases, caching, load balancing, message queues, APIs, microservices.
- Review common system design interview questions and case studies.
- Practice drawing system diagrams and explaining your design choices.
- Consider different aspects like data modeling, API design, and scaling strategies.
- Be prepared to discuss trade-offs and justify your decisions.

## Round 3: Behavioral and Cultural Fit
**Type:** Behavioral Interview · **Difficulty:** Medium · **Duration:** 45 min
Assess behavioral aspects and cultural fit.
This round focuses on your behavioral and cultural fit. You'll be asked questions about your past experiences, how you handle certain situations, your strengths and weaknesses, and your motivations. The goal is to understand how you work with others, your problem-solving approach in non-technical scenarios, and whether you align with Notion's values.
**Interviewers look for:** Evidence of collaboration and teamwork.; Ability to handle challenging situations and conflicts.; Self-awareness and reflection on past experiences.; Cultural fit with Notion's values.; Passion for the product and mission.
**Evaluation criteria:** Communication and interpersonal skills; Teamwork and collaboration abilities; Problem-solving approach in non-technical contexts; Alignment with Notion's culture and values; Motivation and career aspirations
**Common rejection reasons:** Lack of self-awareness.; Inability to provide specific examples.; Poor communication or interpersonal skills.; Mismatch with company values or team dynamics.; Lack of enthusiasm or interest in the role/company.
## Questions

- Tell me about a time you had to work with a difficult colleague. How did you manage the situation?
- Describe a project where you faced a significant setback. What did you learn from it?
- Why are you interested in working at Notion?

## Preparation tips

- Prepare examples using the STAR method for common behavioral questions.
- Research Notion's company culture and values.
- Be ready to discuss your career goals and why you're interested in Notion.
- Show enthusiasm and genuine interest in the role and company.
- Practice articulating your thoughts clearly and concisely.