This interview process is designed to assess candidates for a Software Engineer (L2) position at OpenAI. It evaluates technical proficiency, problem-solving skills, system design capabilities, and cultural fit.
Rounds·3
Timeline·~14d
Experience·2 - 5 yrs
Comp band·US$130000 - US$180000
Interview time·150 min
Evaluation
Preparation
Tips
Study plan
Fig · Study plan — 04 phases
01 / 04Phase 01 of 04
Weeks 1-2: Data Structures & Algorithms fundamentals. Practice coding.
Weeks 1-2: Focus on core data structures (arrays, linked lists, trees, graphs, hash maps) and algorithms (sorting, searching, dynamic programming, graph traversal). Practice implementing these from scratch and analyze their time and space complexity.
Phase 02 of 04
Weeks 3-4: System Design principles and distributed systems. Study common patterns.
Weeks 3-4: Dive into system design. Cover topics like database design, caching, load balancing, message queues, and distributed systems concepts (CAP theorem, consistency models). Study common design patterns for scalable applications.
Phase 03 of 04
Week 5: Behavioral interview preparation. Use STAR method.
Week 5: Prepare for behavioral interviews. Reflect on past experiences related to teamwork, problem-solving, leadership, and handling challenges. Use the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) to structure your answers.
Phase 04 of 04
Week 6: Mock interviews and final review.
Week 6: Mock interviews and review. Conduct mock interviews with peers or mentors to simulate the actual interview environment. Review your weak areas and refine your explanations.
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
This round focuses on your fundamental programming skills. You will be asked to solve coding problems that test your knowledge of data structures and algorithms. The interviewer will assess your ability to analyze problems, devise efficient solutions, and implement them correctly in code.
What they look for
Evaluation
Sample questions
Reverse a linked list.
Find the kth smallest element in a binary search tree.
Implement a function to check if a string is a palindrome.
Prep for this round
Common rejection reasons
System Design Interview · 60 min · Senior Software Engineer / Architect
In this round, you will be asked to design a scalable system. This could involve designing a social media feed, a URL shortener, or a real-time chat application. The interviewer will assess your ability to think about system architecture, identify bottlenecks, and propose solutions that can handle large amounts of data and traffic.
What they look for
Evaluation
Sample questions
Design a Twitter feed.
Design a rate limiter.
Design a distributed key-value store.
Prep for this round
Common rejection reasons
Behavioral Interview · 45 min · Hiring Manager
This round assesses your behavioral and cultural fit with OpenAI. You will be asked questions about your past experiences, how you handle challenges, and your motivations for joining OpenAI. The interviewer wants to understand your working style, your ability to collaborate, and how you align with the company's values.
What they look for
Evaluation
Sample questions
Tell me about a time you faced a significant technical challenge and how you overcame it.
Describe a situation where you had to work with a difficult colleague. How did you handle it?
Why are you interested in working at OpenAI?
Prep for this round
Common rejection reasons
DSA
Frequently reported on OpenAI loops
Other guides
