Scale Engineer

Member of Technical Staff

Software EngineerIC-2Medium

The Member of Technical Staff (IC-2) interview at Oracle is designed to assess a candidate's foundational software engineering skills, problem-solving abilities, and cultural fit within the company. It typically involves a mix of technical challenges, behavioral questions, and discussions about past projects. The goal is to identify individuals who can contribute effectively to Oracle's engineering teams and grow within the organization.

Rounds·3

Timeline·~14d

Experience·2 - 5 yrs

Comp band·US$95000 - US$130000

Interview time·150 min

Evaluation

What they measure.

  • Problem-solving skills
  • Algorithmic thinking
  • Data structure knowledge
  • Coding proficiency
  • Ability to write clean, efficient, and maintainable code

Preparation

How to prepare.

Tips

  1. Review fundamental data structures (arrays, linked lists, trees, graphs, hash maps) and algorithms (sorting, searching, dynamic programming, graph traversal).
  2. Practice coding problems on platforms like LeetCode, HackerRank, or GeeksforGeeks, focusing on medium-difficulty problems.
  3. Understand core computer science concepts such as operating systems, databases, and networking.
  4. Prepare to discuss your past projects in detail, focusing on your contributions, challenges faced, and lessons learned.
  5. Research Oracle's products, services, and company culture. Understand their mission and values.
  6. Practice behavioral questions using the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result).
  7. Familiarize yourself with system design principles and common architectural patterns.
  8. If applying for a specific domain (e.g., cloud, database), brush up on relevant technologies.

Study plan

Fig · Study plan — 04 phases

01 / 04
01

Phase 01 of 04

Data Structures and Algorithms

Weeks 1-2: Data Structures & Algorithms (Arrays, Lists, Trees, Graphs, Sorting, Searching, DP). Practice coding.

Weeks 1-2: Focus on Data Structures and Algorithms. Cover arrays, linked lists, stacks, queues, trees (binary trees, BSTs, AVL trees), heaps, hash tables, and graphs. Implement common algorithms like sorting (quicksort, mergesort), searching (binary search), graph traversal (BFS, DFS), and dynamic programming. Practice problems on these topics.

Questions

Commonly asked.

  • Write a function to reverse a linked list.
  • Given an array of integers, find the contiguous subarray with the largest sum.
  • Design a URL shortening service like bit.ly.
  • 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 system to handle millions of concurrent users?
  • What are the trade-offs between SQL and NoSQL databases?
  • Tell me about a time you failed and what you learned from it.
  • Implement a function to find the kth smallest element in a binary search tree.
  • How do you approach code reviews?
  • What is polymorphism?
  • Describe your experience with cloud platforms like AWS or OCI.

Locations

Regional differences.

Fig · Regions — 03 locations

01 / 03

Location

Redwood City, CA

Interview focus

Understanding of Oracle's cloud offerings (OCI)Experience with Java and related enterprise technologiesProblem-solving skills in a large-scale enterprise environmentCollaboration and teamwork within a matrixed organization

Common questions

  • Tell me about a challenging project you worked on at Oracle.
  • How do you handle conflicting priorities with your team members?
  • Describe a time you had to learn a new technology quickly for a project.
  • What are your thoughts on the current cloud computing landscape and Oracle's role in it?
  • How do you approach debugging complex issues in a distributed system?

Tips

  • Research Oracle's recent cloud announcements and product strategies.
  • Be prepared to discuss your experience with Java, SQL, and enterprise-level applications.
  • Highlight instances where you've worked effectively in cross-functional teams.
  • Showcase your understanding of scalability and performance optimization in enterprise systems.

Rounds

Round-by-round.

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

Med

Data Structures And Algorithms Interview · 45 min · Software Engineer / Senior Software Engineer

This round focuses on your core programming 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 understand the problem, devise an efficient solution, write clean code, and explain your thought process. Expect questions that test your knowledge of arrays, strings, linked lists, trees, graphs, sorting, searching, and dynamic programming.

What they look for

Strong problem-solving skillsProficiency in at least one programming languageAbility to translate requirements into working codeClear communication of thought process

Evaluation

  • Correctness of the solution
  • Efficiency of the solution (time and space complexity)
  • Code clarity and style
  • Ability to explain the approach and reasoning
  • Handling of edge cases

Sample questions

  • Given a binary tree, find its inorder traversal.

    TreeRecursionIteration

  • Implement a function to check if a string is a palindrome.

    StringTwo Pointers

  • Find the median of two sorted arrays.

    ArrayBinary SearchDivide and Conquer

Prep for this round

  1. 01Practice coding problems on platforms like LeetCode, HackerRank.
  2. 02Focus on understanding the time and space complexity of your solutions.
  3. 03Be prepared to write code on a whiteboard or a shared editor.
  4. 04Think out loud and explain your approach before you start coding.
  5. 05Ask clarifying questions if the problem statement is unclear.

Common rejection reasons

  • ×Inability to solve coding problems efficiently.
  • ×Poor understanding of fundamental data structures and algorithms.
  • ×Difficulty in explaining thought process or approach.
  • ×Lack of clarity in communication.

DSA

Coding questions at Oracle.

Frequently reported on Oracle loops

View all at Oracle

Other guides

More at Oracle.