Scale Engineer

Software Engineer I

Software EngineerIC13Medium

This interview process is designed to assess candidates for the Software Engineer I (IC13) role at Pinterest. It evaluates technical skills, problem-solving abilities, cultural fit, and potential for growth within the company.

Rounds·3

Timeline·~7d

Experience·0 - 2 yrs

Comp band·US$90000 - US$130000

Interview time·135 min

Evaluation

What they measure.

  • Problem-solving skills
  • Algorithmic thinking
  • Data structures knowledge
  • Coding proficiency
  • System design fundamentals
  • Communication skills
  • Teamwork and collaboration
  • Cultural fit
  • Learning agility

Preparation

How to prepare.

Tips

  1. Review fundamental data structures and algorithms (arrays, linked lists, trees, graphs, hash maps, sorting, searching).
  2. Practice coding problems on platforms like LeetCode, HackerRank, or Coderbyte, focusing on medium-difficulty problems.
  3. Understand common software design patterns and principles (SOLID, DRY, KISS).
  4. Brush up on your knowledge of operating systems, databases, and networking basics.
  5. Prepare to discuss your past projects in detail, focusing on your contributions, challenges, and learnings.
  6. Research Pinterest's products, mission, and engineering culture.
  7. Practice behavioral questions using the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result).
  8. Prepare thoughtful questions to ask the interviewer about the role, team, and company.

Study plan

Fig · Study plan — 04 phases

01 / 04
01

Phase 01 of 04

Data Structures and Algorithms Fundamentals

Weeks 1-2: Data Structures & Basic Algorithms. Practice implementations and problem-solving.

Weeks 1-2: Focus on core data structures (arrays, linked lists, stacks, queues, trees, graphs, hash tables) and their common operations and time complexities. Practice implementing these structures and solving problems involving them. Review basic algorithms like sorting (quicksort, mergesort) and searching (binary search).

Questions

Commonly asked.

  • Given an array of integers, find the contiguous subarray with the largest sum.
  • Implement a function to reverse a linked list.
  • Design a URL shortening service.
  • Tell me about a time you faced a technical challenge and how you overcame it.
  • How would you design a system to handle real-time notifications for a social media platform?
  • Describe a situation where you had to work with a difficult team member.
  • What are your strengths and weaknesses as a software engineer?
  • Explain the difference between a process and a thread.
  • How do you approach debugging a complex issue?
  • Why are you interested in working at Pinterest?

Locations

Regional differences.

Fig · Regions — 02 locations

01 / 02

Location

Pinterest Headquarters (San Francisco)

Interview focus

Understanding of Pinterest's specific product and user base.Ability to contribute to a fast-paced, collaborative environment.Alignment with Pinterest's company values and mission.

Common questions

  • Tell me about a challenging project you worked on at Pinterest.
  • How do you handle disagreements within a team at Pinterest?
  • What are your thoughts on Pinterest's approach to data privacy?

Tips

  • Research recent Pinterest product launches and company news.
  • Be prepared to discuss how your skills align with Pinterest's engineering challenges.
  • Showcase your passion for the Pinterest platform.

Rounds

Round-by-round.

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

Med

Technical Coding Interview · 45 min · 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 clearly. Expect questions that test your knowledge of arrays, strings, linked lists, trees, graphs, and common algorithms.

What they look for

Ability to translate a problem into code.Understanding of time and space complexity.Clean and maintainable code.Logical thinking and systematic approach to problem-solving.

Evaluation

  • Correctness of the solution
  • Efficiency of the solution (time and space complexity)
  • Code quality and readability
  • Problem-solving approach
  • Communication of thought process

Sample questions

  • Given a binary tree, determine if it is a valid binary search tree.

    TreeRecursionBinary Search Tree

  • Find the kth smallest element in an unsorted array.

    ArraySortingQuickselect

  • Implement a function to check if a string is a palindrome, ignoring non-alphanumeric characters and case.

    StringTwo Pointers

Prep for this round

  1. 01Practice coding problems on platforms like LeetCode, focusing on 'Easy' and 'Medium' difficulties.
  2. 02Be comfortable explaining your approach before you start coding.
  3. 03Write clean, well-commented code.
  4. 04Test your code with edge cases.
  5. 05Understand the time and space complexity of your solutions.

Common rejection reasons

  • ×Inability to solve coding problems within the given time.
  • ×Poor understanding of fundamental data structures and algorithms.
  • ×Lack of clarity in explaining the thought process.
  • ×Code that is inefficient or contains bugs.

DSA

Coding questions at Pinterest.

Frequently reported on Pinterest loops

View all at Pinterest

Other guides

More at Pinterest.