# Software Engineer
**Role:** Software Engineer · **Level:** MTS3
**Company:** [Pure Storage](https://scaleengineer.com/companies/pure-storage)
**Difficulty:** Medium to Hard
**Salary:** US$110000 - US$150000
**Experience:** 3 - 5
**Timeline:** ~14 days
This interview process is for a Software Engineer position at Pure Storage, specifically for the MTS3 level. It is designed to assess a candidate's technical skills, problem-solving abilities, and cultural fit within the company.
Canonical: https://scaleengineer.com/interviews/pure-storage/mts3-software-engineer
---
## Overall evaluation

- Technical Proficiency
- Communication & Collaboration
- Cultural Fit & Motivation

## Questions asked

- Given an array of integers, find the contiguous subarray with the largest sum.
- Design a system like TinyURL.
- Explain the difference between a process and a thread.
- Tell me about a time you disagreed with a team member. How did you handle it?
- How would you design a rate limiter?
- What are the trade-offs between SQL and NoSQL databases?
- Implement a function to reverse a linked list.
- Describe a challenging bug you encountered and how you debugged it.

## Preparation tips

### lists

- Review fundamental data structures and algorithms (arrays, linked lists, trees, graphs, sorting, searching).
- Practice coding problems on platforms like LeetCode, HackerRank, or AlgoExpert.
- Study system design principles and common architectural patterns.
- Prepare to discuss your past projects in detail, focusing on your contributions and challenges.
- Understand Pure Storage's products and technologies.
- Research common behavioral interview questions and prepare STAR method responses.
- Be ready to ask insightful questions about the role, team, and company culture.

### studyPlan

- {"title":"Data Structures and Algorithms Fundamentals","longDescription":"Weeks 1-2: Focus on core data structures (arrays, linked lists, stacks, queues, hash maps, trees, heaps, graphs) and their common operations. Practice basic algorithms like sorting (merge sort, quicksort), searching (binary search), and recursion. Aim for 2-3 coding problems per day.","shortDescription":"Weeks 1-2: Data Structures & Basic Algorithms. Practice 2-3 problems/day."}
- {"title":"Advanced Algorithms and Complexity Analysis","longDescription":"Weeks 3-4: Dive into more advanced algorithms (dynamic programming, graph traversal like BFS/DFS, Dijkstra's algorithm, topological sort) and complexity analysis (Big O notation). Continue practicing coding problems, increasing the difficulty.","shortDescription":"Weeks 3-4: Advanced Algorithms & Complexity. Practice harder problems."}
- {"title":"System Design","longDescription":"Weeks 5-6: Focus on System Design. Study concepts like scalability, availability, reliability, load balancing, caching, databases (SQL vs. NoSQL), message queues, and API design. Review common system design interview questions and practice designing systems like Twitter feed, URL shortener, etc.","shortDescription":"Weeks 5-6: System Design Principles & Practice. Study common patterns."}
- {"title":"Behavioral Preparation and Company Research","longDescription":"Week 7: Prepare for behavioral questions. Reflect on your past experiences and prepare STAR (Situation, Task, Action, Result) method answers for questions related to teamwork, leadership, conflict resolution, and handling failure. Also, research Pure Storage's company culture, values, and recent news.","shortDescription":"Week 7: Behavioral Prep & Company Research. Prepare STAR answers."}

## Location differences

- {"location":"USA","differences":{"tips":["Be prepared to discuss your experience with cloud platforms like AWS, Azure, or GCP.","Familiarize yourself with containerization technologies like Docker and Kubernetes.","Practice explaining complex system designs clearly and concisely."],"interviewFocus":["System design and distributed systems knowledge","Scalability and performance optimization","Understanding of cloud-native technologies"],"commonQuestions":["Discuss a challenging technical problem you solved in a distributed system.","How would you design a system to handle a large volume of real-time data?","Explain the trade-offs between different database technologies for a specific use case."]}}
- {"location":"India","differences":{"tips":["Brush up on common data structures and algorithms, and be ready to implement them.","Prepare to walk through your thought process when solving coding problems.","Highlight your experience with version control systems like Git."],"interviewFocus":["Core data structures and algorithms","Problem-solving and analytical skills","Software development best practices"],"commonQuestions":["Describe a project where you had to optimize code for performance.","How do you approach debugging complex issues in a production environment?","What are your thoughts on agile development methodologies?"]}}

## Round 1: Data Structures and Algorithms
**Type:** Technical Interview - Coding · **Difficulty:** Medium · **Duration:** 45 min
Solve 1-2 coding problems focusing on data structures and algorithms.
This round focuses on your fundamental 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 and correct code, and explain your approach.
**Interviewers look for:** Strong grasp of data structures and algorithms.; Ability to translate requirements into working code.; Logical thinking and systematic approach to problem-solving.; Clear communication of thought process.
**Evaluation criteria:** Correctness of the solution; Efficiency of the solution (time and space complexity); Code clarity and readability; Problem-solving approach and communication
**Common rejection reasons:** Inability to solve coding problems within the given time.; Poor understanding of fundamental data structures and algorithms.; Inefficient or incorrect code implementation.; Lack of clear thought process during problem-solving.
## Questions

- Given a binary tree, find its inorder traversal.
- Implement a function to find the k-th smallest element in an unsorted array.

## Preparation tips

- Practice coding problems on platforms like LeetCode, focusing on medium-difficulty questions.
- Be comfortable explaining your thought process step-by-step.
- Write clean, well-commented code.
- Consider edge cases and test your solution thoroughly.

## Round 2: System Design and Architecture
**Type:** Technical Interview - System Design · **Difficulty:** Hard · **Duration:** 60 min
Design a scalable system, focusing on architecture and trade-offs.
This round assesses your ability to design and architect software systems. You will be given an open-ended problem, such as designing a specific service (e.g., a URL shortener, a social media feed) or a component of a larger system. The interviewer will evaluate your understanding of scalability, performance, reliability, and your ability to make sound design decisions.
**Interviewers look for:** Ability to design complex, scalable, and reliable systems.; Understanding of distributed systems concepts.; Knowledge of various architectural patterns and technologies.; Ability to justify design choices and discuss trade-offs.
**Evaluation criteria:** Scalability of the design; Reliability and availability considerations; Performance optimization; Trade-off analysis; Clarity and completeness of the design
**Common rejection reasons:** Lack of understanding of system design principles.; Inability to handle scale and performance considerations.; Poor trade-off analysis.; Unclear or incomplete system design.
## Questions

- Design a distributed cache system.
- How would you design a system to count unique visitors to a website in real-time?

## Preparation tips

- Study common system design patterns and concepts (load balancing, caching, databases, message queues).
- Practice designing various systems, articulating your choices and trade-offs.
- Be prepared to discuss different technologies and their pros/cons.
- Think about edge cases, failure scenarios, and how to handle them.

## Round 3: Behavioral and Managerial Fit
**Type:** Behavioral and Managerial Interview · **Difficulty:** Medium · **Duration:** 45 min
Discuss past experiences and behavioral scenarios. Assess cultural fit.
This round focuses on your behavioral and situational responses. The hiring manager will ask questions about your past experiences, how you handle specific situations, and your motivations. The goal is to understand your work style, how you collaborate with others, and whether you are a good cultural fit for Pure Storage.
**Interviewers look for:** Evidence of collaboration and teamwork.; Ability to handle challenges and learn from mistakes.; Alignment with Pure Storage's core values.; Genuine interest in the role and company.
**Evaluation criteria:** Teamwork and collaboration skills; Problem-solving approach in past experiences; Adaptability and learning agility; Motivation and career goals; Cultural fit with Pure Storage
**Common rejection reasons:** Lack of alignment with company values.; Poor communication or interpersonal skills.; Inability to provide specific examples for behavioral questions.; Lack of enthusiasm or interest in the role/company.
## 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 manage the relationship?
- Why are you interested in working at Pure Storage?

## Preparation tips

- Prepare specific examples using the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result).
- Reflect on your strengths, weaknesses, and career aspirations.
- Research Pure Storage's company culture and values.
- Be ready to discuss why you are interested in this specific role and company.