Scale Engineer

Software Engineer

Software EngineerBMedium

This interview process is for a Software Engineer (Level B) position at Rakuten. It is designed to assess a candidate's technical skills, problem-solving abilities, and cultural fit within the company.

Rounds·3

Timeline·~14d

Experience·2 - 5 yrs

Comp band·US$80000 - US$120000

Interview time·150 min

Evaluation

What they measure.

  • Problem-solving skills
  • Algorithmic thinking
  • Data structure knowledge
  • Code quality and efficiency

Preparation

How to prepare.

Tips

  1. Review fundamental data structures and algorithms.
  2. Practice coding problems on platforms like LeetCode or HackerRank.
  3. Understand common system design patterns and trade-offs.
  4. Prepare examples for behavioral questions using the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result).
  5. Research Rakuten's products, services, and company culture.
  6. Be ready to discuss your past projects in detail.

Study plan

Fig · Study plan — 04 phases

01 / 04
01

Phase 01 of 04

Data Structures and Algorithms

Weeks 1-2: Data Structures & Algorithms fundamentals. Practice coding.

Weeks 1-2: Focus on core data structures (Arrays, Linked Lists, Trees, Graphs, Hash Tables) and algorithms (Sorting, Searching, Dynamic Programming, Greedy Algorithms). Practice implementing these and analyzing their time/space complexity.

Questions

Commonly asked.

  • Given an array of integers, find the contiguous subarray with the largest sum.
  • Design a URL shortening service like bit.ly.
  • Tell me about a time you disagreed with a team member and how you resolved it.
  • How would you design a system to handle real-time notifications for a social media platform?
  • Explain the difference between a process and a thread.
  • Describe a situation where you had to deal with ambiguity in a project.

Locations

Regional differences.

Fig · Regions — 03 locations

01 / 03

Location

Tokyo, Japan

Interview focus

Understanding of local market trends and user behavior.Adaptability to specific regional technical challenges.

Common questions

  • How would you handle a sudden surge in traffic on a live service?
  • Describe a challenging bug you encountered and how you debugged it.
  • Tell me about a time you had to work with a difficult stakeholder.

Tips

  • Research Rakuten's presence and initiatives in this specific region.
  • Be prepared to discuss how your skills align with local business needs.

Rounds

Round-by-round.

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

DSA

Coding questions at Rakuten.

Frequently reported on Rakuten loops

View all at Rakuten

Other guides

More at Rakuten.