# Software Engineer
**Role:** Software Engineer · **Level:** L2
**Company:** [Rokt](https://scaleengineer.com/companies/rokt)
**Difficulty:** Medium
**Salary:** US$90000 - US$130000
**Experience:** 2 - 5
**Timeline:** ~10 days
This interview process is designed to assess candidates for a Software Engineer (L2) position at Rokt. It evaluates technical proficiency, problem-solving skills, cultural fit, and potential for growth within the company.
Canonical: https://scaleengineer.com/interviews/rokt/l2-software-engineer
---
## Overall evaluation

- Technical Aptitude
- Behavioral and Cultural Fit

## Questions asked

- Can you describe a time you had to deal with a production issue? What was your approach?
- How would you design a system to handle real-time bidding for online advertisements?
- What are the trade-offs between using a relational database and a NoSQL database for an e-commerce platform?
- Tell me about a project where you had to make a significant technical decision. What was the outcome?
- How do you approach code reviews?
- Describe your experience with cloud platforms like AWS or GCP.
- What are your thoughts on testing methodologies (unit, integration, end-to-end)?
- How do you handle conflicting priorities from different stakeholders?
- What motivates you as a software engineer?
- What are your career aspirations for the next 3-5 years?

## Preparation tips

### lists

- Review fundamental computer science concepts (data structures, algorithms, operating systems, databases).
- Practice coding problems on platforms like LeetCode or HackerRank, focusing on medium-difficulty problems.
- Understand Rokt's business model, products, and recent news.
- Prepare to discuss your past projects in detail, highlighting your contributions and learnings.
- Think about behavioral examples that showcase your problem-solving, teamwork, and communication skills.
- Research common interview questions for Software Engineers at your level.

### studyPlan

- {"title":"Data Structures and Algorithms","longDescription":"Weeks 1-2: Focus on Data Structures and Algorithms. Cover arrays, linked lists, trees, graphs, hash maps, sorting, and searching algorithms. Practice implementing these and analyzing their time and space complexity. Aim for 5-7 problems per week.","shortDescription":"Weeks 1-2: DSA fundamentals and practice (5-7 problems/week)."}
- {"title":"System Design","longDescription":"Weeks 3-4: Dive into System Design. Understand concepts like scalability, availability, databases (SQL vs. NoSQL), caching, load balancing, and API design. Study common system design patterns and practice designing systems like Twitter feed or URL shortener.","shortDescription":"Weeks 3-4: System Design principles and practice."}
- {"title":"Behavioral Preparation","longDescription":"Week 5: Prepare for Behavioral and Situational Questions. Reflect on your past experiences and prepare STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) answers for common behavioral questions related to teamwork, problem-solving, leadership, and handling challenges.","shortDescription":"Week 5: Behavioral questions preparation (STAR method)."}
- {"title":"Company and Role Research","longDescription":"Week 6: Research Rokt and the specific role. Understand the company's mission, values, products, and recent news. Prepare questions to ask the interviewer about the team, projects, and company culture.","shortDescription":"Week 6: Company research and question preparation."}

## Location differences

- {"location":"Sydney","differences":{"tips":["Research Rokt's presence and recent activities in this specific region.","Be prepared to discuss how your skills can address local market challenges.","Highlight any experience working with diverse teams or in international settings."],"interviewFocus":["Understanding of local market trends and customer behavior.","Adaptability to regional business needs.","Communication skills in the local language and context."],"commonQuestions":["Describe a challenging technical problem you solved in a previous role.","How do you approach debugging a complex issue?","Tell me about a time you had to work with a difficult stakeholder.","What are your thoughts on microservices vs. monolith architectures?","How do you ensure the quality of your code?"]}}
- {"location":"New York","differences":{"tips":["Familiarize yourself with Rokt's core products and their impact on the e-commerce ecosystem.","Prepare examples that demonstrate your ability to drive innovation and deliver results.","Showcase your understanding of the US e-commerce market."],"interviewFocus":["Deep understanding of e-commerce platforms and customer lifecycle.","Experience with large-scale data processing and analytics.","Ability to contribute to a fast-paced, growth-oriented environment."],"commonQuestions":["How do you handle ambiguity in project requirements?","Describe a situation where you had to mentor a junior engineer.","What are your preferred tools and technologies for backend development?","How do you stay updated with the latest industry trends?","Tell me about a project where you had to optimize performance."]}}

## Round 1: Coding and Algorithms Assessment
**Type:** Technical Interview - Coding · **Difficulty:** Medium · **Duration:** 45 min
Assess core coding skills and problem-solving abilities through coding challenges.
This round focuses on your fundamental programming skills and problem-solving abilities. You will be asked to solve one or two coding problems, typically involving data structures and algorithms. The interviewer will assess your ability to write efficient, correct, and well-structured code, as well as your approach to tackling challenges and explaining your solutions.
**Interviewers look for:** Solid understanding of core programming concepts.; Ability to translate a problem into a working code solution.; Clear communication of thought process.; Attention to detail in code implementation.
**Evaluation criteria:** Coding proficiency (syntax, logic, efficiency).; Problem-solving approach.; Understanding of data structures and algorithms.; Ability to write clean, readable, and maintainable code.
**Common rejection reasons:** Lack of fundamental programming skills.; Inability to articulate thought process clearly.; Poor performance on coding challenges.; Not meeting the minimum bar for problem-solving.
## Questions

- Given an array of integers, find the contiguous subarray with the largest sum.
- Implement a function to reverse a linked list.
- Given a binary tree, find its maximum depth.

## Preparation tips

- Practice coding problems on platforms like LeetCode, HackerRank, or Coderbyte.
- Focus on understanding the underlying data structures and algorithms.
- Practice explaining your thought process out loud as you code.
- Ensure your code is clean, well-commented, and handles edge cases.

## Round 2: System Design and Architecture
**Type:** Technical Interview - System Design · **Difficulty:** Medium-Hard · **Duration:** 60 min
Assess your ability to design scalable and robust software systems.
This round evaluates your ability to design complex software systems. You'll be presented with a high-level problem (e.g., design a URL shortener, a social media feed, or a ride-sharing service) and expected to discuss various aspects of the design, including data models, APIs, scalability, and potential bottlenecks. The focus is on your thought process and ability to make informed design decisions.
**Interviewers look for:** Ability to design scalable and robust systems.; Sound judgment in choosing appropriate technologies and patterns.; Clear communication of design choices and trade-offs.; Consideration of various aspects like performance, security, and maintainability.
**Evaluation criteria:** System design principles (scalability, availability, reliability).; Trade-off analysis.; Understanding of distributed systems.; Database design and selection.; API design.
**Common rejection reasons:** Lack of understanding of system design principles.; Inability to handle scale and performance considerations.; Poor trade-off analysis.; Not considering edge cases or failure scenarios.
## Questions

- Design a system like Twitter's news feed.
- Design a rate limiter for an API.
- Design a distributed cache system.

## Preparation tips

- Study common system design patterns and concepts.
- Practice designing various systems, focusing on scalability and trade-offs.
- Understand different database types (SQL, NoSQL) and their use cases.
- Be prepared to discuss caching strategies, load balancing, and message queues.
- Think about how to handle failures and ensure high availability.

## Round 3: Behavioral and Manager Interview
**Type:** Behavioral and Cultural Fit Interview · **Difficulty:** Medium · **Duration:** 45 min
Assess your behavioral competencies, teamwork, and cultural alignment with Rokt.
This round focuses on your behavioral aspects and cultural fit. You will be asked questions about your past experiences, how you handle certain situations, and your motivations. The interviewer aims to understand how you work with others, your problem-solving approach in non-technical contexts, and whether you align with Rokt's values and culture. Prepare to provide specific examples using the STAR method.
**Interviewers look for:** Evidence of collaboration and teamwork.; Ability to handle challenging situations and learn from mistakes.; Enthusiasm for Rokt's mission and products.; Alignment with company culture and values.; Clear and concise communication.
**Evaluation criteria:** Behavioral competencies (teamwork, leadership, problem-solving).; Communication skills.; Cultural fit with Rokt's values.; Motivation and passion for the role and company.; Self-awareness and ability to reflect on past experiences.
**Common rejection reasons:** Poor communication skills.; Lack of self-awareness.; Inability to provide specific examples.; Not demonstrating alignment with company values.; Negative attitude or lack of enthusiasm.
## Questions

- Tell me about a time you disagreed with a teammate. How did you resolve it?
- Describe a challenging project you worked on and how you overcame obstacles.
- Why are you interested in working at Rokt?
- How do you prioritize your work when you have multiple competing deadlines?

## Preparation tips

- Reflect on your past projects and experiences, identifying examples that demonstrate key competencies.
- Prepare answers using the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result).
- Research Rokt's company values and culture.
- Be ready to discuss your career goals and why you are interested in Rokt.
- Practice articulating your thoughts clearly and concisely.