# Software Engineer I
**Role:** Software Engineer · **Level:** L3
**Company:** [Rubrik](https://scaleengineer.com/companies/rubrik)
**Difficulty:** Medium
**Salary:** US$100000 - US$130000
**Experience:** 1 - 3
**Timeline:** ~14 days
Rubrik is seeking a talented and motivated Software Engineer I (L3) to join our dynamic team. This role is ideal for individuals with a foundational understanding of software development principles and a passion for building scalable and reliable systems. The interview process is designed to assess your technical aptitude, problem-solving skills, and cultural fit within Rubrik's innovative environment.
Canonical: https://scaleengineer.com/interviews/rubrik/l3-software-engineer
---
## Overall evaluation

- Technical Skills
- System Design & Architecture
- Behavioral & Cultural Fit

## Questions asked

- Tell me about yourself.
- Why are you interested in Rubrik?
- Describe a challenging technical problem you faced and how you solved it.
- Write a function to reverse a linked list.
- Explain the difference between a process and a thread.
- How would you design a URL shortener service?
- What are your strengths and weaknesses?
- Describe a time you disagreed with a teammate and how you handled it.
- What are your career goals?
- Do you have any questions for us?

## Preparation tips

### lists

- Review fundamental computer science concepts: data structures, algorithms, operating systems, and networking.
- Practice coding problems on platforms like LeetCode, HackerRank, or Coderbyte, focusing on medium-difficulty problems.
- Understand object-oriented programming principles and design patterns.
- Familiarize yourself with version control systems like Git.
- Prepare to discuss your past projects and experiences in detail, focusing on your contributions and learnings.
- Research Rubrik's mission, products, and company culture.
- Prepare thoughtful questions to ask the interviewers about the role, team, and company.

### studyPlan

- {"title":"Data Structures","longDescription":"Weeks 1-2: Focus on Data Structures (Arrays, Linked Lists, Stacks, Queues, Trees, Graphs, Hash Tables) and their common operations and time complexities. Practice problems related to these structures.","shortDescription":"Weeks 1-2: Data Structures & Algorithms (Arrays, Lists, Trees, Graphs, Hash Tables). Practice problems."}
- {"title":"Algorithms","longDescription":"Weeks 3-4: Deep dive into Algorithms (Sorting, Searching, Recursion, Dynamic Programming, Greedy Algorithms). Understand time and space complexity analysis (Big O notation). Solve problems that require algorithmic thinking.","shortDescription":"Weeks 3-4: Algorithms (Sorting, Searching, DP, Greedy) & Complexity Analysis. Solve problems."}
- {"title":"Object-Oriented Programming & Design Patterns","longDescription":"Week 5: Review Object-Oriented Programming (OOP) concepts (Encapsulation, Inheritance, Polymorphism, Abstraction) and common design patterns (e.g., Singleton, Factory, Observer).","shortDescription":"Week 5: OOP Concepts & Design Patterns."}
- {"title":"System Design Fundamentals","longDescription":"Week 6: Focus on System Design fundamentals. Understand concepts like scalability, availability, reliability, load balancing, caching, and database choices. Practice designing simple systems.","shortDescription":"Week 6: System Design Fundamentals (Scalability, Caching, Databases). Practice simple designs."}
- {"title":"Behavioral Preparation","longDescription":"Week 7: Prepare for behavioral questions. Reflect on your past experiences using the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result). Think about examples related to teamwork, problem-solving, and handling challenges.","shortDescription":"Week 7: Behavioral Questions (STAR Method). Prepare project stories."}
- {"title":"Company Research","longDescription":"Week 8: Research Rubrik thoroughly. Understand their products, recent news, and company culture. Prepare specific questions to ask the interviewers.","shortDescription":"Week 8: Company Research & Question Preparation."}

## Location differences

- {"location":"Remote","differences":{"tips":["Be prepared to discuss your projects in detail, highlighting your contributions and the technologies used.","Practice coding problems focusing on data structures and algorithms.","Research Rubrik's products and values to demonstrate your interest.","Prepare questions to ask the interviewer about the team, culture, and technical challenges."],"interviewFocus":["Understanding of core computer science concepts.","Ability to write clean, efficient, and maintainable code.","Problem-solving and analytical skills.","Communication and collaboration abilities.","Enthusiasm for learning and growth."],"commonQuestions":["Tell me about a challenging project you worked on and how you overcame obstacles.","Describe a time you had to debug a complex issue. What was your approach?","How do you stay updated with new technologies and programming languages?","What are your thoughts on code reviews and how do you approach them?","Explain the concept of RESTful APIs and their importance in modern web development."]}}
- {"location":"On-site (e.g., Palo Alto, CA)","differences":{"tips":["Brush up on system design concepts and be ready to draw diagrams.","Familiarize yourself with common cloud services and their use cases.","Be prepared to discuss your experience with scaling applications.","Highlight any experience with containerization technologies like Docker and Kubernetes."],"interviewFocus":["System design and architecture principles.","Experience with cloud-native technologies.","Understanding of distributed systems.","Proficiency in at least one major programming language (e.g., Python, Java, Go).","Ability to work with large-scale data."],"commonQuestions":["Describe your experience with cloud computing platforms (AWS, Azure, GCP).","How would you design a system to handle a large volume of user requests?","What are the trade-offs between different database technologies (SQL vs. NoSQL)?","Discuss your experience with CI/CD pipelines.","How do you ensure the security of the applications you build?"]}}

## Round 1: Technical Screening
**Type:** Technical Screening (Coding) · **Difficulty:** Medium · **Duration:** 45 min
Assess foundational coding skills with data structures and algorithms problems.
This initial round is typically conducted by a Software Engineer or a Technical Screener. It focuses on assessing your foundational technical skills. You will be asked to solve one or two coding problems, often involving data structures and algorithms. The interviewer will evaluate your problem-solving approach, coding ability, and how well you communicate your thought process. Expect questions that test your understanding of core computer science principles.
**Interviewers look for:** A systematic approach to problem-solving.; Clean, efficient, and correct code.; Good understanding of fundamental CS concepts.; Clear communication of thought process.
**Evaluation criteria:** Problem-solving approach.; Coding proficiency and correctness.; Understanding of data structures and algorithms.; Ability to explain technical concepts clearly.
**Common rejection reasons:** Inability to articulate thought process clearly.; Lack of fundamental understanding of data structures or algorithms.; Poor coding practices (e.g., unreadable code, inefficient solutions).; Difficulty in problem-solving or breaking down complex problems.
## Questions

- Given an array of integers, return indices of the two numbers such that they add up to a specific target.
- Implement a function to check if a binary tree is a Binary Search Tree (BST).
- Find the kth smallest element in a sorted matrix.

## Preparation tips

- Practice coding problems on platforms like LeetCode, focusing on arrays, strings, linked lists, trees, and hash maps.
- Be prepared to explain your code and its time/space complexity.
- Think out loud and communicate your approach before you start coding.
- Ask clarifying questions if the problem statement is unclear.

## Round 2: System Design Interview
**Type:** System Design · **Difficulty:** Medium · **Duration:** 60 min
Assess system design capabilities, focusing on scalability and architecture.
This round focuses on your ability to design and architect software systems. You'll be presented with a high-level problem (e.g., design a URL shortener, a social media feed, or a rate limiter) and asked to propose a solution. The interviewer will assess your understanding of scalability, reliability, availability, and trade-offs. Be prepared to discuss various components like databases, caching strategies, load balancing, and APIs.
**Interviewers look for:** A structured approach to system design.; Consideration of various system components and their interactions.; Ability to justify design decisions.; Awareness of potential bottlenecks and failure points.
**Evaluation criteria:** System design thinking.; Understanding of scalability, availability, and reliability.; Knowledge of common system components (databases, caches, load balancers).; Ability to articulate design choices and trade-offs.
**Common rejection reasons:** Inability to design scalable and robust systems.; Lack of understanding of distributed systems concepts.; Poor trade-off analysis when making design decisions.; Not considering edge cases or failure scenarios.
## Questions

- Design a system like Twitter's news feed.
- Design a distributed key-value store.
- How would you design a system to handle real-time notifications?

## Preparation tips

- Study common system design patterns and concepts.
- Practice designing various types of systems.
- Be ready to draw diagrams and explain your design choices.
- Consider different aspects like data storage, APIs, scaling, and performance.

## Round 3: Behavioral Interview
**Type:** Behavioral / Hiring Manager Interview · **Difficulty:** Medium · **Duration:** 45 min
Assess behavioral competencies, teamwork, and cultural fit.
This round is typically conducted by the hiring manager or a senior member of the team. It focuses on your behavioral and situational responses. You'll be asked questions about your past experiences, how you handle specific situations, and your motivations. The goal is to understand your work style, how you collaborate, and whether you're a good cultural fit for the team and Rubrik.
**Interviewers look for:** Examples of collaboration and teamwork.; Demonstrated ownership and accountability.; Resilience and ability to learn from mistakes.; Alignment with Rubrik's core values.
**Evaluation criteria:** Teamwork and collaboration skills.; Problem-solving approach in past experiences.; Adaptability and learning agility.; Cultural fit with Rubrik's values.
**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 had to work with a difficult colleague.
- Describe a project where you failed. What did you learn from it?
- How do you prioritize your work when you have multiple competing deadlines?

## Preparation tips

- Prepare examples using the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) for common behavioral questions.
- Reflect on your strengths, weaknesses, and career aspirations.
- Be ready to discuss why you are interested in Rubrik and this specific role.
- Show enthusiasm and genuine interest in the team and the work.