# G9
**Role:** Software Engineer · **Level:** L7
**Company:** [Rubrik](https://scaleengineer.com/companies/rubrik)
**Difficulty:** Hard
**Salary:** US$180000 - US$220000
**Experience:** 7 - 10
**Timeline:** ~10 days
The G9 interview process for a Software Engineer at Rubrik (L7 level) is a comprehensive evaluation designed to assess technical expertise, problem-solving abilities, system design skills, and cultural fit. It typically involves multiple rounds, including technical interviews, a system design round, and a behavioral/managerial interview. The goal is to identify candidates who can contribute significantly to complex projects and uphold Rubrik's engineering standards.
Canonical: https://scaleengineer.com/interviews/rubrik/l7-software-engineer
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## Overall evaluation

- Technical Proficiency
- Problem Solving & Execution
- System Design & Architecture
- Leadership & Collaboration

## Questions asked

- Design a distributed caching system.
- How would you scale a web application to handle millions of users?
- Describe a time you disagreed with a technical decision and how you handled it.
- Implement a function to find the k-th largest element in an unsorted array.
- Explain the trade-offs between microservices and monolithic architectures.
- Tell me about a project where you had to deal with significant technical debt.
- How do you ensure the reliability and availability of a distributed system?
- What are your thoughts on continuous integration and continuous delivery (CI/CD)?
- Describe a situation where you had to mentor a junior engineer.
- How would you design a rate limiter for an API?

## Preparation tips

### lists

- Thoroughly review your resume and be prepared to discuss every project in detail.
- Brush up on core computer science fundamentals: data structures, algorithms, operating systems, and networking.
- Practice system design concepts, focusing on scalability, availability, and fault tolerance.
- Prepare for behavioral questions by using the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result).
- Research Rubrik's products, mission, and values to understand how your experience aligns.
- Prepare thoughtful questions to ask the interviewers about the role, team, and company culture.

### studyPlan

- {"title":"Data Structures & Algorithms","longDescription":"Weeks 1-2: Focus on Data Structures and Algorithms. Review common data structures (arrays, linked lists, trees, graphs, hash maps) and algorithms (sorting, searching, dynamic programming, graph traversal). Practice coding problems on platforms like LeetCode, HackerRank, focusing on medium to hard difficulty. Aim for optimal time and space complexity.","shortDescription":"Weeks 1-2: DSA fundamentals and practice (LeetCode medium/hard)."}
- {"title":"System Design","longDescription":"Weeks 3-4: Deep dive into System Design. Study distributed systems concepts, including CAP theorem, consensus algorithms (Paxos, Raft), load balancing, caching, databases (SQL vs. NoSQL), message queues, and microservices architecture. Review common system design interview patterns and practice designing systems like Twitter feed, URL shortener, or a distributed cache.","shortDescription":"Weeks 3-4: System Design principles and practice (distributed systems, scalability)."}
- {"title":"Behavioral & Leadership","longDescription":"Week 5: Prepare for Behavioral and Managerial rounds. Reflect on your past experiences related to teamwork, leadership, conflict resolution, handling failure, and career growth. Use the STAR method to structure your answers. Understand Rubrik's values and how you embody them.","shortDescription":"Week 5: Behavioral and leadership preparation (STAR method, company values)."}
- {"title":"Final Preparation & Mock Interviews","longDescription":"Week 6: Review and mock interviews. Consolidate your learning. Conduct mock interviews with peers or mentors, focusing on all aspects of the interview process. Get feedback on your technical explanations, system design approaches, and behavioral answers. Refine your communication and presentation skills.","shortDescription":"Week 6: Mock interviews and final review."}

## Location differences

- {"location":"North America","differences":{"tips":["Be prepared to discuss your experience with specific cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, GCP).","Highlight instances where you've influenced technical direction or mentored teams.","Showcase your understanding of scalability, reliability, and performance optimization in distributed environments."],"interviewFocus":["Deep dive into distributed systems and cloud technologies.","Emphasis on leadership and mentorship capabilities.","Understanding of large-scale data processing and management."],"commonQuestions":["Discuss a challenging technical problem you solved at scale.","How do you approach designing a distributed system for high availability?","Describe a time you had to mentor junior engineers. What was your approach?","What are your thoughts on the latest trends in cloud-native architectures?"]}}
- {"location":"Europe","differences":{"tips":["Practice coding problems that involve data structures and algorithms, with a focus on efficiency.","Be ready to articulate the reasoning behind your design choices and discuss alternatives.","Provide specific examples of how you've worked effectively in team settings and resolved conflicts."],"interviewFocus":["Focus on practical problem-solving and coding proficiency.","Assessment of architectural decision-making and trade-off analysis.","Evaluation of collaboration and communication skills within a team."],"commonQuestions":["Explain the trade-offs between different database technologies for a high-throughput application.","How would you design a real-time data processing pipeline?","Describe a situation where you had to influence stakeholders with differing technical opinions.","What are your strategies for ensuring code quality and maintainability in a large codebase?"]}}
- {"location":"Asia","differences":{"tips":["Be prepared to discuss your experience with CI/CD pipelines and infrastructure as code.","Highlight your ability to learn new technologies quickly and apply them effectively.","Demonstrate an understanding of how to build systems that can withstand failures."],"interviewFocus":["Emphasis on operational excellence and system resilience.","Understanding of modern infrastructure and deployment practices.","Assessment of adaptability and continuous learning."],"commonQuestions":["How do you approach performance tuning for a complex application?","Describe your experience with containerization and orchestration technologies (e.g., Docker, Kubernetes).","Tell me about a time you had to adapt to a rapidly changing technical landscape.","What are your thoughts on building resilient and fault-tolerant systems?"]}}

## Round 1: Technical Coding Round 1
**Type:** Data Structures and Algorithms Interview · **Difficulty:** Hard · **Duration:** 60 min
Assess coding skills and algorithmic problem-solving.
This round focuses on your fundamental computer science knowledge and coding abilities. You will be presented with one or two algorithmic problems and expected to write code to solve them. The interviewer will assess your approach to problem-solving, your understanding of data structures and algorithms, your ability to write efficient and correct code, and your communication skills as you explain your thought process.
**Interviewers look for:** Strong analytical skills.; Efficient and correct code implementation.; Understanding of time and space complexity.; Ability to debug and test code.
**Evaluation criteria:** Problem-solving approach.; Coding proficiency and efficiency.; Understanding of data structures and algorithms.; Ability to write clean, maintainable code.
**Common rejection reasons:** Inability to articulate technical concepts clearly.; Lack of depth in core computer science fundamentals.; Poor problem-solving approach.; Not considering edge cases or performance implications.
## Questions

- Given a binary tree, find its inorder traversal.
- Implement a function to find the median of a data stream.
- Find the longest substring without repeating characters.

## Preparation tips

- Practice coding problems on platforms like LeetCode, HackerRank, focusing on medium to hard difficulty.
- Understand the time and space complexity of your solutions.
- Be prepared to discuss trade-offs and alternative approaches.
- Practice explaining your thought process clearly while coding.

## Round 2: System Design Round
**Type:** System Design Interview · **Difficulty:** Hard · **Duration:** 60 min
Assess system design and architectural capabilities.
This round evaluates your ability to design and architect complex, scalable, and reliable systems. You will be given an open-ended problem (e.g., design Twitter's news feed, design a URL shortener) and expected to propose a high-level design. The interviewer will probe your design choices, ask about trade-offs, and explore how your system handles various constraints like scale, latency, and fault tolerance.
**Interviewers look for:** Ability to design complex systems from scratch.; Sound architectural decision-making.; Understanding of distributed systems patterns.; Clear communication of design and rationale.
**Evaluation criteria:** System design principles.; Scalability and performance considerations.; Availability and reliability strategies.; Trade-off analysis and justification.; Understanding of various system components (databases, caches, queues).
**Common rejection reasons:** Inability to design scalable and reliable systems.; Poor understanding of distributed systems concepts.; Failure to consider trade-offs and edge cases.; Lack of clarity in explaining design choices.
## Questions

- Design a system like TinyURL.
- Design a distributed message queue.
- Design a real-time analytics dashboard.

## Preparation tips

- Study common system design patterns and architectures.
- Practice designing various systems, considering scalability, availability, and consistency.
- Be prepared to discuss databases, caching strategies, load balancing, and message queues.
- Clearly articulate your design choices and the reasoning behind them.

## Round 3: Managerial Round
**Type:** Behavioral / Managerial Interview · **Difficulty:** Medium · **Duration:** 45 min
Assess cultural fit, leadership, and behavioral competencies.
This round focuses on your behavioral aspects, leadership potential, and overall fit with Rubrik's culture. The interviewer will ask questions about your past experiences, how you handle challenges, your teamwork abilities, and your career goals. They want to understand how you operate within a team, your leadership style, and whether you align with the company's values.
**Interviewers look for:** Evidence of teamwork and collaboration.; Examples of leadership and initiative.; Honesty and self-awareness.; Passion for technology and Rubrik's mission.
**Evaluation criteria:** Cultural fit and alignment with Rubrik's values.; Leadership potential and collaboration skills.; Problem-solving approach in non-technical contexts.; Communication and interpersonal skills.; Motivation and career aspirations.
**Common rejection reasons:** Lack of alignment with company values.; Poor communication or interpersonal skills.; Inability to provide specific examples of past behavior.; Lack of enthusiasm or interest in the role/company.
## Questions

- Tell me about a time you failed. What did you learn from it?
- Describe a situation where you had to influence a team to adopt your technical approach.
- How do you handle constructive criticism?

## Preparation tips

- Prepare specific examples using the STAR method for common behavioral questions.
- Reflect on your strengths, weaknesses, and career aspirations.
- Research Rubrik's company culture and values.
- Be ready to discuss your motivations for joining Rubrik.

## Round 4: Senior Technical / Leadership Round
**Type:** Advanced Technical / Leadership Interview · **Difficulty:** Hard · **Duration:** 60 min
Validate senior-level technical expertise and leadership potential.
This is often the final technical round, conducted by a senior leader. It delves deeper into your technical expertise, focusing on areas critical to the L7 role, such as architectural decision-making, leading complex projects, and mentoring. You might be asked to discuss past projects in extreme detail, explore advanced technical concepts, or strategize on future technical directions. The goal is to confirm your senior-level capabilities and leadership potential.
**Interviewers look for:** Proven track record of technical excellence at a senior level.; Ability to mentor and guide other engineers.; Experience driving technical initiatives and making significant contributions.; Deep understanding of software engineering best practices.
**Evaluation criteria:** Depth of technical knowledge in specialized areas.; Experience with large-scale systems and complex problem-solving.; Demonstrated leadership and mentorship capabilities.; Strategic thinking and ability to influence technical direction.; Alignment with the specific needs of the L7 role.
**Common rejection reasons:** Lack of deep technical expertise in specific domains relevant to the role.; Inability to connect past experiences to the requirements of the L7 level.; Insufficient demonstration of leadership or mentorship.; Poor alignment with the team's technical direction.
## Questions

- Describe the most technically challenging project you've led. What were the key decisions and outcomes?
- How would you approach designing a system for massive data ingestion and processing?
- What are your strategies for fostering innovation and technical excellence within an engineering team?

## Preparation tips

- Revisit your most impactful projects and be ready to discuss them in depth.
- Prepare to talk about technical leadership, mentorship, and strategic contributions.
- Understand the specific technologies and challenges relevant to Rubrik's engineering teams at the L7 level.
- Be ready to discuss your vision for technical growth and innovation.