Scale Engineer

L1

Software EngineerSWE IMedium

This interview process is designed for entry-level Software Engineers (SWE I) at Samsara, focusing on foundational technical skills and problem-solving abilities. It aims to assess a candidate's potential to contribute to our engineering teams.

Rounds·2

Timeline·~7d

Experience·0 - 2 yrs

Comp band·US$90000 - US$110000

Interview time·90 min

Evaluation

What they measure.

  • Problem-solving skills
  • Algorithmic thinking
  • Data structure knowledge
  • Coding proficiency
  • Communication clarity
  • Enthusiasm and potential

Preparation

How to prepare.

Tips

  1. Review fundamental data structures (arrays, linked lists, trees, graphs, hash maps) and algorithms (sorting, searching, recursion, dynamic programming).
  2. Practice coding problems on platforms like LeetCode, HackerRank, or Coderbyte, focusing on Easy and Medium difficulty.
  3. Understand Big O notation for time and space complexity.
  4. Prepare to discuss your past projects, highlighting your contributions and the challenges you faced.
  5. Brush up on object-oriented programming (OOP) concepts.
  6. Research Samsara's products and mission to understand our business context.
  7. Prepare questions to ask the interviewer about the role, team, and company culture.

Study plan

Fig · Study plan — 04 phases

01 / 04
01

Phase 01 of 04

Foundational Data Structures and Algorithms

Weeks 1-2: Data Structures (Arrays, Linked Lists, Stacks, Queues, Hash Maps) & Basic Algorithms (Sorting, Searching).

Weeks 1-2: Focus on core data structures like arrays, linked lists, stacks, queues, and hash maps. Practice problems involving these structures. Understand their time and space complexities. Begin with basic sorting and searching algorithms.

Questions

Commonly asked.

  • Given an array of integers, find the contiguous subarray with the largest sum.
  • Implement a function to reverse a linked list.
  • Write a program to check if a binary tree is a Binary Search Tree.
  • Describe a time you had to deal with a conflict within a team.
  • How would you design a URL shortener?
  • What are the differences between a process and a thread?
  • Explain the concept of recursion with an example.
  • Tell me about a time you failed and what you learned from it.

Locations

Regional differences.

Fig · Regions — 02 locations

01 / 02

Location

Remote

Interview focus

Understanding of core computer science concepts.Problem-solving approach.Communication skills.Enthusiasm for learning and growth.

Common questions

  • Tell me about a challenging project you worked on in college.
  • Describe a time you had to debug a complex issue.
  • How do you approach learning a new technology?
  • What are your favorite programming languages and why?

Tips

  • Be prepared to discuss your academic projects in detail.
  • Practice explaining your thought process clearly.
  • Show genuine interest in Samsara's mission and products.
  • Ask thoughtful questions about the team and culture.

Rounds

Round-by-round.

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

Med

Technical Interview (Coding) · 45 min · Software Engineer

This round is a technical screening focused on data structures and algorithms. You will be asked to solve one or two coding problems, typically involving arrays, strings, linked lists, or trees. The interviewer will assess your ability to translate a problem into code, optimize your solution, and explain your reasoning.

What they look for

Strong problem-solving skills.Proficiency in at least one programming language.Understanding of core CS concepts.Ability to communicate technical ideas clearly.

Evaluation

  • Correctness of the solution
  • Efficiency of the solution (time and space complexity)
  • Clarity and correctness of the code
  • Ability to explain the approach and trade-offs

Sample questions

  • Given a string, find the length of the longest substring without repeating characters.

    StringSliding WindowHash Map

  • Implement a function to find the kth smallest element in an unsorted array.

    ArraySortingQuickSelect

Prep for this round

  1. 01Practice coding problems on a whiteboard or shared editor.
  2. 02Think out loud and explain your approach before coding.
  3. 03Test your code with edge cases.
  4. 04Be prepared to discuss time and space complexity.

Common rejection reasons

  • ×Inability to solve coding problems within the given time.
  • ×Poor understanding of fundamental data structures and algorithms.
  • ×Difficulty explaining thought process.
  • ×Incorrect or inefficient solutions.

DSA

Coding questions at Samsara.

Frequently reported on Samsara loops

View all at Samsara

Other guides

More at Samsara.