Scale Engineer

L2

Software EngineerSWE IIMedium to Hard

The L2 interview for a Software Engineer (SWE II) at Samsara is a comprehensive assessment designed to evaluate a candidate's technical proficiency, problem-solving abilities, and cultural fit. This stage typically involves multiple rounds focusing on data structures, algorithms, system design, and behavioral aspects.

Rounds·3

Timeline·~7d

Experience·2 - 5 yrs

Comp band·US$120000 - US$160000

Interview time·150 min

Evaluation

What they measure.

  • Problem-solving skills
  • Algorithmic thinking
  • Data structure knowledge
  • Coding proficiency
  • System design capabilities
  • Understanding of software development best practices
  • Communication skills
  • Teamwork and collaboration
  • Cultural alignment with Samsara's values

Preparation

How to prepare.

Tips

  1. Review fundamental data structures (arrays, linked lists, trees, graphs, hash maps) and algorithms (sorting, searching, dynamic programming, graph traversal).
  2. Practice coding problems on platforms like LeetCode, HackerRank, or Coderbyte, focusing on medium to hard difficulty.
  3. Study system design concepts, including scalability, availability, reliability, and common design patterns (e.g., load balancing, caching, database sharding).
  4. Prepare for behavioral questions by reflecting on your past experiences using the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result).
  5. Research Samsara's products, mission, and values to understand how your skills and experience align.
  6. Understand the company's tech stack and be prepared to discuss your experience with relevant technologies.
  7. Practice mock interviews to simulate the interview environment and get feedback.

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 2-3 problems daily.

Weeks 1-2: Focus on core data structures and algorithms. Cover arrays, linked lists, stacks, queues, trees (binary trees, BSTs, heaps), graphs, and hash tables. Practice common algorithms like sorting (quicksort, mergesort), searching (binary search), recursion, dynamic programming, and graph traversal (BFS, DFS). Aim to solve at least 2-3 problems per day.

Questions

Commonly asked.

  • Given an array of integers, find the contiguous subarray with the largest sum.
  • Design a system to count unique visitors to a website.
  • Explain the difference between concurrency and parallelism.
  • Describe a time you disagreed with a teammate and how you resolved it.
  • How would you optimize a slow database query?
  • Implement a function to reverse a linked list.
  • Discuss the trade-offs of using a message queue in a microservices architecture.
  • Tell me about a time you failed and what you learned from it.
  • Design an API for a ride-sharing service.
  • What are the principles of object-oriented programming?

Locations

Regional differences.

Fig · Regions — 02 locations

01 / 02

Location

San Francisco Bay Area

Interview focus

System design principlesScalability and performanceDistributed systems conceptsProblem-solving under pressureCommunication of technical ideas

Common questions

  • How would you design a URL shortener service?
  • Discuss a time you had to debug a complex production issue.
  • Explain the trade-offs between SQL and NoSQL databases.
  • Describe your experience with distributed systems.
  • How do you approach writing clean and maintainable code?

Tips

  • Familiarize yourself with common system design patterns.
  • Practice explaining your thought process clearly.
  • Be prepared to discuss trade-offs and justify your design choices.
  • Research Samsara's products and technologies to tailor your answers.
  • Highlight experience with large-scale systems if applicable.

Rounds

Round-by-round.

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

Med

Data Structures And Algorithms Interview · 45 min · Software Engineer

This round focuses on your fundamental programming skills. You will be asked to solve one or two coding problems that require knowledge of data structures and algorithms. The interviewer will assess your ability to understand the problem, devise an efficient solution, write clean and correct code, and explain your approach. Expect questions on arrays, strings, linked lists, trees, graphs, sorting, searching, and dynamic programming.

What they look for

Strong grasp of data structures and algorithms.Ability to translate a problem into working code.Clear communication of thought process.Attention to detail in coding.Ability to consider edge cases and test the solution.

Evaluation

  • Correctness of the solution
  • Efficiency of the solution (time and space complexity)
  • Code quality and readability
  • Problem-solving approach
  • Ability to communicate the solution

Sample questions

  • Given a binary tree, find its inorder traversal.

    TreeRecursionIteration

  • Implement a function to find the k-th smallest element in an unsorted array.

    ArraySortingQuickselect

  • Write a function to check if a string is a palindrome, ignoring non-alphanumeric characters.

    StringTwo Pointers

Prep for this round

  1. 01Practice coding problems on platforms like LeetCode.
  2. 02Focus on understanding time and space complexity.
  3. 03Write clean, well-commented code.
  4. 04Practice explaining your solution out loud.
  5. 05Be prepared to discuss trade-offs of different approaches.

Common rejection reasons

  • ×Inability to solve coding problems within the given time.
  • ×Poor understanding of fundamental data structures and algorithms.
  • ×Code that is not clean, efficient, or well-tested.
  • ×Difficulty explaining thought process or solutions.
  • ×Not asking clarifying questions.

DSA

Coding questions at Samsara.

Frequently reported on Samsara loops

View all at Samsara

Other guides

More at Samsara.