Scale Engineer

L3

Software EngineerSWE IIIMedium to Hard

This interview process is designed to assess candidates for the Software Engineer III (L3) role at Samsara. It evaluates technical proficiency, problem-solving skills, system design capabilities, and cultural fit.

Rounds·4

Timeline·~14d

Experience·5 - 8 yrs

Comp band·US$140000 - US$180000

Interview time·195 min

Evaluation

What they measure.

  • Problem-solving ability
  • Algorithmic thinking
  • Data structure knowledge
  • Code quality and efficiency
  • System design and architecture
  • Scalability and performance considerations
  • Communication skills
  • Collaboration and teamwork
  • Behavioral and cultural fit

Preparation

How to prepare.

Tips

  1. Review fundamental data structures and algorithms.
  2. Practice coding problems on platforms like LeetCode, HackerRank, or Coderbyte.
  3. Study system design principles and common architectural patterns.
  4. Prepare to discuss your past projects and technical challenges in detail.
  5. Research Samsara's products, mission, and values.
  6. Practice behavioral questions using the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result).
  7. Understand concepts related to distributed systems, cloud computing, and databases.
  8. 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

Data Structures and Algorithms

Weeks 1-2: Data Structures & Algorithms fundamentals. Practice coding problems daily.

Weeks 1-2: Focus on core data structures (arrays, linked lists, trees, graphs, hash maps) and algorithms (sorting, searching, dynamic programming, graph traversal). Practice implementing these in your preferred language. Aim for 2-3 coding problems per day.

Questions

Commonly asked.

  • Design a URL shortening service.
  • How would you design a system to track real-time vehicle locations?
  • Explain the difference between TCP and UDP.
  • Describe a time you had to deal with a difficult stakeholder.
  • What are the trade-offs of using a microservices architecture?
  • How do you ensure the scalability of your code?
  • Write a function to find the kth largest element in an unsorted array.
  • Tell me about a project you are most proud of.
  • How would you handle a situation where a critical service is down?
  • What is eventual consistency and when would you use it?

Locations

Regional differences.

Fig · Regions — 02 locations

01 / 02

Location

San Francisco Bay Area

Interview focus

Emphasis on distributed systems and scalability relevant to Samsara's core products.Deep dives into cloud technologies (AWS/GCP) and their application.Problem-solving scenarios often mirror real-world challenges faced by Samsara's engineering teams.

Common questions

  • Discuss a challenging technical problem you solved in a distributed system.
  • How would you design a real-time analytics dashboard for fleet management?
  • Explain the trade-offs between different caching strategies.
  • Describe a time you had to mentor junior engineers. What was your approach?
  • How do you handle production incidents and post-mortems?

Tips

  • Familiarize yourself with Samsara's technology stack and product offerings.
  • Prepare to discuss your experience with large-scale data processing and real-time systems.
  • Be ready to articulate your thought process clearly and concisely.
  • Showcase your ability to collaborate and communicate effectively.

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 test your knowledge of data structures and algorithms. The interviewer will assess your ability to write correct, efficient, and well-structured code, as well as your approach to problem-solving and your ability to communicate your thought process.

What they look for

Strong grasp of data structures and algorithmsAbility to write clean, efficient codeProblem-solving skillsCommunication of technical ideas

Evaluation

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

Sample questions

  • Given an array of integers, return indices of the two numbers such that they add up to a specific target.

    ArrayHash TableTwo Pointers

  • Implement a function to reverse a linked list.

    Linked ListRecursionIteration

  • Find the kth smallest element in a binary search tree.

    TreeBinary Search TreeIn-order Traversal

Prep for this round

  1. 01Practice coding problems focusing on common data structures (arrays, linked lists, trees, graphs, hash maps) and algorithms (sorting, searching, dynamic programming).
  2. 02Be comfortable coding in your preferred language.
  3. 03Think out loud and explain your approach before you start coding.
  4. 04Consider edge cases and test your solution thoroughly.

Common rejection reasons

  • ×Inability to articulate thought process
  • ×Poor understanding of fundamental algorithms
  • ×Inefficient or incorrect code
  • ×Lack of problem-solving approach

DSA

Coding questions at Samsara.

Frequently reported on Samsara loops

View all at Samsara

Other guides

More at Samsara.