# Engineer I
**Role:** Software Engineer · **Level:** L2
**Company:** [Samsung](https://scaleengineer.com/companies/samsung)
**Difficulty:** Medium
**Salary:** US$65000 - US$85000
**Experience:** 0 - 2
**Timeline:** ~14 days
This interview process is for an entry-level Software Engineer (Engineer I, L2) at Samsung. It is designed to assess foundational technical skills, problem-solving abilities, and cultural fit for the company.
Canonical: https://scaleengineer.com/interviews/samsung/l2-software-engineer
---
## Overall evaluation

- Technical Skills
- Behavioral and Cultural Fit

## Questions asked

- Can you explain the difference between a process and a thread?
- What is polymorphism?
- Describe a situation where you had to work with a difficult team member.
- How do you approach learning a new programming language?
- Write a function to reverse a linked list.
- What are the time and space complexities of your solution?
- Why are you interested in working at Samsung?
- Tell me about a time you failed and what you learned from it.

## Preparation tips

### lists

- Thoroughly review fundamental computer science concepts, including data structures, algorithms, and object-oriented programming.
- Practice coding problems on platforms like LeetCode, HackerRank, or GeeksforGeeks, focusing on easy and medium difficulty levels.
- Understand the basics of software development lifecycle (SDLC) and common development methodologies (e.g., Agile).
- Prepare to discuss your academic projects, internships, or personal coding projects in detail, highlighting your contributions and learnings.
- Research Samsung's products, services, and recent news to understand the company's direction and how your role contributes.
- Prepare answers to common behavioral questions using the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result).
- Formulate thoughtful questions to ask the interviewer about the role, team, and company culture.

### 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 implementing these structures and solving problems related to them.","shortDescription":"Weeks 1-2: Data Structures (implementation and problems)."}
- {"title":"Algorithms","longDescription":"Weeks 3-4: Dive into Algorithms (Sorting, Searching, Recursion, Dynamic Programming, Greedy Algorithms). Understand their principles and practice solving problems that require algorithmic thinking.","shortDescription":"Weeks 3-4: Algorithms (Sorting, Searching, DP, Greedy)."}
- {"title":"Object-Oriented Programming & Databases","longDescription":"Week 5: Review Object-Oriented Programming (OOP) concepts (Encapsulation, Inheritance, Polymorphism, Abstraction) and practice applying them in code. Also, cover basic database concepts (SQL) if relevant.","shortDescription":"Week 5: OOP concepts and basic SQL."}
- {"title":"Behavioral Preparation & Company Research","longDescription":"Week 6: Focus on behavioral preparation. Practice answering common interview questions using the STAR method. Research Samsung and prepare questions to ask.","shortDescription":"Week 6: Behavioral questions and company research."}

## Location differences

- {"location":"Seoul, South Korea","differences":{"tips":["Research Samsung's recent projects and products.","Be prepared to discuss your academic projects in detail.","Emphasize your eagerness to learn and contribute."],"interviewFocus":["Adaptability to new technologies","Teamwork and collaboration","Understanding of basic software development lifecycle"],"commonQuestions":["Tell me about a challenging project you worked on during your internship.","How do you handle tight deadlines?","Describe a time you had to learn a new technology quickly."]}}
- {"location":"Mountain View, USA","differences":{"tips":["Practice coding problems on platforms like LeetCode or HackerRank.","Be ready to explain your thought process clearly.","Showcase any personal coding projects or contributions to open source."],"interviewFocus":["Proficiency in core programming concepts","Problem-solving approach","Familiarity with development tools"],"commonQuestions":["What are your favorite programming languages and why?","Describe your experience with version control systems like Git.","How would you approach debugging a complex issue?"]}}
- {"location":"Bangalore, India","differences":{"tips":["Review fundamental CS concepts thoroughly.","Prepare to write clean and efficient code.","Ask insightful questions about Samsung's engineering culture."],"interviewFocus":["Fundamental computer science knowledge","Code quality and best practices","Understanding of data structures and algorithms"],"commonQuestions":["Can you explain the concept of object-oriented programming?","What are the differences between a stack and a queue?","How do you ensure code quality?"]}}

## Round 1: HR Introduction
**Type:** HR Screening · **Difficulty:** Easy · **Duration:** 30 min
HR screening to assess background, motivation, and cultural fit.
This initial round is conducted by an HR representative to assess your general background, motivation for applying to Samsung, and basic communication skills. They will ask about your resume, academic projects, and career aspirations to determine your fit with the company culture and the role's requirements.
**Interviewers look for:** Foundational programming knowledge.; Clear communication.; Positive attitude.
**Evaluation criteria:** Basic understanding of programming fundamentals.; Ability to communicate thought process.; Enthusiasm for the role.
**Common rejection reasons:** Inability to explain basic programming concepts.; Poor problem-solving approach.; Lack of clarity in communication.
## Questions

- Tell me about yourself.
- Why Samsung?
- What are your strengths and weaknesses?
- Describe a challenging academic project you worked on.

## Preparation tips

- Be ready to talk about your resume and why you are interested in Samsung.
- Practice answering common behavioral questions.
- Prepare questions to ask the HR representative.

## Round 2: Data Structures and Algorithms
**Type:** Technical Interview (DSA) · **Difficulty:** Medium · **Duration:** 45 min
Coding challenge focused on data structures and algorithms.
This is a technical round focused on data structures and algorithms. You will be asked to solve one or two coding problems on a whiteboard or shared coding environment. The interviewer will assess your ability to analyze the problem, design an efficient solution, implement it correctly, and explain your thought process and the complexity of your solution.
**Interviewers look for:** Proficiency in data structures and algorithms.; Logical thinking and problem-solving skills.; Ability to write clean, efficient code.; Understanding of edge cases.
**Evaluation criteria:** Correctness of the solution.; Efficiency of the algorithm (time and space complexity).; Code quality and readability.; Problem-solving approach.; Ability to articulate the solution.
**Common rejection reasons:** Incorrect or inefficient algorithm.; Inability to explain the time/space complexity.; Code does not compile or has logical errors.; Poor debugging skills.
## Questions

- Given an array of integers, find the two numbers that 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 common data structures and algorithms.
- Be prepared to explain your approach and the time/space complexity of your solution.
- Practice writing code on a whiteboard or in a plain text editor.
- Think about edge cases and how to handle them.

## Round 3: System Design Fundamentals
**Type:** Technical Interview (System Design) · **Difficulty:** Medium · **Duration:** 45 min
System design problem to evaluate architectural thinking.
This round assesses your ability to think about system design at a higher level. You might be asked to design a simplified version of a common application (e.g., a URL shortener, a social media feed). The focus is on understanding trade-offs, scalability, reliability, and the components involved in building a distributed system.
**Interviewers look for:** Ability to think about larger systems.; Understanding of scalability and performance.; Knowledge of common system design patterns.; Ability to handle ambiguity.
**Evaluation criteria:** Understanding of system design concepts.; Ability to design scalable and reliable systems.; Trade-off analysis.; Communication of design choices.; Consideration of various system components.
**Common rejection reasons:** Lack of understanding of system design principles.; Inability to scale a solution.; Poor trade-off analysis.; Not considering failure scenarios.
## Questions

- Design a URL shortening service like TinyURL.
- Design the Twitter feed.
- How would you design a rate limiter?

## Preparation tips

- Study common system design patterns and concepts (e.g., load balancing, caching, databases, APIs).
- Practice designing common systems like Twitter's feed, TinyURL, or a chat application.
- Understand the trade-offs between different design choices.
- Be prepared to discuss scalability, availability, and consistency.

## Round 4: Managerial / Behavioral Round
**Type:** Behavioral Interview · **Difficulty:** Medium · **Duration:** 30 min
Behavioral questions to assess teamwork, problem-solving, and cultural fit.
This round is typically conducted by the hiring manager. It focuses on your behavioral aspects, teamwork, problem-solving in a team context, and your overall fit with the team and Samsung's culture. They will delve deeper into your past experiences, asking for specific examples of how you've handled various situations.
**Interviewers look for:** How you handle challenges and conflicts.; Your ability to work in a team.; Your learning mindset.; Your overall attitude and professionalism.
**Evaluation criteria:** Teamwork and collaboration skills.; Problem-solving approach in team settings.; Adaptability and learning agility.; Motivation and alignment with Samsung's values.; Communication and interpersonal skills.
**Common rejection reasons:** Lack of enthusiasm or interest.; Poor communication or interpersonal skills.; Inability to provide specific examples.; Negative attitude towards past experiences.
## Questions

- Tell me about a time you disagreed with a teammate. How did you resolve it?
- Describe a situation where you had to adapt to a significant change.
- How do you prioritize your work when you have multiple tasks?
- What are your long-term career goals?

## Preparation tips

- Prepare specific examples using the STAR method for common behavioral questions.
- Think about your experiences working in teams, handling conflicts, and learning new things.
- Be ready to discuss your career goals and how they align with Samsung.
- Show genuine interest in the role and the team.