Scale Engineer

Software Engineer

Software EngineerL6Hard

The Software Engineer L6 interview process at SmartNews is designed to assess a candidate's technical expertise, problem-solving abilities, system design skills, and cultural fit. The process typically involves multiple rounds, including technical screenings, coding challenges, system design discussions, and behavioral interviews.

Rounds·4

Timeline·~14d

Experience·5 - 10 yrs

Comp band·US$140000 - US$180000

Interview time·195 min

Evaluation

What they measure.

  • Technical proficiency in relevant programming languages and frameworks.
  • Problem-solving skills and analytical thinking.
  • System design and architectural capabilities.
  • Understanding of data structures and algorithms.
  • Code quality, efficiency, and maintainability.
  • Communication and collaboration skills.
  • Cultural fit and alignment with SmartNews values.
  • Leadership potential and ability to mentor.

Preparation

How to prepare.

Tips

  1. Review fundamental computer science concepts (data structures, algorithms, operating systems, databases).
  2. Practice coding problems on platforms like LeetCode, HackerRank, or similar.
  3. Study system design principles and common architectural patterns.
  4. Prepare for behavioral questions by reflecting on past experiences using the STAR method.
  5. Research SmartNews's products, mission, and recent news.
  6. Understand the technologies and tools commonly used at SmartNews.
  7. Prepare thoughtful questions to ask the interviewers.

Study plan

Fig · Study plan — 04 phases

01 / 04
01

Phase 01 of 04

Data Structures & Algorithms

Weeks 1-2: DSA fundamentals and practice (50-75 problems).

Weeks 1-2: Focus on Data Structures and Algorithms. Cover arrays, linked lists, trees, graphs, hash tables, sorting, searching, dynamic programming, and greedy algorithms. Practice implementing these and analyzing their time and space complexity. Aim for at least 50-75 LeetCode medium/hard problems.

Questions

Commonly asked.

  • Design a system to recommend articles to users based on their reading history.
  • How would you handle a sudden surge in traffic to our platform?
  • Describe a challenging technical problem you faced and how you solved it.
  • What are the trade-offs between monolithic and microservices architectures?
  • Explain the concept of eventual consistency.
  • How do you ensure the security of a web application?
  • Tell me about a time you had to work with a difficult colleague.
  • What are your strengths and weaknesses as a software engineer?
  • How do you stay updated with new technologies?
  • What motivates you to work at SmartNews?

Locations

Regional differences.

Fig · Regions — 02 locations

01 / 02

Location

Tokyo

Interview focus

Deep understanding of distributed systems and scalability.Experience with large-scale data processing and analysis.Proficiency in cloud-native technologies and microservices architecture.Strong problem-solving skills and ability to handle complex technical challenges.Leadership potential and ability to mentor junior engineers.

Common questions

  • How would you design a news feed system for a global audience?
  • Discuss a time you had to deal with a major production issue. What was your approach?
  • Explain the trade-offs between different database technologies for a high-traffic application.
  • How do you ensure code quality and maintainability in a large codebase?
  • Describe your experience with cloud platforms like AWS, GCP, or Azure.

Tips

  • Emphasize experience with global-scale systems and internationalization.
  • Be prepared to discuss specific challenges related to operating in a particular region (e.g., data privacy regulations, latency issues).
  • Highlight any experience with local market nuances or user behaviors.
  • Showcase adaptability and ability to work effectively in a diverse team environment.

Rounds

Round-by-round.

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

DSA

Coding questions at smartnews.

Frequently reported on smartnews loops

View all at smartnews

Other guides

More at smartnews.