# Software Engineer
**Role:** Software Engineer · **Level:** L3
**Company:** [Verily](https://scaleengineer.com/companies/verily)
**Difficulty:** Medium
**Salary:** US$100000 - US$130000
**Experience:** 1 - 3
**Timeline:** ~14 days
This interview process is for a Software Engineer (L3) position at Verily. It is designed to assess a candidate's technical skills, problem-solving abilities, and cultural fit within the company.
Canonical: https://scaleengineer.com/interviews/verily/l3-software-engineer
---
## Overall evaluation

- Technical Skills
- Problem Solving
- Communication
- Teamwork and Collaboration
- Cultural Fit

## Questions asked

- Write a function to reverse a linked list.
- Given an array of integers, find the two numbers that add up to a specific target.
- Explain the difference between a process and a thread.
- Describe a situation where you had to deal with conflicting priorities.
- How would you design a URL shortening service?
- What are the advantages of using a NoSQL database over a relational database?
- Tell me about a time you failed and what you learned from it.
- How do you stay updated with new technologies and trends in software engineering?

## Preparation tips

### lists

- Review fundamental data structures and algorithms.
- Practice coding problems on platforms like LeetCode or HackerRank.
- Brush up on object-oriented programming principles.
- Understand common software design patterns.
- Prepare to discuss your past projects and contributions in detail.
- Research Verily's mission, values, and recent work.
- Practice behavioral questions using the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result).
- Prepare questions to ask the interviewer about the role, team, and company.

### studyPlan

- {"title":"Data Structures and Algorithms Fundamentals","longDescription":"Weeks 1-2: Focus on core 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. Cover basic sorting and searching algorithms.","shortDescription":"Weeks 1-2: Data Structures & Basic Algorithms. Cover arrays, lists, stacks, queues, trees, graphs, hash tables. Practice implementation and complexity analysis. Learn sorting and searching."}
- {"title":"Algorithmic Techniques","longDescription":"Weeks 3-4: Dive deeper into algorithmic techniques such as dynamic programming, greedy algorithms, divide and conquer, and graph traversal (BFS, DFS). Practice problems that require applying these techniques. Understand time and space complexity analysis for these algorithms.","shortDescription":"Weeks 3-4: Advanced Algorithms. Focus on DP, greedy, divide & conquer, graph traversal. Practice complex problems and complexity analysis."}
- {"title":"Object-Oriented Programming and Design Patterns","longDescription":"Week 5: Review object-oriented programming (OOP) concepts (encapsulation, inheritance, polymorphism, abstraction) and common design patterns (e.g., Singleton, Factory, Observer). Practice applying these concepts in coding exercises.","shortDescription":"Week 5: OOP & Design Patterns. Review OOP principles and common design patterns. Practice application."}
- {"title":"Behavioral Preparation and Company Research","longDescription":"Week 6: Prepare for behavioral and situational questions. Reflect on your past experiences and prepare examples using the STAR method. Research Verily's culture and values to align your answers. Prepare thoughtful questions for the interviewers.","shortDescription":"Week 6: Behavioral & Company Research. Prepare STAR method answers. Research Verily. Prepare questions."}

## Location differences

- {"location":"Mountain View, CA","differences":{"tips":["Highlight projects where you demonstrated strong analytical skills.","Be prepared to discuss your experience with agile methodologies.","Emphasize your ability to learn quickly and adapt to changing project requirements."],"interviewFocus":["Problem-solving skills","Collaboration and teamwork","Adaptability to new technologies"],"commonQuestions":["Describe a challenging technical problem you solved at your previous role.","How do you approach debugging a complex issue?","Tell me about a time you had to work with a difficult teammate."]}}
- {"location":"Cambridge, MA","differences":{"tips":["Prepare to discuss your experience with distributed systems.","Showcase your understanding of performance optimization techniques.","Be ready to explain your approach to writing clean, maintainable, and testable code."],"interviewFocus":["System design and architecture","Cloud computing knowledge","Code quality and best practices"],"commonQuestions":["How do you ensure the scalability and performance of your code?","Describe your experience with cloud platforms (e.g., GCP, AWS).","What are your thoughts on code reviews and how do you provide constructive feedback?"]}}

## Round 1: Data Structures and Algorithms
**Type:** Technical Interview - Data Structures and Algorithms · **Difficulty:** Medium · **Duration:** 45 min
Coding challenge focused on data structures and algorithms.
This round focuses on your fundamental computer science knowledge. You will be asked to solve coding problems that test your understanding of data structures and algorithms. The interviewer will assess your ability to analyze a problem, devise an efficient solution, and implement it cleanly in code. Expect to discuss the time and space complexity of your solutions and consider edge cases.
**Interviewers look for:** Strong understanding of data structures and algorithms.; Ability to translate a problem into code.; Logical thinking and systematic approach.
**Evaluation criteria:** Correctness of the solution.; Efficiency of the algorithm (time and space complexity).; Clarity and readability of the code.; Problem-solving approach and ability to handle edge cases.
**Common rejection reasons:** Inability to articulate thought process.; Incorrect or inefficient algorithm.; Poor coding style or lack of attention to detail.
## Questions

- Given a binary tree, determine if it is a valid binary search tree.
- Find the kth smallest element in a sorted matrix.
- Implement a function to check if a string is a palindrome, ignoring non-alphanumeric characters and case.

## Preparation tips

- Practice coding problems on platforms like LeetCode, HackerRank, or AlgoExpert.
- Review common data structures (arrays, linked lists, trees, graphs, hash maps) and algorithms (sorting, searching, dynamic programming).
- Practice explaining your thought process out loud as you solve problems.
- Pay attention to code style, variable naming, and commenting.

## Round 2: System Design
**Type:** System Design Interview · **Difficulty:** Medium · **Duration:** 60 min
Design a scalable system based on a given problem statement.
In this round, you will be presented with a high-level system design problem (e.g., design a URL shortener, a social media feed, or a rate limiter). You'll need to discuss various components, data models, APIs, and scalability considerations. The focus is on your ability to think critically about system architecture, identify potential bottlenecks, and propose robust solutions.
**Interviewers look for:** System design thinking.; Understanding of databases, caching, load balancing, and APIs.; Ability to handle ambiguity and make design decisions.
**Evaluation criteria:** Ability to design scalable and reliable systems.; Understanding of trade-offs between different design choices.; Knowledge of distributed systems concepts.; Ability to communicate complex design ideas clearly.
**Common rejection reasons:** Lack of understanding of system design principles.; Inability to handle scale or performance considerations.; Poor trade-off analysis.
## Questions

- Design a system to track the top N trending items on a platform like Twitter.
- How would you design a distributed key-value store?
- Design an API for a ride-sharing service.

## Preparation tips

- Study common system design concepts: load balancing, caching, databases (SQL vs. NoSQL), message queues, CDNs.
- Practice designing well-known systems like Twitter, Instagram, or Uber.
- Understand trade-offs: consistency vs. availability, latency vs. throughput.
- Be prepared to draw diagrams and explain your design choices.

## Round 3: Behavioral and Cultural Fit
**Type:** Behavioral Interview · **Difficulty:** Medium · **Duration:** 45 min
Assesses behavioral competencies and cultural fit.
This interview focuses on your past experiences and how you've handled various situations. You'll be asked behavioral questions designed to understand your work style, problem-solving approach in real-world scenarios, teamwork abilities, and how you align with Verily's culture. Use the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) to structure your answers.
**Interviewers look for:** How you handle challenges and collaborate with others.; Your motivation for joining Verily.; Your self-awareness and learning agility.
**Evaluation criteria:** Behavioral competencies (teamwork, communication, problem-solving).; Motivation and alignment with Verily's mission.; Cultural fit and potential for growth within the company.
**Common rejection reasons:** Lack of alignment with team values.; Poor communication or interpersonal skills.; Lack of enthusiasm or interest in the role.
## Questions

- Tell me about a time you had to work with a difficult colleague. How did you handle it?
- Describe a project you are particularly proud of and your role in it.
- How do you handle constructive criticism?

## Preparation tips

- Prepare examples for common behavioral questions (e.g., teamwork, conflict resolution, overcoming challenges, failures, successes).
- Use the STAR method to structure your answers.
- Be honest and authentic in your responses.
- Show enthusiasm for the role and Verily's mission.