Scale Engineer

Software Engineer

Software EngineerL2Medium to Hard

Verkada's Software Engineer L2 interview process is designed to assess a candidate's technical proficiency, problem-solving abilities, and cultural fit within the company. The process typically involves multiple rounds, starting with an initial HR screening, followed by technical interviews focusing on data structures, algorithms, and system design, and concluding with a behavioral or managerial interview.

Rounds·3

Timeline·~7d

Experience·2 - 5 yrs

Comp band·US$110000 - US$150000

Interview time·150 min

Evaluation

What they measure.

  • Problem-solving skills
  • Algorithmic thinking
  • Data structure knowledge
  • Coding proficiency
  • System design capabilities
  • Communication skills
  • Teamwork and collaboration
  • Adaptability and learning agility
  • Cultural fit

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 principles, including scalability, reliability, availability, and common design patterns (e.g., load balancing, caching, databases, message queues).
  4. Prepare to discuss your past projects in detail, highlighting your contributions, challenges, and learnings.
  5. Understand Verkada's mission, products, and company culture. Research recent news and developments.
  6. Practice behavioral questions using the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result).
  7. Prepare thoughtful questions to ask the interviewers about the role, team, and company.

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.

Weeks 1-2: Focus on core data structures and algorithms. Cover arrays, linked lists, stacks, queues, trees (binary trees, BSTs, heaps), hash tables, and sorting/searching algorithms. Practice implementing these and solving problems related to them. Aim for 2-3 hours of study per day.

Questions

Commonly asked.

  • Given an array of integers, find the contiguous subarray with the largest sum.
  • Design a system to handle real-time analytics for a video streaming service.
  • Explain the difference between a process and a thread.
  • Describe a situation where you had to deal with ambiguity in a project.
  • How would you implement a rate limiter?
  • What are the trade-offs between using a relational database and a NoSQL database?
  • Tell me about a time you received constructive criticism and how you acted on it.
  • How would you design a distributed cache?
  • What is polymorphism and how is it implemented in your preferred language?
  • Describe a challenging bug you encountered and how you debugged it.

Locations

Regional differences.

Fig · Regions — 02 locations

01 / 02

Location

San Mateo, CA

Interview focus

Emphasis on practical application of data structures and algorithms.Assessment of system design capabilities for scalable applications.Evaluation of communication and collaboration skills.Understanding of software development best practices and methodologies.

Common questions

  • Discuss a challenging technical problem you solved at your previous company.
  • How do you approach debugging a complex system?
  • Describe a time you had to work with a difficult teammate.
  • What are your thoughts on microservices vs. monolithic architectures?
  • How would you design a URL shortener?

Tips

  • Be prepared to whiteboard solutions for coding problems.
  • Familiarize yourself with common system design patterns.
  • Practice explaining your thought process clearly.
  • Research Verkada's products and values.
  • Prepare specific examples from your experience to illustrate your skills.

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 assessing your core programming skills. You will be given one or two coding problems, typically involving data structures and algorithms. You'll be expected to write code, often on a whiteboard or a shared online editor, and explain your approach, time/space complexity, and any trade-offs. Interviewers will probe your understanding with follow-up questions and ask you to consider edge cases.

What they look for

A candidate who can translate a problem into a working code solution.Understanding of time and space complexity.Clean and maintainable code.Ability to communicate their thought process effectively.

Evaluation

  • Correctness of the solution
  • Efficiency of the solution (time and space complexity)
  • Code clarity and readability
  • Ability to explain the approach
  • Handling of edge cases

Sample questions

  • Given a binary tree, invert the tree.

    Data StructuresAlgorithmsTreesRecursion

  • Find the kth smallest element in a sorted matrix.

    Data StructuresAlgorithmsArraysBinary Search

Prep for this round

  1. 01Practice coding problems on a whiteboard or shared editor.
  2. 02Be prepared to discuss time and space complexity for your solutions.
  3. 03Think out loud and explain your approach before coding.
  4. 04Test your code with sample inputs and edge cases.
  5. 05Ask clarifying questions if the problem statement is unclear.

Common rejection reasons

  • ×Inability to articulate thought process.
  • ×Lack of fundamental data structure and algorithm knowledge.
  • ×Poor coding practices (e.g., unreadable code, inefficient solutions).
  • ×Inability to handle follow-up questions or edge cases.

DSA

Coding questions at Verkada.

Frequently reported on Verkada loops

View all at Verkada

Other guides

More at Verkada.