Scale Engineer

Software Engineer

Software EngineerG14Medium to Hard

This interview process is for a Software Engineer position at Yandex, specifically for the G14 level. It is designed to assess a candidate's technical skills, problem-solving abilities, and cultural fit within the company.

Rounds·3

Timeline·~14d

Experience·3 - 5 yrs

Comp band·US$110000 - US$150000

Interview time·135 min

Evaluation

What they measure.

  • Problem-solving approach and analytical skills.
  • Algorithmic knowledge and data structure proficiency.
  • Code quality, efficiency, and correctness.
  • System design and architectural thinking.
  • Communication and collaboration skills.
  • Understanding of software development best practices.
  • Adaptability and willingness to learn.

Preparation

How to prepare.

Tips

  1. Brush up on fundamental data structures and algorithms (arrays, linked lists, trees, graphs, sorting, searching).
  2. Practice coding problems on platforms like LeetCode, HackerRank, or Codewars, focusing on medium to hard difficulty.
  3. Review common software design patterns and principles (SOLID, DRY, KISS).
  4. Understand core computer science concepts like operating systems, databases, and networking.
  5. Prepare to discuss your past projects in detail, highlighting your contributions and technical challenges.
  6. Research Yandex's products, services, and company culture.
  7. Practice explaining your thought process out loud while solving problems.
  8. Prepare questions to ask the interviewer about the role, team, and company.

Study plan

Fig · Study plan — 06 phases

01 / 06
01

Phase 01 of 06

Data Structures

Weeks 1-2: Data Structures & Complexity Analysis. Practice implementations and problems.

Weeks 1-2: Focus on Data Structures (Arrays, Linked Lists, Stacks, Queues, Trees, Graphs, Hash Tables) and their common operations. Practice implementing them and solving problems related to their usage. Cover time and space complexity analysis.

Questions

Commonly asked.

  • Given an array of integers, find the contiguous subarray with the largest sum.
  • Design a system to store and retrieve user profiles for a social media platform.
  • Explain the difference between processes and threads.
  • How would you handle a deadlock in a multi-threaded application?
  • Describe a time you had a conflict with a teammate and how you resolved it.
  • What are your strengths and weaknesses as a software engineer?
  • Write a function to reverse a linked list.
  • How do you approach debugging a performance issue in a web application?
  • What is the difference between TCP and UDP?
  • Tell me about a project you are particularly proud of.

Locations

Regional differences.

Fig · Regions — 02 locations

01 / 02

Location

Moscow

Interview focus

Deep understanding of distributed systems and cloud-native technologies.Proficiency in specific programming languages and frameworks relevant to the team's stack (e.g., Python, Go, Java, Node.js).Experience with CI/CD pipelines and DevOps practices.Problem-solving skills in a large-scale, high-availability environment.

Common questions

  • How would you optimize a database query for a large dataset in a distributed system?
  • Describe a challenging debugging scenario you faced and how you resolved it.
  • Discuss your experience with containerization technologies like Docker and Kubernetes.
  • Explain the principles of RESTful API design and best practices.
  • How do you approach testing in a microservices architecture?

Tips

  • Familiarize yourself with Yandex's tech stack and the specific services the team works on.
  • Be prepared to discuss your contributions to open-source projects or personal coding projects.
  • Practice explaining complex technical concepts clearly and concisely.
  • Research common challenges and solutions in distributed systems and cloud computing.

Rounds

Round-by-round.

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

DSA

Coding questions at Yandex.

Frequently reported on Yandex loops

View all at Yandex

Other guides

More at Yandex.