Scale Engineer

Software Engineer

Software EngineerG20Medium to Hard

This interview process is for a Software Engineer role at Yandex, specifically for the G20 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·2 - 5 yrs

Comp band·US$100000 - US$150000

Interview time·150 min

Evaluation

What they measure.

  • Problem-solving approach and analytical skills.
  • Algorithmic thinking and data structure knowledge.
  • System design capabilities.
  • Coding proficiency and best practices.
  • Communication and collaboration skills.
  • Understanding of software development lifecycle.
  • Adaptability and learning agility.

Preparation

How to prepare.

Tips

  1. Review fundamental data structures and algorithms (arrays, linked lists, trees, graphs, sorting, searching).
  2. Practice coding problems on platforms like LeetCode, HackerRank, or Yandex.Contest.
  3. Brush up on system design principles (scalability, availability, reliability, consistency).
  4. Understand common software engineering concepts (OOP, design patterns, databases, networking).
  5. Prepare for behavioral questions by reflecting on past experiences using the STAR method.
  6. Research Yandex's products, services, and company culture.
  7. Prepare questions to ask the interviewer about the role, team, and company.

Study plan

Fig · Study plan — 05 phases

01 / 05
01

Phase 01 of 05

Data Structures and Algorithms Fundamentals

Weeks 1-2: Data Structures & Basic Algorithms. Practice easy/medium LeetCode.

Weeks 1-2: Focus on core data structures (arrays, linked lists, stacks, queues, hash maps) and basic algorithms (sorting, searching). Practice implementing these from scratch and analyze their time/space complexity. Solve easy to medium problems on LeetCode related to these topics.

Questions

Commonly asked.

  • Given an array of integers, find the contiguous subarray with the largest sum.
  • Design a URL shortening service like bit.ly.
  • Explain the difference between processes and threads.
  • How would you implement a rate limiter?
  • Tell me about a time you failed and what you learned from it.
  • What are the principles of RESTful API design?
  • How do you approach testing your code?
  • Describe a situation where you had to mentor a junior engineer.

Locations

Regional differences.

Fig · Regions — 02 locations

01 / 02

Location

Moscow, Russia

Interview focus

Deep understanding of distributed systems and their challenges.Experience with large-scale data processing and optimization.Ability to design scalable and resilient systems.Strong problem-solving skills in a cloud-native environment.

Common questions

  • How would you optimize a database query for a large dataset in a distributed system?
  • Describe a challenging bug you encountered and how you debugged it.
  • What are your thoughts on microservices vs. monolithic architecture for a new project?
  • How do you handle concurrency issues in your code?
  • Tell me about a time you had to work with a difficult stakeholder.

Tips

  • Familiarize yourself with Yandex's cloud infrastructure and services.
  • Be prepared to discuss your experience with specific technologies used at Yandex (e.g., ClickHouse, YDB).
  • Highlight projects where you've dealt with high traffic and large data volumes.
  • Understand the nuances of working in a global team if applicable.

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.