Scale Engineer

Software Engineer

Software EngineerIC3Medium to Hard

The Yelp Software Engineer (IC3) interview process is designed to assess a candidate's technical skills, problem-solving abilities, and cultural fit within the company. It typically involves multiple rounds, including HR screening, technical interviews focusing on data structures and algorithms, system design, and behavioral aspects, culminating in a hiring manager interview. The goal is to identify engineers who can contribute effectively to Yelp's platform and collaborate well with existing teams.

Rounds·4

Timeline·~7d

Experience·2 - 5 yrs

Comp band·US$120000 - US$160000

Interview time·180 min

Evaluation

What they measure.

  • Problem-solving approach and analytical skills.
  • Proficiency in data structures and algorithms.
  • System design and architectural thinking.
  • Coding proficiency and best practices.
  • Communication and collaboration skills.
  • Cultural fit and alignment with Yelp's values.

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 concepts, including scalability, availability, databases, caching, load balancing, and API design.
  4. Prepare for behavioral questions by reflecting on past experiences and using the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result).
  5. Research Yelp's mission, values, products, and recent news to tailor your answers and demonstrate interest.
  6. Understand the technologies commonly used at Yelp (e.g., Python, Java, JavaScript, React, AWS) and brush up on relevant concepts.
  7. Practice explaining your thought process clearly and concisely, both verbally and through code.
  8. Prepare thoughtful questions to ask the interviewers about the role, team, and company culture.

Study plan

Fig · Study plan — 04 phases

01 / 04
01

Phase 01 of 04

Data Structures and Algorithms Fundamentals

Weeks 1-2: Data Structures & Algorithms (Easy/Medium). Cover arrays, lists, trees, graphs, sorting, searching.

Weeks 1-2: Focus on core data structures and algorithms. Cover arrays, linked lists, stacks, queues, trees (binary trees, BSTs, AVL trees), heaps, hash tables, and graphs. Implement common algorithms like sorting (quicksort, mergesort), searching (binary search), graph traversal (BFS, DFS), and dynamic programming. Practice problems on LeetCode Easy and Medium.

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 concept of RESTful APIs and their principles.
  • Describe a situation where you disagreed with a team member and how you resolved it.
  • How would you implement a rate limiter for an API?
  • What are the differences between processes and threads?
  • Tell me about a time you failed and what you learned from it.
  • Design a caching mechanism for a web application.
  • Write a function to reverse a linked list.
  • How do you approach debugging a complex issue in a production environment?

Locations

Regional differences.

Fig · Regions — 02 locations

01 / 02

Location

San Francisco

Interview focus

Emphasis on practical application of data structures and algorithms.Understanding of distributed systems and scalability.Experience with specific technologies relevant to Yelp's stack (e.g., Python, Java, React, AWS).Cultural fit and collaboration skills.

Common questions

  • How would you design a URL shortener like bit.ly?
  • Discuss a challenging technical problem you faced and how you solved it.
  • Explain the difference between SQL and NoSQL databases.
  • Describe your experience with cloud platforms (AWS, GCP, Azure).

Tips

  • Be prepared to discuss your projects in detail, highlighting your contributions and technical decisions.
  • Practice coding problems on a whiteboard or shared editor.
  • Research Yelp's tech stack and recent product launches.
  • Prepare specific examples for behavioral questions using the STAR method.

Rounds

Round-by-round.

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

DSA

Coding questions at Yelp.

Frequently reported on Yelp loops

View all at Yelp

Other guides

More at Yelp.