Scale Engineer

Software Engineer

Software EngineerAssociate Software EngineerMedium

The interview process for an Associate Software Engineer at Zendesk is designed to assess a candidate's foundational technical skills, 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 coding proficiency, and concluding with a managerial or team fit interview.

Rounds·3

Timeline·~14d

Experience·0 - 2 yrs

Comp band·US$60000 - US$75000

Interview time·135 min

Evaluation

What they measure.

  • Problem-solving skills
  • Algorithmic thinking
  • Coding proficiency
  • Data structure knowledge
  • Communication skills
  • Teamwork and collaboration
  • Cultural fit

Preparation

How to prepare.

Tips

  1. Review fundamental data structures (arrays, linked lists, trees, graphs, hash maps) and algorithms (sorting, searching, recursion, dynamic programming).
  2. Practice coding problems, focusing on time and space complexity analysis.
  3. Understand object-oriented programming principles.
  4. Prepare to discuss your past projects, internships, or academic work in detail.
  5. Research Zendesk's mission, values, and products.
  6. Prepare behavioral questions using the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result).
  7. Formulate thoughtful questions to ask the interviewers.

Study plan

Fig · Study plan — 04 phases

01 / 04
01

Phase 01 of 04

Data Structures and Algorithms Fundamentals

Weeks 1-2: Data Structures (Arrays, Linked Lists, Hash Maps) & Basic Algorithms (Sorting, Searching). Big O Notation.

Weeks 1-2: Focus on core data structures like arrays, linked lists, stacks, queues, and hash maps. Practice basic algorithms such as sorting (bubble sort, merge sort, quicksort) and searching (binary search). Understand Big O notation for time and space complexity.

Questions

Commonly asked.

  • Tell me about yourself.
  • Describe a challenging technical problem you faced and how you solved it.
  • What are your strengths and weaknesses?
  • How do you handle constructive criticism?
  • Explain a data structure you are familiar with and its use cases.
  • Write a function to reverse a string.
  • What is polymorphism?
  • Why are you interested in Zendesk?
  • Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
  • How do you prioritize your work when you have multiple tasks?
  • Describe a time you worked effectively in a team.
  • What are your thoughts on testing your code?

Locations

Regional differences.

Fig · Regions — 03 locations

01 / 03

Location

North America

Interview focus

Understanding of core CS conceptsProblem-solving approachCommunication skills

Common questions

  • Tell me about a challenging project you worked on during your internship.
  • How do you approach debugging a complex issue?
  • Describe a time you had to learn a new technology quickly.

Tips

  • Be prepared to discuss your academic projects in detail.
  • Emphasize your eagerness to learn and contribute.
  • Research Zendesk's products and values.

Rounds

Round-by-round.

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

DSA

Coding questions at Zendesk.

Frequently reported on Zendesk loops

View all at Zendesk

Other guides

More at Zendesk.