Zendesk is looking for a Senior Software Engineer to join our dynamic team. This role involves designing, developing, and maintaining scalable and robust software solutions that power our customer service platform. You will collaborate with cross-functional teams to deliver high-quality products and contribute to the technical vision of the company.
Rounds·5
Timeline·~14d
Experience·5 - 10 yrs
Comp band·US$130000 - US$180000
Interview time·270 min
Evaluation
Preparation
Tips
Study plan
Fig · Study plan — 04 phases
01 / 04Phase 01 of 04
Weeks 1-2: DSA fundamentals and practice (LeetCode Medium/Hard).
Weeks 1-2: Focus on Data Structures and Algorithms. Cover arrays, linked lists, trees, graphs, hash tables, sorting, searching, and dynamic programming. Practice problems on platforms like LeetCode, HackerRank, focusing on medium to hard difficulty.
Phase 02 of 04
Weeks 3-4: System Design principles and case studies.
Weeks 3-4: Dive into System Design. Study concepts like scalability, availability, reliability, databases (SQL vs. NoSQL), caching, load balancing, message queues, and microservices. Review common system design interview questions and case studies.
Phase 03 of 04
Week 5: Behavioral questions and STAR method preparation.
Week 5: Focus on Behavioral and Situational questions. Prepare examples using the STAR method for leadership, teamwork, conflict resolution, and problem-solving. Understand Zendesk's values and how your experience aligns.
Phase 04 of 04
Week 6: Technology stack review and practice.
Week 6: Review specific technologies relevant to Zendesk's stack (e.g., Java/Python/Ruby, React/Vue, AWS/GCP, databases like PostgreSQL/MySQL/Cassandra). Practice coding exercises and system design scenarios related to these technologies.
Questions
Locations
Fig · Regions — 03 locations
01 / 03Location
Interview focus
Common questions
Tips
Location
Interview focus
Common questions
Tips
Location
Interview focus
Common questions
Tips
Rounds
Expand a step for evaluation criteria, sample questions, and prep notes.
Recruiter Screen · 45 min · Recruiter/HR
This initial screening call with a recruiter aims to understand your background, career aspirations, and motivation for joining Zendesk. It also covers logistical aspects like salary expectations and availability. The recruiter will assess your general fit for the role and the company culture.
What they look for
Evaluation
Sample questions
Tell me about yourself.
Why are you interested in Zendesk?
What are your strengths and weaknesses?
What are your salary expectations?
What is your notice period?
Prep for this round
Common rejection reasons
Technical Interview - Coding · 60 min · Software Engineer
This round focuses on your technical skills, specifically your ability to solve coding problems using data structures and algorithms. You will be asked to write code, often on a shared editor, and explain your approach and complexity analysis.
What they look for
Evaluation
Sample questions
Given an array of integers, find the contiguous subarray with the largest sum.
Implement a function to reverse a linked list.
Find the kth smallest element in a binary search tree.
Given two strings, determine if one is an anagram of the other.
Design and implement a data structure that supports insertion, deletion, and getRandom O(1) time.
Prep for this round
Common rejection reasons
Technical Interview - System Design · 60 min · Senior Software Engineer / Architect
This round evaluates your ability to design scalable, reliable, and maintainable systems. You'll be presented with a high-level problem (e.g., design Twitter's feed, design a URL shortener) and expected to discuss various aspects of the system architecture.
What they look for
Evaluation
Sample questions
Design a URL shortening service like TinyURL.
Design the Twitter feed system.
How would you design a rate limiter?
Design a system to count unique visitors to a website.
Design a distributed cache system.
Prep for this round
Common rejection reasons
Behavioral & Manager Interview · 45 min · Engineering Manager
This interview focuses on your behavioral and leadership qualities. The manager will ask questions about your past experiences, how you handle specific situations, your career goals, and your understanding of teamwork and leadership. This is also an opportunity for you to learn more about the team and the manager's expectations.
What they look for
Evaluation
Sample questions
Tell me about a time you had a conflict with a colleague. How did you resolve it?
Describe a situation where you had to lead a project or a team.
How do you handle feedback, both giving and receiving?
What motivates you in a work environment?
Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
Prep for this round
Common rejection reasons
Technical Interview - Deep Dive / Architecture · 60 min · Senior Engineering Leader / Principal Engineer
This is typically the final technical round, often with a senior leader or principal engineer. It delves deeper into your technical expertise, architectural thinking, and ability to handle complex, ambiguous problems. Expect discussions on past projects, technical challenges, and your vision for future technologies.
What they look for
Evaluation
Sample questions
Walk me through the architecture of a system you are most proud of. What were the key design decisions and why?
How would you approach optimizing the performance of a large-scale distributed system?
What are the challenges of maintaining a large, mature codebase, and how do you address them?
How do you balance technical debt with the need for new feature development?
Describe a time you had to make a significant technical trade-off. What was the situation and your decision process?
Prep for this round
Common rejection reasons
DSA
Frequently reported on Zendesk loops
Other guides
