Senior Software Engineer Interview Experience - Tallinn, Estonia
Process
The interview process consisted of the following four steps:
- Screening call with a recruiter
- Live-coding interview #1
- Live-coding interview #2
- System design interview
These were the four aforementioned steps. There likely would have been a few more, but I was rejected after the fourth round.
Impressions about the interviews were… weird. From beginning to end, it felt like every interview was conducted by humanoids without any emotion. They were fixated on technical questions (two live-coding interviews felt like too many, in my opinion).
Before each interview, I thought perhaps it would get better, but no. In the end, I was rejected with a generic email containing no actual feedback. The lack of empathy is probably a good indicator of the company culture itself.
Questions
The system design exercise was about building an analytics system without using any databases, caches, or named technologies. The constraints were to use only disks and bare-bone machines.
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Interview Statistics
The following metrics were computed from 19 interview experiences for the Bolt Senior Software Engineer role in Tallinn, Estonia.
Success Rate
Bolt's interview process for their Senior Software Engineer roles in Tallinn, Estonia is very selective, failing most engineers who go through it.
Experience Rating
Candidates reported having negative feelings for Bolt's Senior Software Engineer interview process in Tallinn, Estonia.
Bolt Work Experiences
- 5.0Great place to workSenior Software Engineer • Current EmployeeTallinn, EstoniaMay 4, 2020Pros: - Competitive salary; the stock bonus should also be good in the future. - The structure is still not that complex or hard. - Interesting products and engineering. - Wonderful atmosphere. - Lots of smart people around. - You are able to get responsibility if you want to.Cons: - The structure is getting complex, with corporate rules, etc., but we are still in the very beginning. - Sometimes there isn't a fair promotion path, comparing to newcomers and vice-versa, to those who were here with managers closely.
- 1.0The company takes advantage of international employeesSenior Software Engineer • Current EmployeeTallinn, EstoniaOctober 14, 2025Pros: Salaries are above average in Estonia.Cons: The company pushes international employees in Estonia to waive their right to settle permanently in the country and to remain on temporary work permits tied to Bolt. If you consider Tallinn for relocation, think twice.
- 5.0Challenging and interesting job in a great environmentSenior Software Engineer • Current EmployeeTallinn, EstoniaApril 2, 2018Pros: I get to solve hard problems with no simple solutions. Ridesharing market is huge and interesting. I enjoy the excitement and surprises this may bring. I would not like to work for a bank or a telco, even if they had an otherwise good environment.Cons: Strong initiative and self-discipline is a must. For me, this is actually a pro, but your mileage may vary. If you enjoy autonomy, responsibility, and getting stuff done (no matter what), then you will love it here. If you seek stability or guidance, then your mileage may vary.
Bolt Interview Questions
