General Software Engineer Interview Experience - Mountain View, California
Process
This was a typical phone interview for a software engineer position.
I was asked algorithm questions about binary search and depth-first search.
The binary search problem was a little bit tweaked but manageable.
Then, I was asked to design a data structure for a maze.
I did not receive much help, but I was not able to find the best solution.
He explained a better way of doing it at the end of the interview.
Questions
Data structure for a maze.
Write a code that finds a shortest path from the entrance to the exit.
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Interview Statistics
The following metrics were computed from 1 interview experience for the Google General Software Engineer role in Mountain View, California.
Success Rate
Google's interview process for their General Software Engineer roles in Mountain View, California is extremely selective, failing the vast majority of engineers.
Experience Rating
Candidates reported having mixed feelings for Google's General Software Engineer interview process in Mountain View, California.
Google Work Experiences
- 2.0Toxic work cultureSoftware Engineer SWE III • Former EmployeeMountain View, California, United StatesAugust 15, 2025Pros: Good salary Great brand valueCons: Managers have absolute power. HR does not respond to complaints against management.
- 4.0A good place to start a careerSoftware Engineer • Former EmployeeMountain View, California, United StatesMarch 6, 2013Pros: Work is hard, and there's lots of it, so it's not what I'd call a "cushy" job. But if you're not lazy and have what it takes to pass the legendary interviews, you will likely do well. It still feels like the company is run by engineers, even though that's not really the case anymore. And yeah, there's free food (3 times a day), soda, a gym membership, and so on and so forth.Cons: Management quality is clearly below what's required for a company of this size. It's incredibly difficult for someone senior to get up to speed to a degree where they'd feel comfortable.
- 4.0Great Perks, Boring WorkMachine Learning Engineer • Former EmployeeMountain View, California, United StatesSeptember 15, 2023Pros: Nice perks and food, friendly people.Cons: Boring, overly bureaucratic, and questionable leadership.
Google Interview Questions
