Software Engineer Interview Experience - San Francisco, California
Process
Round 1: 3-hour coding challenge/virtual interview. Questions focused on string manipulation and trees. It included 3 coding questions, 1 hour each, and 2-4 video response questions.
Round 2: Guru Interview (HireVue via Skype). This round involved discussing questions from the previous round, 3 LeetCode coding questions, and 1 puzzle question.
Round 3: Guide Interview (phone interview). This consisted of behavioral questions and a general discussion about the next round.
Round 4: 2-day Onsite Event (Finish Line event in San Francisco). Day 1: Attended a Watson developer conference and prepared for 2 hours for a case study in a team of 5. Day 2: Case study presentations (10-15 minutes) and an HR/behavioral interview (10 minutes). Offer confirmation was received within 4 hours via text. The offer letter arrived the next day.
Questions
Algorithms Time complexity Different approaches to solve a question Trees String manipulation
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Interview Statistics
The following metrics were computed from 10 interview experiences for the IBM Software Engineer role in San Francisco, California.
Success Rate
IBM's interview process for their Software Engineer roles in San Francisco, California is fairly selective, failing a large portion of engineers who go through it.
Experience Rating
Candidates reported having very good feelings for IBM's Software Engineer interview process in San Francisco, California.
IBM Work Experiences
- 3.0Stable Work, Uneven DiversitySoftware Engineer • Current EmployeeSan Francisco, California, United StatesApril 13, 2016Pros: Stable job if you are in anything dealing with security or analytics. They did away with the horrible PBC system and have a more balanced way of reviewing/grading employees now. Decent benefits. Due to large government contracts, IBM is more diverse than other companies in the Bay Area. A minority man or woman can succeed, but it won't be easy, though not impossible either. If you're a minority, be smart, work hard, make allies, and don't throw anyone under the bus. If someone is rude and mean to you because of your status as a minority, continue being a gentleman or lady and press onward.Cons: There's still a lack of diversity in some departments, along with a lot of politics. While cutting-edge technology projects are available, they aren't the norm. It's hard to move up, and somewhat hard to move laterally.
- 4.0Great Environment to Grow InSoftware Engineer • Former EmployeeSan Francisco, California, United StatesDecember 20, 2022Pros: - Open and collaborative environment with highly talented and driven coworkers. - Opportunities to work on new projects and grow in the direction you want towards a particular specialty/stack. - Excellent benefits and amenities in the office, including unlimited coffee and snacks. - Approachable and understanding management.Cons: Blockers occasionally came up when there were requirements that needed to be met by other teams in another division.
- 4.0Software engineer at IBMSoftware Engineer • Current EmployeeSan Francisco, California, United StatesSeptember 27, 2019Pros: Working flexibility, work-life balance.Cons: Compensation, skills improvement, old tools.
IBM Interview Questions
