Principal Software Engineer Interview Experience - Mountain View, California
Process
The process began with a technical 1:1 phone screen. This part was not very difficult; they tested basic algorithms and data structures knowledge. You had to code online and in real time with the interviewer using CollabEdit.
The onsite interview was exhausting and unnecessarily long. I arrived around 10 am and left at 5 pm. I was interviewed by 10 people in 5-6 sessions. The interviewers were nice in general and they tested:
- Technical communication
- Algorithms
- Data structures
- Architecture/design
- Culture
I only failed to complete one of the questions, but that was enough to get rejected.
Overall, it seems like a good place to work.
Questions
Design and code a system that can accept millions of events in real time and report the number of events for the last 10 minutes (sliding window).
The system has to account for performance and concurrency.
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Interview Statistics
The following metrics were computed from 3 interview experiences for the LinkedIn Principal Software Engineer role in Mountain View, California.
Success Rate
LinkedIn's interview process for their Principal Software Engineer roles in Mountain View, California is extremely selective, failing the vast majority of engineers.
Experience Rating
Candidates reported having very negative feelings for LinkedIn's Principal Software Engineer interview process in Mountain View, California.
LinkedIn Work Experiences
- 5.0LinkedIn is a grownup companyPrincipal Software Engineer • Current EmployeeMountain View, California, United StatesOctober 4, 2013Pros: Highly professional, effective people. Projects that actually make a difference, and a focus on meaningful work. Good perks, happy people, and the pay is fairly competitive. I was underpaid at my old job, so I got roughly a 60% raise after stock and bonus were factored in.Cons: Very corporate – less than you might think, but more than you probably ideally want. As one might expect from the size of the company, it is less agile than a startup and more bureaucratic. However, it still feels acceptable.
- 5.0A tremendous opportunity to affect what the company doesPrincipal Software Engineer • Current EmployeeMountain View, California, United StatesDecember 1, 2011Pros: Awesome culture. Incredible ability to decide what you work on. Amazing company mission that could genuinely change the world. Great perks, including monthly hackdays where you work on whatever you want.Cons: Technical debt: an 8-year-old website racks up some ugly code.
- 4.0Great Culture, Too Much ProcessPrincipal Software Engineer • Current EmployeeMarch 13, 2022Pros: Open, honest, and constructive culture.Cons: Large company, too many processes.
LinkedIn Interview Questions
