Senior Software Engineer Interview Experience - Los Gatos, California
July 1, 2013
Positive ExperienceGot Offer
Process
Three telephone interviews, then a paid flight to Los Gatos.
One HR general interview for cultural fit, followed by four relatively tough technical interviews.
After a break at lunch to see if they wanted to proceed, three more interviews were conducted.
These included one at the director's level, dealing with high-level concerns such as, "Who is Netflix's most dangerous competitor today and in five years?"
Questions
The toughest were those that required industry knowledge and a good understanding of the "space" in which the company is currently operating and wishes to operate in the future.
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Interview Statistics
The following metrics were computed from 46 interview experiences for the Netflix Senior Software Engineer role in Los Gatos, California.
Success Rate
22%
Pass Rate
Netflix's interview process for their Senior Software Engineer roles in Los Gatos, California is very selective, failing most engineers who go through it.
Experience Rating
Positive43%
Neutral28%
Negative28%
Candidates reported having good feelings for Netflix's Senior Software Engineer interview process in Los Gatos, California.
Netflix Work Experiences
5.0
Netflix is true to its advertised culture of freedom and responsibility
Senior Software Engineer • Current Employee
Los Gatos, California, United States
March 22, 2009
Pros: Lack of politics, hard problems to tackle, extremely bright colleagues, lack of bureaucracy, "context, not control" style of management, no tracking of hours or time off, flexible work options. Netflix is extremely successful as a company, and it's a fun business to be in and win at.
Cons: There is always more to do than people to do the work, but I've never had a job where this wasn't the case. Also, it's sometimes hard to find the boundaries between family and work life because there is no tracking of work hours. Many of the folks in my area are highly self-motivated, which fosters a self-imposed culture of working nights and weekends.
5.0
Great place to work, but if you are looking for an easy, secure job, Netflix is not for you
Senior Software Engineer • Current Employee
Los Gatos, California, United States
April 23, 2010
Pros: Freedom and responsibility and working with smart, motivated, high-caliber people make for a great experience.
The work environment is dynamic and unencumbered by rules and process. There are no slackers here.
Cons: The constant expectations of excellence can be stressful.
5.0
Empowered Growth, High Accountability
Senior Software Engineer • Former Employee
Los Gatos, California, United States
March 16, 2016
Pros: Freedom to choose a solution path and coordinate to accomplish one's goals is something everyone has an opportunity to experience. Micromanagement is not in the DNA of management at Netflix.
Cons: Choosing wrong or failing to communicate effectively can have career-limiting side effects. It is true that one is given the opportunity to fail and learn from those mistakes, but it should not be taken lightly. One has a limited number of silver bullets that can be spent on mistakes.
- 5.0Netflix is true to its advertised culture of freedom and responsibilitySenior Software Engineer • Current EmployeeLos Gatos, California, United StatesMarch 22, 2009Pros: Lack of politics, hard problems to tackle, extremely bright colleagues, lack of bureaucracy, "context, not control" style of management, no tracking of hours or time off, flexible work options. Netflix is extremely successful as a company, and it's a fun business to be in and win at.Cons: There is always more to do than people to do the work, but I've never had a job where this wasn't the case. Also, it's sometimes hard to find the boundaries between family and work life because there is no tracking of work hours. Many of the folks in my area are highly self-motivated, which fosters a self-imposed culture of working nights and weekends.
- 5.0Great place to work, but if you are looking for an easy, secure job, Netflix is not for youSenior Software Engineer • Current EmployeeLos Gatos, California, United StatesApril 23, 2010Pros: Freedom and responsibility and working with smart, motivated, high-caliber people make for a great experience. The work environment is dynamic and unencumbered by rules and process. There are no slackers here.Cons: The constant expectations of excellence can be stressful.
- 5.0Empowered Growth, High AccountabilitySenior Software Engineer • Former EmployeeLos Gatos, California, United StatesMarch 16, 2016Pros: Freedom to choose a solution path and coordinate to accomplish one's goals is something everyone has an opportunity to experience. Micromanagement is not in the DNA of management at Netflix.Cons: Choosing wrong or failing to communicate effectively can have career-limiting side effects. It is true that one is given the opportunity to fail and learn from those mistakes, but it should not be taken lightly. One has a limited number of silver bullets that can be spent on mistakes.
Netflix Interview Questions
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