Process
The interview had two components: a phone screen loop and an onsite loop.
For the onsite, my recruiter kept changing my interview schedule. In the end, they scheduled a different interview than what they had told me.
On top of that, one of my interviewers asked me to design a database for my programming interview, and they provided no instructions, no context, and no test cases.
This was perhaps the worst interview I have ever experienced, and it felt like the interviewer was intentionally gatekeeping candidates from joining the company.
Questions
Design an API for an in-memory database.
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Interview Statistics
The following metrics were computed from 37 interview experiences for the OpenAI Software Engineer role in United States.
Success Rate
OpenAI's interview process for their Software Engineer roles in the United States is extremely selective, failing the vast majority of engineers.
Experience Rating
Candidates reported having good feelings for OpenAI's Software Engineer interview process in United States.
OpenAI Work Experiences
- 5.0Very good experience, hard interview.Software Engineer • Former EmployeeSan Francisco, CAOctober 16, 2026Pros: It was great, with many benefits, and everyone was welcoming.Cons: The interview process was very hard.
- 4.0Great teamSoftware Engineer • Current EmployeeSan Francisco, CAOctober 25, 2026Pros: Amazing talent in the team.Cons: Work life balance is poor.
- 5.0Good place to workSoftware Engineer • Former EmployeeSan Francisco, California, United StatesJanuary 2, 2025Pros: Smart people, good place to work.Cons: Not many cons to list.
OpenAI Interview Questions
