Machine Learning Engineer Interview Experience - San Francisco, California
Process
Applied through a referral.
Had an initial recruiter screen focused on why I was interested in Pinterest. Then, I scheduled an initial technical screen for a month out.
The phone screen was over Hangouts, and I did not pass it.
Questions
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What's more difficult to optimize: nonconvex or convex?
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What activation function does better with vanishing gradient: ReLU or sigmoid?
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Does vanishing gradient happen closer to the beginning or end of the neural network?
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Medium-level backtracking question.
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Interview Statistics
The following metrics were computed from 4 interview experiences for the Pinterest Machine Learning Engineer role in San Francisco, California.
Success Rate
Pinterest's interview process for their Machine Learning Engineer roles in San Francisco, California is very selective, failing most engineers who go through it.
Experience Rating
Candidates reported having very good feelings for Pinterest's Machine Learning Engineer interview process in San Francisco, California.
Pinterest Work Experiences
- 4.0Great place to workMachine Learning Engineer • Current EmployeeSan Francisco, California, United StatesJanuary 4, 2025Pros: Remote work options available. Unlimited PTO.Cons: Leadership keeps changing direction many a time.
- 4.0Good Culture, Slow ProgressMachine Learning Engineer • Current EmployeeSan Francisco, California, United StatesOctober 27, 2024Pros: Good work-life balance, good culture, nice people.Cons: Things are moving much more slowly now.
- 4.0ML at PinterestMachine Learning Engineer • Current EmployeeSan Francisco, California, United StatesAugust 11, 2024Pros: Small company culture, great collaboration between teams. Working on interesting problems at large scale.Cons: Projects and scope can change too fast.
Pinterest Interview Questions
