Staff Engineer Interview Experience - Santa Clara, California
February 1, 2010
Positive ExperienceNo Offer
Process
1-hour interview.
Questions focused on RTOS, Data Structures, and C++ logic programming.
Towards the end of the interview, there were two questions where I was asked to code and read it out.
Questions
What is a volatile variable?
Reverse linked list
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Interview Statistics
The following metrics were computed from 1 interview experience for the Qualcomm Staff Engineer role in Santa Clara, California.
Success Rate
0%
Pass Rate
Qualcomm's interview process for their Staff Engineer roles in Santa Clara, California is extremely selective, failing the vast majority of engineers.
Experience Rating
Positive100%
Neutral0%
Negative0%
Candidates reported having very good feelings for Qualcomm's Staff Engineer interview process in Santa Clara, California.
Qualcomm Work Experiences
3.0
Used to be great.
Staff Engineer • Current Employee
Santa Clara, California, United States
October 17, 2025
Pros: Work-Life Balance:
The company offers highly flexible work hours, which significantly helps in managing personal and professional commitments.
Learning Environment:
There are ample opportunities for employees to engage in new work and benefit from learning/skill development initiatives.
Cons: Uncompetitive Compensation & Talent Drain
Compensation is significantly below industry standards, causing a rapid outflow of top talent. This leads to high turnover and a workforce often composed of those doing the bare minimum.
The direct consequence is a sharp decline in work quality, increased bugs, and a substandard product.
4.0
Okay, but can be better.
Staff Engineer • Current Employee
Santa Clara, California, United States
October 1, 2025
Pros: Innovation driven with patent filing.
Cons: Stock prices are underperforming compared to peers.
3.0
Working on cutting-edge technologies, with no work-life balance.
Staff Engineer • Current Employee
Santa Clara, California, United States
September 23, 2024
Pros: Get to work on the latest technology.
Cons: Workload is high, so plan to work at nights and over the weekends.
- 3.0Used to be great.Staff Engineer • Current EmployeeSanta Clara, California, United StatesOctober 17, 2025Pros: Work-Life Balance: The company offers highly flexible work hours, which significantly helps in managing personal and professional commitments. Learning Environment: There are ample opportunities for employees to engage in new work and benefit from learning/skill development initiatives.Cons: Uncompetitive Compensation & Talent Drain Compensation is significantly below industry standards, causing a rapid outflow of top talent. This leads to high turnover and a workforce often composed of those doing the bare minimum. The direct consequence is a sharp decline in work quality, increased bugs, and a substandard product.
- 4.0Okay, but can be better.Staff Engineer • Current EmployeeSanta Clara, California, United StatesOctober 1, 2025Pros: Innovation driven with patent filing.Cons: Stock prices are underperforming compared to peers.
- 3.0Working on cutting-edge technologies, with no work-life balance.Staff Engineer • Current EmployeeSanta Clara, California, United StatesSeptember 23, 2024Pros: Get to work on the latest technology.Cons: Workload is high, so plan to work at nights and over the weekends.
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