Machine Learning Engineer Interview Experience - Seattle, Washington
Process
- Application & Recruiter Screen
Format: 30–45 min phone or video call
Focus: Your background, motivation for TikTok, "Always Day 1" culture fit, plus 1–2 high-level ML questions (e.g., supervised vs. unsupervised learning, evaluation metrics).
- Technical Online Assessment
Format: Coding problems (LeetCode-medium) + ML fundamentals quiz
Focus: Data structures & algorithms under time pressure, plus short ML/system design questions on feature engineering, model evaluation, etc.
- Deep-Dive Technical Round
Duration: ~60 min
Focus: Advanced ML algorithms and mathematical foundations (e.g., collaborative filtering, neural nets, bias–variance trade-off), often with follow-up on your past projects.
Questions
Tell me about yourself and your background.
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Interview Statistics
The following metrics were computed from 12 interview experiences for the TikTok Machine Learning Engineer role in Seattle, Washington.
Success Rate
TikTok's interview process for their Machine Learning Engineer roles in Seattle, Washington is extremely selective, failing the vast majority of engineers.
Experience Rating
Candidates reported having mixed feelings for TikTok's Machine Learning Engineer interview process in Seattle, Washington.
TikTok Work Experiences
- 5.0TikTok is a great workplace.Machine Learning Engineer • Current EmployeeSeattle, Washington, United StatesJuly 4, 2025Pros: Wok Culture, Work-life balance, Rapid innovation, Creativity, and Employee benefitsCons: It is a great working place, and I don't think it has any cons.
- 5.0Great place for making impacts.Machine Learning Engineer • Former EmployeeSeattle, Washington, United StatesApril 9, 2025Pros: A fast-moving culture promotes rapid development and experimentation, and you can propose and execute end-to-end projects with minimal red tape.Cons: The rapid deployment of projects leads to a lack of overall engineering rigor and mentorship. Lots of ML knowledge can be half-baked, and results are not understood well.
- 5.0Good Money, Bad BalanceMachine Learning Engineer • Current EmployeeSeattle, Washington, United StatesAugust 3, 2024Pros: They gave money and hired a lot.Cons: Culture and work-life balance
TikTok Interview Questions
