Process
There was a bit of a language barrier.
It was hard to ask clarifying questions. They answered with "yes" or "no" when I asked them things like, "What do you like most about working here?" They responded, "Yes, I like working here." They offered zero help during the interview other than, "You are wrong on this one."
It seemed they only cared about the most optimal solution. The interviewer was polite, but if you are not international Chinese, I would not recommend it due to the language and cultural barriers making it difficult to work with. I am ABC, by the way.
Questions
15 minutes of short answer about networking/databases, then 30 minutes on LC medium.
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Interview Statistics
The following metrics were computed from 411 interview experiences for the TikTok Software Engineer role in United States.
Success Rate
TikTok'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 mixed feelings for TikTok's Software Engineer interview process in United States.
TikTok Work Experiences
- 4.0Working in TikTokSoftware Engineer • Former EmployeeVancouver, British Columbia, CanadaJuly 21, 2025Pros: - High-paid - Modern tech stack - Fast-paced work environments - Lots to learnCons: - RTO 5 days - Cross-time zone collaboration
- 3.0Good or bad?Software Engineer • Current EmployeeNovember 12, 2025Pros: Good tech and good benefitsCons: Bad culture and bad work-life balance
- 5.0Great Colleagues, But Language BarrierSoftware Engineer • Current EmployeeJuly 26, 2022Pros: Great colleagues, great culture, great perks.Cons: Language barrier, as a lot of colleagues are more comfortable with Chinese.
TikTok Interview Questions
