Principal Software Engineer Interview Experience - San Jose, California
Process
The interview process consists of three rounds:
- Technical interview
- Hiring manager interview
These rounds are tailored to the candidate's level, moving beyond purely algorithmic problems. Non-programmatic questions are drawn from real job challenges, making them both interesting and relevant. Interviewers are consistently respectful, punctual, and engaged.
Questions
What is HTTP pipelining, and what problems does it solve?
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Interview Statistics
The following metrics were computed from 1 interview experience for the Zscaler Principal Software Engineer role in San Jose, California.
Success Rate
Zscaler's interview process for their Principal Software Engineer roles in San Jose, California is incredibly easy as the vast majority of engineers get an offer after going through it.
Experience Rating
Candidates reported having very good feelings for Zscaler's Principal Software Engineer interview process in San Jose, California.
Zscaler Work Experiences
- 3.0Good Tech, MicromanagedPrincipal Software Engineer • Former EmployeeSan Jose, California, United StatesFebruary 17, 2025Pros: Good tech stack. Bonus is good.Cons: Micromanagement by leaders. Not a clear vision from management.
- 2.0Poor work-life balance.Principal Software Engineer • Former EmployeeSan Jose, California, United StatesMay 16, 2023Pros: Management usually maintains transparency. Minor RSU refresh based on performance.Cons: Very poor work-life balance due to the mandate to get more work done in less time. There are no first-level managers to manage teams, so management delegates most of their duties to individual contributors. There is no plan or strategy from management to allocate workload evenly among the team. It is very hard to get promoted. Management compares employee salaries irrespective of global location and cost of living.
- 5.0Awesome company to work for.Principal Software Engineer • Current EmployeeSan Jose, California, United StatesSeptember 3, 2022Pros: Open to bringing in any technology and learning faster. Great bonus and yearly refreshers. Do your best and get promoted without even asking anyone (I got 2 promotions in 3 years).Cons: Meetings at odd times become common after the work-from-home culture.
Zscaler Interview Questions
