L3 / IC2 · 2–4 years
Software Engineer interview prep — what to expect
Software Engineer interviews at most tech companies follow a predictable shape: a recruiter screen, a technical phone screen, an onsite loop with two or three coding rounds, one system design round, and a behavioural / hiring-manager round. The bar is technical correctness, code quality, and the ability to discuss trade-offs out loud. You'll be evaluated against an L3 / IC2 calibration — solid execution on bounded tasks, with some ownership over a feature or component.
Personalised version
This guide covers general expectations for Software Engineer interviews. For a free report tailored to your specific job description — with predicted questions, comp benchmark, and experience-gap analysis — paste the JD into the free scan.
Run a free scan on your JD →What you'll be expected to do
- Implement features end-to-end against a defined spec, with manageable scope
- Write tests, fix bugs, and respond to code-review feedback efficiently
- Participate in on-call rotations and incident response for your team's services
- Estimate work, break down tasks, and ship within a sprint cadence
- Collaborate with a tech lead or staff engineer on design decisions
Typical interview process
Most companies follow a similar shape for Software Engineer interviews. Total calendar time: 3–5 weeks from recruiter screen to offer.
Sample questions you should be ready for
Representative of what companies ask at this level — not a complete list. For predicted questions tied to a specific job posting, run the free scan above.
- “Given a list of integers, find the longest subarray with sum equal to a target value.”
- “Implement an LRU cache. Walk through the data structure choices and trade-offs.”
- “Reverse a linked list iteratively. Then do it recursively. Compare space complexity.”
- “Design a URL shortener (bit.ly). Cover the encoding scheme, storage, and caching layer.”
- “Design a rate limiter. What algorithm — token bucket, sliding window, fixed window? Why?”
- “Design the back-end for an autocomplete service that handles 100k QPS.”
- “Tell me about a project you're proud of. What was your specific contribution?”
- “Describe a time you disagreed with a code reviewer. How did you resolve it?”
- “Tell me about a time you missed a deadline. What did you learn?”
Compensation benchmark
Median compensation for Software Engineer at major US tech companies, headline numbers in USD. London / Berlin / Singapore typically pay 30–50% less in base terms; equity ratios vary by company stage.
FAANG L3 / Google L3 / Meta E3 / Amazon L4 / Apple ICT2. London Software Engineer median ~£60–80k base. Berlin / Stockholm ~€55–75k.
How to prep — five tactical tips
- Drill 100+ LeetCode mediums focused on arrays, strings, hashmaps, trees, graphs
- Practice talking through your approach BEFORE coding — interviewers grade communication
- Time yourself: optimal solution + edge cases + tests in 25 minutes
- For system design, master one canonical problem (URL shortener) cold — pattern-match the rest
- Prepare 5 specific past-project stories using STAR format, ready to redirect to any behavioural prompt
Ready to prep for a real role?
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Predicted questions for that company, your specific experience gaps, and a compensation benchmark calibrated to the role and location. PDF emailed to you.
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