TikTok

Role: Software Development Engineer 2 (Backend Infrastructure)

College: Not Specified

Interview Date: Late 2022

Interview Type: Full-Time

Result: Selected (Implied)

Difficulty: Hard (rated 4.2 out of 5, harder than Amazon/Microsoft but not as hard as Netflix)

Rounds: 2 main rounds with sub-segments

Topics Asked: Data Structures, Algorithms (LeetCode medium to hard), System Design, Behavioral

Experience:

The candidate, Adib Shakib, interviewed for an SD2 Backend Infrastructure role at TikTok. The preparation took around two months, focusing on both designing skills and coding skills. For coding, he practiced LeetCode problems in the medium to hard range, specifically using curated lists like "Blind 75" and "Top Questions 120". He also utilized Pramp for peer mock interviews for both coding and system design. System design preparation involved "Grokking the System Design Interview" and "Interviewer Premier."

The interview process started with a recruiter reaching out on LinkedIn, followed by an initial call to discuss his background and what he was looking for.

The technical interview was described as a "two-step process," with the first round lasting two hours and broken down into one-hour segments. This structure suggests at least two distinct technical evaluations within that initial phase.

The overall difficulty was perceived as "way harder" than interviews at Amazon and Microsoft, but not as challenging as Netflix. Tips shared for preparation included focusing on computer science fundamentals, understanding when to use specific data structures and algorithms, and practicing system design by building full-fledged systems.