Interview Experience: Software Engineer at Remitly

I recently interviewed for a Software Engineer position at Remitly, and I want to share the process and what to expect based on my experience. The interview process was well-structured, but it had its challenges, particularly with the technical rounds. Here’s a detailed breakdown of the process and the questions I encountered.

Interview Process Overview

The Software Development Engineer (SDE) interview process at Remitly typically includes several rounds focused on assessing your coding skills, system design knowledge, and behavioral qualities. Here’s how the process usually unfolds:

1. Initial Phone Screening (Recruiter Call)

Duration: 30-45 minutes
Focus: The recruiter will assess your background and motivations for applying. They will discuss the role, the team, and Remitly’s mission. Expect to have questions around your technical skills and experiences, but this is generally not a deep technical interview.

Example Questions:

• “Can you walk me through your resume?”
• “Why are you interested in working for Remitly?”
• “What programming languages are you most comfortable with?”

Tip: Prepare a concise summary of your technical skills and experience, focusing on what aligns with the job description. Be ready to explain why you’re interested in Remitly’s mission of supporting financial services for underserved communities.

2. Technical Screening (Coding Interview)

Duration: 1 hour
Focus: This is a live coding interview where you will be given a problem to solve on a shared platform (e.g., CoderPad or LeetCode). You may be asked to solve algorithms, data structures, or general problem-solving questions.

Example Coding Problems:

• “Write a function to merge two sorted linked lists.”
• “Given a list of integers, find the maximum product of any two numbers.”
• “How would you implement a stack using queues?”
• “Write a function to check if a string is a palindrome.”

Tip: Focus on writing clean, efficient code. Be mindful of time and space complexity (e.g., O(n), O(log n)). During the interview, talk through your thought process, edge cases, and possible optimizations.

3. System Design Interview

Duration: 1 hour
Focus: In this round, you’ll be asked to design a system or service. This is a key part of the process to test your ability to think about scalability, performance, and architecture.

Example Questions:

• “How would you design a system to handle millions of financial transactions in real-time?”
• “Design a URL shortening service like Bit.ly.”
• “How would you design a system to support a mobile app for transferring money between users?”

Tip: Use the START framework to approach system design:

• S: Clarify the requirements (e.g., functional and non-functional requirements).
• T: Think about trade-offs (e.g., consistency vs. availability).
• A: Architect the solution with components (e.g., databases, microservices).
• R: Discuss reliability, scalability, and fault tolerance.
• T: Talk about testing and monitoring.

Think about the limitations of distributed systems, sharding, CAP theorem, and how to ensure high availability.

4. Onsite Interview (Multiple Rounds)

Duration: 3-4 hours
Focus: Onsite interviews typically consist of multiple rounds of technical assessments (coding, system design) and behavioral interviews. You will meet with different engineers, and possibly a hiring manager, who will assess both your technical and cultural fit.

• Coding Interviews: These may include further problem-solving exercises (e.g., dynamic programming, graph algorithms, sorting). You may be asked to code in your preferred language.
• System Design: You will be asked to design a more complex system, often focusing on high-availability and real-time data processing.
• Behavioral Interview: This round assesses how well you fit into Remitly’s culture, focusing on how you work within teams, how you manage challenges, and how you align with Remitly’s values.

Example Behavioral Questions:

• “Tell us about a time you worked on a project with tight deadlines and how you managed it.”
• “Describe a situation where you had to collaborate with cross-functional teams (e.g., product, marketing, or design).”
• “How do you ensure quality in the software you develop?”

Tip: Use the STAR method for behavioral questions:

• S: Situation
• T: Task
• A: Action
• R: Result

5. Final Interview with Leadership (Optional)

Duration: 30-45 minutes
Focus: The final interview, if applicable, will focus on leadership qualities and cultural fit. You will be asked about your approach to leadership, communication, and problem-solving. Expect to discuss your motivation for joining Remitly and how your career goals align with the company’s mission.

Example Questions:

• “Why do you want to work at Remitly, specifically in the financial services space?”
• “How do you approach leading teams and ensuring they stay aligned with project goals?”
• “What are your long-term career goals, and how does this role fit into them?”

Key Skills Tested

Here are some of the key skills and areas of expertise you’ll need for the Software Development Engineer position at Remitly:

• Programming Skills: Proficiency in at least one programming language (e.g., Java, Python, Go, C++).
• Data Structures & Algorithms: Expertise in arrays, linked lists, trees, graphs, heaps, sorting algorithms, and dynamic programming.
• System Design: Ability to design scalable, fault-tolerant systems. Familiarity with microservices, cloud infrastructure (e.g., AWS), and databases (SQL and NoSQL).
• Collaboration: Ability to work well with cross-functional teams (e.g., product, design, engineering).
• Problem-Solving: Ability to solve complex problems efficiently while considering trade-offs.
• Version Control: Experience using Git or similar tools for code management.

Behavioral and Situational Examples

Problem-Solving Under Pressure:

Example Question: “Tell me about a time you faced a difficult technical challenge and how you solved it.”
Response:
“In my previous role, we faced a performance issue where our API was handling more traffic than expected. I conducted a thorough performance analysis, identified the bottleneck in database queries, and optimized them by adding indexes and refactoring the code. This reduced the response time by 30%, and the API could handle the increased load.”

Handling Tight Deadlines:

Example Question: “How do you manage deadlines when you’re juggling multiple tasks?”
Response:
“I prioritize tasks based on business impact and dependencies. If necessary, I break tasks into smaller chunks and focus on delivering the most important features first. Regular communication with the team and stakeholders ensures that we are aligned and that any blockers are quickly addressed.”

Working with Cross-Functional Teams:

Example Question: “Can you give an example of how you worked with other teams to deliver a product?”
Response:
“In a recent project, I worked closely with the design team to create a seamless user experience for a new feature. We iterated together, aligning the technical implementation with the design vision. Regular check-ins ensured that both teams stayed on track and made the necessary adjustments along the way.”

Final Preparation Tips

• Practice Coding Problems: Solve a variety of coding problems on platforms like LeetCode, HackerRank, or CodeSignal. Focus on time complexity and edge cases.
• Prepare for System Design: Study large-scale system design patterns, including databases, microservices, and cloud architecture.
• Behavioral Questions: Use the STAR method to prepare for behavioral questions that assess your collaboration and problem-solving abilities.
• Understand Remitly’s Mission: Familiarize yourself with Remitly’s work in remittances and financial services for immigrants, as this will likely come up in behavioral interviews.