Software Engineer · Phone Screen · Coding

OpenAI — Software Engineer ✅ Passed

Level: Unknown Level

Round: Phone Screen · Type: Coding · Difficulty: 7/10 · Duration: 60 min · Interviewer: Neutral

Topics: Arrays, Lists, Queues, Maps, Trees, Graphs, Data Structures, Algorithms, Unit Testing, Debugging, Problem Solving

Location: San Francisco Bay Area

Interview date: 2026-02-15

Summary

The phone screen assessed practical problem-solving and technical communication skills, focusing on data structures, algorithms, testing, debugging, and efficiency.

Details

The interview focused on practical coding problem-solving and communication skills, not rote memorization. I was expected to know common data structures like arrays, lists, queues, maps, trees, and graphs, and when to use them, but not to implement complex data structures from scratch. The interview de-emphasized memorization of classical algorithms (e.g., dynamic programming, backtracking, convex hulls) and design patterns (e.g., MVC, observer). Object-oriented programming topics like inheritance or polymorphism were generally not covered. I was expected to demonstrate the ability to proactively write unit tests and generate meaningful test cases. Debugging in CoderPad typically involved adding logs and carefully reading my code. I was advised to focus first on getting a simple and correct solution, as premature optimization often leads to misunderstandings or running out of time.