Software Engineer · Phone Screen · Coding

Tesla — Software Engineer

Level: Intern

Round: Phone Screen · Type: Coding · Difficulty: 5/10 · Duration: 60 min · Interviewer: Unfriendly

Topics: C++, Debugging, Doubly Linked List, Behavioral Questions

Location: Austin, TX

Interview date: 2025-11-09

Summary

Round 1: Technical Phone (C++)

Question: The interviewer started with a few behavioral questions about learning new skills and my most interesting projects. I was also asked about how I distributed work and collaborated with others during my internship. Then, I was given a piece of C++ code to debug, which involved familiarity with the implementation of a doubly linked list. I found several small bugs and discussed them while writing code.

Details

The coding question involved debugging C++ code related to a doubly linked list. I had to identify and fix multiple small bugs while discussing my approach with the interviewer.

My approach:

1. I carefully reviewed the code, paying close attention to pointer manipulation and memory management.
2. I identified several issues, including incorrect pointer assignments and potential memory leaks.
3. I discussed each bug with the interviewer before implementing the fix.

Key insights:

• A strong understanding of data structures and algorithms is crucial for debugging.
• Clear communication and collaboration with the interviewer are essential.