How to prep for your Thumbtack Software Engineer interview

At Thumbtack, we want you to have a transparent and seamless interview process with us. So we’ve broken it down (with some helpful tips) so you can feel more prepared. Because we know that the more prepared you feel, the better your skills will shine through. And remember, our recruiting team is here to help. We’re happy to answer any questions about how this process works.

Part 1: Technical Phone Interview

What is it?
A live coding session on HackerRank. Most problems will be open-ended. You can choose any coding language for the technical phone interview — pick whatever you’re strongest in.

What is it for?
Your interviewer is assessing for engineering fundamentals such as performance algorithms, data structures, debugging and functionality.

Who’s interviewing me?
Our technical phone interviews are conducted by software engineers across the whole team. We’ll tell you who you’re talking to prior to your interview.

What will help me do a good job?

• Choose a good interview spot — one that is quiet, clean and has good WiFi.
• Choose the coding language that you’re best at.
• Think out loud and share your reasoning during the interview. Help the interviewer understand why you are making the decisions that you are making.
• Use the hints you’re given — we evaluate for learning ability too.
• Take a look at our structured hiring blog post here.

Part 2: Onsite Interviews

How does it work?
There will be four sessions: 3 coding on a laptop and 1 systems design. Each session is 1 hour long. You’ll also get a tour of our office, see where we work and grab lunch with a team member. Lunch isn’t evaluative — it’s a chance for you to learn more about Thumbtack and the engineering team from someone in a similar role.

What are the interviewers looking for?
They will assess for our four core pillars of the engineering team: problem-solving, coding, technical communication and learning. More on our pillars here.

How do I prepare?

• Before your interview, you’ll get a link to book time with a recruiter for a prep call. Take advantage of it so you can ask questions about the interview process.
• Be ready to discuss past work during your interviews. Our team wants to know what you’ve done and how you did it.
• Bring questions to ask — whether it’s about the engineering team or Thumbtack. Onsite interviews are the perfect time to ask about anything that may be lingering.

Good luck and see you soon!