Airbnb Data Engineer interviews, decoded.

They asked me data modeling questions, like how to design tables, partition data, and scale things. Then, I had to write SQL queries related to those topics. The coding part involved basic programming questions like arrays, if-else statements, and loops.

The entire interview process took about two months, and they seemed very selective, like Google, carefully considering feedback before moving candidates forward. They emphasized that they only hire a select few. I successfully completed all 6-7 rounds. However, at the final stage, they offered a base salary that was 30% lower than expected and negotiated like a typical service-based company. If your compensation isn't competitive, I suggest not wasting the interviewers' time for two months. The offered compensation is significantly lower compared to other product companies like Amazon and Apple.

It was a mix of technical and behavioral questions to see if I had the skills, knowledge, and could solve problems, also to see if I fit the culture. There were coding problems, whiteboard stuff, and talking about what I've done before.