Bitly Software Engineer Interview Questions
& Process

My interview experience with Bitly was really bad. It started with a 1-hour call with a manager, then another 1-hour call with the hiring manager. After that, I had to do a take-home task that took about 8 hours to finish, building a microservice for Stripe payments. I thought this task was way too long and not suitable for an early stage. Then, I had a call with two developers. They asked some shallow questions and didn't seem very professional, almost like they didn't know the subject well. A week later, I got a short rejection email saying I didn't pass the technical assessment. They ignored my request for more feedback. It was a big waste of time. They expect a lot, give a poorly designed test, and offer no useful feedback. I wouldn't suggest interviewing here.

The whole thing took about a month from applying to getting the offer. It started with me talking to the VP of Engineering at a networking event and then a few months later they reached out about internships. I applied right away and got a call from the recruiter about a week later. Then, about another week after that, I had a video call with the hiring manager. Later that week, they sent me a take-home assessment which I had 72 hours plus the weekend to complete. I submitted it on a Monday, and a few days later they said I passed and set up a 45-minute live coding challenge with an engineer for the next week. The day after that, I had a 45-minute values chat with two other engineers, and finally, a 30-minute wrap-up with the hiring manager. So, there were 5 interviews in total over about 4 weeks. The take-home was tough but doable, and the live coding challenge was basically adding to my take-home project, which I could prepare for. The whole process felt organized and pleasant, with everyone being really nice, especially the engineers who were pretty chill. The hardest part was the take-home and getting over the nerves for the follow-up discussion. Even though some people get ghosted, it's worth noting I was one of over 1500 applicants, so they're just swamped right now, not undervaluing you. My advice is to always communicate, ask questions, take notes, send thank-you messages, be empathetic, and show your excitement for the role.

The Google interview process is pretty intense and thorough, checking your technical abilities, how you solve problems, and if you'd fit in. It can differ a bit based on the job, but generally it goes like this: First, you apply online or get found through LinkedIn, referrals, or at career fairs. Recruiters look at your resume to see if you match the job, and they suggest making it specific and results-focused using a formula like 'accomplished X by doing Z'. Then, if your resume looks good, a recruiter will give you a quick 20-30 minute call to talk about your background, why you're interested in Google, and what to expect next. For technical jobs, you'll usually have one or two phone interviews with a Google engineer. These are technical tests where you might solve coding problems or discuss tech stuff, possibly writing code in a Google Doc, focusing on your problem-solving, data structures, algorithms, and how you explain your thinking. The biggest part is the onsite interviews, which can be virtual or in person, usually 4-6 interviews in one day, each lasting about 45-60 minutes. They check four things: General Cognitive Ability (how you solve problems and learn), Role-Related Knowledge (your specific job skills), Leadership (stepping up in a team), and Googliness (fitting with Google's values like collaboration and bias for action), often through behavioral questions. For tech roles, it's a mix of coding, system design, and behavioral questions. After your interviews, everything (resume, feedback) goes to a hiring committee who didn't interview you to make an objective decision. If they approve you, your profile is shared with teams looking for people, and you might chat with hiring managers about their projects. Once a team is set, your recruiter calls with a verbal offer, followed by a formal offer letter. You can then negotiate. To do well, practice a lot, especially coding problems using resources like LeetCode. Talk through your problem-solving process. For behavioral questions, use the STAR method. And always ask questions to show your interest.