Canva Data Engineer Interview Questions
& Process
Real candidates share what happened, how many rounds they had,
and how the experience turned out.
Based on 12 interview experiences · FREE TO READ
Candidate interview experiences
First-hand accounts from people who interviewed at Canva.
Canva
Analytics Engineer
Senior Average Positive experience No offer 5 rounds
Interview process
Recruiter call Technical screen Onsite
Interview formats
Technical Coding
This was a 5 stage interview process that took 4 weeks. The recruiter was nice and professional, and the questions in each stage were relevant. I didn't get an offer, but I still recommend Canva. Overall, a great experience.
Confirmed questions1 question
- Given work scenarios, write SQL queries to find the answers.
Canva
Analytics Engineer
Mid Difficult Positive experience Decline offer 4 rounds
Interview process
Technical screen Technical screen Technical screen Recruiter call
Interview formats
Technical Technical Coding Behavioral
It was a pretty long process with several interview rounds covering different skills: first, general SQL knowledge and writing different queries (like ETL for updates/appends and analytics with window functions, focusing on optimization). Then, a data modeling round where I had to define a data model based on project needs, specifically to easily calculate a set of metrics. After that, a live Python coding session, and finally, a culture fit interview. Overall, I thought they did a good job screening for the best talent.
Confirmed questions2 questions
- How would you optimize a query given certain criteria, and how would you change it if business requirements changed?
- Given specific criteria, how would you optimize a query? Also, discuss how you'd alter your query to accommodate changes in business requirements.
Canva
Data Engineer
Entry Average Negative experience No offer 1 round
Interview process
Recruiter call
Interview formats
Behavioral Technical
The First Round was an HR Interview and it was not a good experience. The HR person did not ask me about my experience with data pipelines like ETL or ELT, and they did not discuss the JD points about event-based experience or developing experience for dashboards. The HR person only cared if I could write SQL. It was strange because the HR person did not look through my data engineering experience but said I sounded like a software developer, not a data engineer. I failed because I don't have enough knowledge about data warehouse experience. This is something I need to improve, but it is confusing because Canva offers both data warehouse engineer and data engineer roles. If they are the same requirements, why not just offer one role and call it warehouse engineer?
Confirmed questions2 questions
- Are you able to write complex SQL queries?
- What are the methods for decoupling large data storage or a warehouse?
Canva Data Engineer Interview Questions
Quoted word for word from Canva interview reports.
“Can you suggest a more efficient way to write this SQL statement?”
Read reports →“How would you remove duplicate records from a table?”
Read reports →“What are the methods for decoupling large data storage or a warehouse?”
Read reports →“Write code on a notepad in a live setting.”
Read reports →“Write queries to answer each question, given table schemas related to marketing.”
Read report →“Can you explain SQL Windows functions?”
Read report →“Given work scenarios, write SQL queries to find the answers.”
Read report →“What would be your approach to scaling this system to accommodate numerous users and terabytes of data?”
Read report →“For the first SQL interview, what aspects of simplicity and readability in code are important, and how should I avoid overcomplicating my solutions?”
Read report →Formats, difficulty and experience
Across all 12 Canva interview reports.