Netflix Data Engineer Interview Guide – Experienced 3+

Interview Rounds Overview

The data engineering interview process at Netflix can vary depending on the role you are
applying for, but generally, it involves the following steps:
1. Resume review: A recruiter or hiring manager will review your resume and LinkedIn
profile to assess your qualifications and experience.
2. Phone screen: You will have a phone screen with a recruiter to discuss your
background, experience, and motivation for the role.
3. Technical screening: You will also be asked to complete a technical screening,

ar
which could include a coding test, a case study, or a technical quiz. The purpose of
this step is to assess your technical skills and problem-solving abilities.
4. On-site interview: If you pass the technical screening, you will be invited for an on-

ek
site interview, which usually lasts half a day. The on-site interview will consist of
several rounds of technical interviews with different members of the data engineering
team.

ad
Netflix Data Engineer - Phone Screening W
Overview
The phone screening is a common step in the data engineering interview process at Netflix.
m

During this step, you will have a conversation with a recruiter or a hiring manager to discuss
your background, experience, and qualifications for the role. The phone screen is designed
to help the interviewer gain a deeper understanding of your skills and determine if you are a
ha

good fit for the next step in the interview process.

During the phone screening, you can expect the interviewer to ask a variety of questions,
including:
ub

1. Overview of your work experience: The interviewer will ask you about your work
Sh

history and specific experiences related to data engineering.

2. Technical skills: The interviewer will ask you to discuss your technical skills and
experience with specific technologies, such as SQL, Hadoop, Spark, or others.
3. Project experience: The interviewer will ask you to describe a specific project you
©

have worked on and your role in the project.

4. Problem-solving skills: The interviewer will also ask you to describe how you
approach problem-solving and how you have dealt with challenges in your previous
work experience.
5. Availability: The interviewer will usually ask you about your availability and when
you would be able to start if offered the role.
The goal of the phone screening is to assess your qualifications and experience, and
determine if you are a good fit for the next step in the interview process, such as a technical
screening or an in-person interview. If the phone screening goes well, the interviewer will
definitely invite you to continue to the next stage.

For personal use only. Redistribution or resale is prohibited. © Shubham Wadekar

 Interview Questions
1. Can you tell us about your experience with data warehousing and ETL processes?
2. How do you approach problem-solving in a data engineering context?
3. Can you walk us through a recent project you worked on and your role in the project?
4. Can you explain your experience with Hadoop, Spark, or other big data
technologies?
5. How do you stay up-to-date with the latest developments in the field of data
engineering?
6. Can you describe a time when you had to work with a large and complex dataset?
7. Can you give an example of how you have optimized a data processing pipeline?

ar
8. How do you ensure the data you work with is secure and confidential?
9. Can you tell us about a particularly challenging project you have worked on and how

ek
you overcame the challenges?
10. Can you tell us about your experience with data visualization and reporting tools?

ad
Netflix Data Engineer - Technical Screening W
Overview
The technical screening round of the Netflix data engineering interview process is an
opportunity for the company to assess your technical skills and knowledge in a more in-
m

depth manner. During this round, you can expect to be asked a mix of theoretical and
practical questions, as well as complete technical exercises. Here are some topics and
ha

questions you will be asked during the technical screening round:

1. Data warehousing and ETL: Can you explain the differences between a star
schema and a snowflake schema? Can you describe a recent ETL project you
ub

worked on and what tools and technologies you used?

2. Big data technologies: Can you explain the architecture of Hadoop and how it
works? Can you give an example of how you would use Spark to process large
datasets?
Sh

3. SQL: Can you write a SQL query to find the most frequently rented movies in a
movie rental database? Can you explain the differences between inner and outer
joins?
©

4. Data processing and optimization: Can you explain map-reduce and how it works?
Can you give an example of how you would optimize a data processing pipeline to
improve its performance?
5. Data security and privacy: Can you explain how you would secure sensitive data in
a data warehouse? Can you describe the steps you would take to ensure that
sensitive data is not leaked or accidentally disclosed?
6. Data visualization and reporting: Can you explain how you would use Tableau to
create a dashboard that visualizes data from a data warehouse? Can you describe
the types of data you would include in a report and why you would include them?

For personal use only. Redistribution or resale is prohibited. © Shubham Wadekar

 During the technical screening round, it is important to demonstrate not only your technical
knowledge but also your problem-solving skills and ability to communicate your thought
process. You will be asked to write code on a shared code editor or whiteboard, or to explain
your solutions verbally. Be prepared to ask questions, clarify requirements, and provide
examples from your past experience as needed.

Interview Questions
1. Can you explain the basics of distributed systems and how they work?
2. Can you describe a recent project you worked on involving data processing and
analysis, and what technologies and tools you used?
3. Can you explain the difference between a relational database and a NoSQL
database, and give examples of when you would use each?

ar
4. Can you write a SQL query to extract and analyse data from a database?
5. Can you explain how you would design and implement a scalable data storage

ek
solution for a growing dataset?
6. Can you explain how you would optimize a data processing pipeline for performance
and efficiency?

ad
7. Can you explain the basics of machine learning and give an example of a project you
worked on using this technology? W
8. Can you explain how you would handle data privacy and security concerns in a data
storage and processing solution?
9. Can you describe a recent challenge you faced in your work as a data engineer, and
m

how you overcame it?

10. Can you explain how you keep up with the latest developments and trends in data
engineering and related technologies?
ha

Netflix Data Engineer - On-site Interview

ub

Overview
Sh

The on-site interview is typically the next step in the Netflix data engineering interview
process after the technical screening round. During this stage, you will have the opportunity
to meet with several team members and present your skills and experiences in a more in-
depth manner. Here are some of the things you can expect during the on-site interview:
1. Technical interview: You will have one or more technical interviews where you will
©

be asked to write code and solve technical problems. These problems will usually
range from simple coding challenges to more complex systems design and
implementation problems. Be prepared to explain your thought process and design
decisions.
2. Design review: You will be asked to present and discuss a design for a data storage
or processing solution. You will also be asked to present trade-offs, potential
scalability and performance issues, and other considerations.
3. Project review: You will usually be asked to present and discuss a recent project
you have worked on, including the challenges you faced, the solutions you
implemented, and the results you achieved.

For personal use only. Redistribution or resale is prohibited. © Shubham Wadekar

 4. Culture fit: Netflix places a high value on cultural fit, so you can expect to be asked
questions to assess whether you will be a good fit for the team and the company
culture. This will include questions about your communication and collaboration skills,
your ability to work in a fast-paced and dynamic environment, and your passion for
innovation and continuous learning.
5. Team interaction: You will also have the opportunity to meet with and interact with
several team members to get a sense of the team culture and dynamics.
Overall, the on-site interview is an important opportunity to showcase your technical skills,
experience, and passion for data engineering, as well as to learn more about the team and
company culture at Netflix. Be prepared to be thorough, clear, and concise in your
responses, and to ask thoughtful questions of your own.

Interview Questions

ar
1. Can you explain your experience with data modelling and how you have designed
and optimized data models for different use cases?

ek
2. How would you design a scalable and fault-tolerant data processing pipeline for
large-scale data?

ad
3. Can you walk us through your experience with cloud computing, and how you have
designed and deployed data processing applications on AWS or other cloud
platforms? W
4. How do you approach performance optimization in data processing and storage
systems? Can you give an example of a performance optimization problem you faced
and how you solved it?
5. Can you explain how you would implement a real-time recommendation engine that
m

processes data from multiple sources and provides personalized recommendations

to users?
ha

6. How do you handle data quality issues in your data processing pipelines? Can you
give an example of a data quality issue you faced and how you solved it?
7. Can you explain your experience with SQL and how you have optimized SQL queries
ub

for large-scale data processing?

8. Can you tell us about a difficult technical problem you faced in a previous project and
how you solved it?
Sh
©

For personal use only. Redistribution or resale is prohibited. © Shubham Wadekar

 Glassdoor Netflix Review –
https://www.glassdoor.co.in/Reviews/Netflix-Reviews-E11891.htm

Netflix Careers –
https://jobs.netflix.com/

Subscribe to my YouTube Channel for Free Data Engineering Content –

https://www.youtube.com/@shubhamwadekar27

ar
Connect with me here –
https://bento.me/shubhamwadekar

ek
Checkout more Interview Preparation Material on –

ad
https://topmate.io/shubham_wadekar

W
m
ha
ub
Sh
©

For personal use only. Redistribution or resale is prohibited. © Shubham Wadekar