Seismic software engineer interviews reported by candidates mix resume and behavioral conversations with a timed coding assessment and a senior-engineer technical discussion that stresses explaining your reasoning.
$123K
Avg. Base Comp
$140K
Avg. Total Comp
5-6 rounds
Typical Rounds
Not reported
Process Length
One candidate who interviewed for a Seismic software engineer role and received an offer describes a long but well-paced, conversational process. It began with an HR screen, then a conversation with the hiring manager that was heavily resume-focused: projects, skills, past achievements and what the candidate wanted next. A third conversation with a project manager and another engineer leaned behavioral, and the main question was to describe your background in relation to the role.
The technical part came after that: a timed online coding assessment, then a deeper interview with senior engineers. This candidate called it the hardest stage because explaining the approach at both a high and low level mattered as much as reaching a solution. The last step was a brief conversation with a senior technical manager.
A second candidate, who interviewed for a Senior SDET position with a QA-leaning team, reports five rounds: a recruiter screen, a hiring manager conversation, two shorter team-member interviews and a director discussion. Questions were mostly "tell me about a situation when" prompts. That candidate found the role's scope unclear and received no offer after the director interview was rescheduled and then missed. This is a different role, so treat it as a single data point on behavioral style and on asking questions early.
To prepare, rehearse a concise walkthrough of your resume that ties each project to the job. Have several specific stories ready for behavioral prompts. Practice solving timed coding problems while narrating your choices aloud. Ask the recruiter about team scope and compensation in the first call.
Synthesized from 2 candidate reports by our editorial team.
Had an interview recently?
Share your experience. Unlock the full guide.
Real interview reports from people who went through the Seismic process.
I went through five rounds with Seismic for a software engineering role on a team that seemed to need more QA help, and I want to be upfront that the process was hard to follow. It opened with a 30-minute recruiter screen, then a one-hour conversation with the hiring manager. After that came two 30-minute interviews with team members, one technical and one more general. The process ended with an hour-long discussion with the director.
What stuck with me was how unclear the role was. I never got a straight picture of what the team needed, and it felt like they were still working out whether they needed additional QA. The recruiter also couldn't tell me the salary range, which was an odd gap to have that early in the process.
The questions I remember were the standard "tell me about a situation when" kind, so I'd expect to be asked to walk through specific past projects and conflicts rather than give general answers. I don't have a clear sense of how deep the technical round went.
The final stage fell apart. The director's interview was cancelled and rescheduled, and the director was ultimately a no-show and never apologized. That lack of professionalism made me doubt how the team would treat me day to day, and I ended up with no offer. If you're considering them, press for clarity on scope and compensation early, and pay attention to how they handle scheduling, because it says something about the team.
Prep tip from this candidate
Prepare specific past examples for "tell me about a situation when" questions, since that was the main question style. Ask the recruiter for the salary range and a clear description of the team's needs during the first call.
Share your own interview experience to unlock all reports, or subscribe for full access.
Sourced from candidate reports and verified by our team.
Topics based on recent interview experiences.
Featured question at Seismic
Select the 2nd highest salary in the engineering department
| Question | |
|---|---|
| Top Three Salaries | |
| Merge Sorted Lists | |
| Closest SAT Scores | |
| Subscription Overlap | |
| Empty Neighborhoods | |
| Monthly Customer Report | |
| Prime to N | |
| Rolling Bank Transactions | |
| Top 3 Users | |
| Random SQL Sample | |
| String Shift | |
| Comments Histogram | |
| Largest Salary by Department | |
| Upsell Transactions | |
| Raining in Seattle | |
| Minimum Change | |
| Customer Orders | |
| Find the Missing Number | |
| Bagging vs Boosting | |
| Find the First Non-Repeating Character in a String | |
| Size of Joins | |
| Scrambled Tickets | |
| Weighted Keys | |
| The Brackets Problem | |
| Flight Records | |
| Rectangle Overlap | |
| Daily Retention Summary | |
| Project Pairs | |
| Google Maps Improvement |
Synthesized from candidate reports. Individual experiences may vary.
Both candidates report opening with a recruiter or HR conversation. The software engineer candidate describes it as a general overview of the application and background, while the Senior SDET candidate describes a 30-minute screen. It is a sensible place to ask about team scope and pay.
The software engineer candidate says the team manager round was very resume-focused, covering projects, skills, achievements and next-step goals. The Senior SDET candidate reports a one-hour hiring manager conversation. Expect to connect past work directly to the role.
The software engineer candidate met a project manager and another engineer in a supportive, values-oriented conversation. The Senior SDET candidate reports two 30-minute team interviews, one technical and one general, with mostly 'tell me about a situation when' questions. Prepare specific examples from past projects.
The software engineer candidate reports a timed online coding assessment, with few details shared, followed by an in-depth interview with senior engineers. That candidate had to explain the approach at high and low levels and defend decisions, so practice narrating your reasoning while you code.
The software engineer candidate describes a brief final conversation with a senior technical manager before receiving an offer. The Senior SDET candidate reports an hour-long director discussion that was rescheduled and ultimately missed. Final-stage format may vary, so confirm scheduling details with your recruiter.
