Symantec Software Engineer Interview Questions + Guide in 2025

Symantec is a global leader in cybersecurity, providing comprehensive solutions to protect businesses and individuals from evolving digital threats.

As a Software Engineer at Symantec, you will play a pivotal role in developing secure and scalable software solutions that enhance the company’s cybersecurity offerings. Your key responsibilities will include designing and implementing software systems, collaborating with cross-functional teams to gather requirements, and ensuring that your software meets the highest standards of quality and security. Proficiency in programming languages such as Java, Python, or C++ is essential, along with a solid understanding of data structures, algorithms, and software development best practices. In addition, experience with distributed systems, cloud technologies, and cybersecurity concepts will greatly enhance your suitability for this role.

To excel at Symantec, a great fit would be someone who is not only technically proficient but also possesses strong problem-solving skills and the ability to work well in a collaborative team environment. The company values continuous learning and innovation, and as such, a genuine interest in developing new technologies and methodologies is critical.

This guide will help you prepare for a job interview by providing insights into the expectations and requirements for the Software Engineer role at Symantec, enabling you to showcase your skills and experiences effectively.

The interview process for a Software Engineer at Symantec is structured to assess both technical skills and cultural fit within the team. Candidates can expect a multi-step process that includes initial screenings, technical assessments, and in-depth interviews with team members.

1. Initial Phone Screen

The process typically begins with a brief phone interview, lasting around 15 to 30 minutes. This initial conversation is often conducted by a recruiter and focuses on understanding the candidate’s background, experience, and motivation for applying to Symantec. Expect questions about your previous roles and how they relate to the position you are applying for.

2. Technical Assessment

Following the initial screen, candidates may be required to complete a technical assessment. This could involve solving coding problems or answering questions related to data structures, algorithms, and software design principles. The assessment may be conducted through an online platform or during a follow-up phone call with a technical interviewer. Candidates should be prepared to demonstrate their coding skills and problem-solving abilities.

3. In-Person Interviews

Successful candidates will be invited for an onsite interview, which typically consists of multiple rounds with different team members. These interviews are more in-depth and focus on both technical and behavioral aspects. Expect to engage in coding exercises, system design discussions, and scenario-based questions that assess your ability to tackle real-world problems. Interviewers will likely include engineers and managers from the team, providing insights into the collaborative environment at Symantec.

4. Behavioral Interview

In addition to technical assessments, candidates will also participate in behavioral interviews. These interviews aim to evaluate how well candidates align with Symantec’s values and culture. Be prepared to discuss past experiences, teamwork, and how you handle challenges in a professional setting. Interviewers may ask about specific situations where you demonstrated leadership, adaptability, or problem-solving skills.

5. Final Interview with Management

The final step in the interview process may involve a meeting with higher management or team leads. This interview is an opportunity for candidates to ask questions about the company, team dynamics, and future projects. It also allows management to gauge the candidate’s long-term fit within the organization.

As you prepare for your interview, consider the following types of questions that may arise during the process.

Here are some tips to help you excel in your interview.

Understand the Technical Landscape

Before your interview, familiarize yourself with the specific technologies and tools that Broadcom utilizes, particularly in the VMware Cloud Foundation Division. Brush up on your knowledge of distributed systems, networking stacks, and cloud computing concepts. Being able to discuss how your experience aligns with their technology stack, including Java, Python, and C++, will demonstrate your preparedness and relevance to the role.

Prepare for Scenario-Based Questions

Expect scenario-based questions that assess your problem-solving skills and technical knowledge. Review your past projects and be ready to discuss how you approached complex problems, the solutions you implemented, and the outcomes. This will not only showcase your technical abilities but also your thought process and how you handle challenges.

Emphasize Collaboration and Communication

Broadcom values a collaborative work environment. Be prepared to discuss how you have worked effectively in teams, particularly in cross-functional settings. Highlight experiences where you communicated complex technical concepts to non-technical stakeholders or collaborated with product management to develop software solutions. This will reflect your ability to thrive in their team-oriented culture.

Practice Coding and Design Challenges

Given the emphasis on technical interviews, practice coding challenges and system design problems. Use platforms like LeetCode or HackerRank to sharpen your skills in data structures, algorithms, and system design. Be ready to explain your thought process as you solve problems, as interviewers will be looking for clarity in your reasoning and approach.

Be Ready for In-Depth Technical Discussions

Expect in-depth discussions about your technical expertise, particularly in areas like software design, testing, and validation procedures. Review key concepts in software development life cycles (SDLC), and be prepared to discuss how you have applied these in your previous roles. This will demonstrate your depth of knowledge and experience in software engineering.

Show Enthusiasm for Continuous Learning

Broadcom seeks candidates who embrace new technology and continuous learning. Share examples of how you have pursued professional development, whether through formal education, certifications, or self-directed learning. This will align with their culture of innovation and growth.

Prepare Questions for Your Interviewers

At the end of your interview, you will likely have the opportunity to ask questions. Prepare thoughtful questions that reflect your interest in the role and the company. Inquire about the team dynamics, ongoing projects, or how the company supports professional development. This shows your genuine interest in the position and helps you assess if the company is the right fit for you.

By following these tips, you will be well-prepared to showcase your skills and fit for the Software Engineer role at Broadcom. Good luck!

In this section, we’ll review the various interview questions that might be asked during a Software Engineer interview at Symantec. The interview process will likely assess your technical skills, problem-solving abilities, and experience with software development, particularly in distributed systems and networking technologies. Be prepared to demonstrate your knowledge of programming languages, algorithms, and system design.

Technical Skills

1. Can you explain the differences between TCP and UDP? When would you use one over the other?

Understanding the fundamental differences between these two protocols is crucial for any software engineer working with networking technologies.

How to Answer

Discuss the characteristics of both protocols, including reliability, connection-oriented vs. connectionless communication, and use cases for each.

Example

“TCP is a connection-oriented protocol that ensures reliable data transmission through acknowledgments and retransmissions, making it suitable for applications like web browsing. In contrast, UDP is connectionless and does not guarantee delivery, which makes it ideal for real-time applications like video streaming where speed is more critical than reliability.”

2. Describe a time you optimized a piece of code. What was the problem, and what changes did you make?

This question assesses your ability to improve performance and efficiency in your code.

How to Answer

Provide a specific example, detailing the initial problem, the steps you took to optimize the code, and the results of your changes.

Example

“I was working on a data processing application that was taking too long to execute. I identified that a nested loop was causing inefficiencies. By refactoring the code to use a hash map for lookups instead of iterating through a list, I reduced the execution time from several minutes to under a second.”

3. How do you handle version control in your projects?

Version control is essential for collaborative software development, and understanding best practices is key.

How to Answer

Discuss your experience with version control systems, your preferred practices, and how you manage branches and merges.

Example

“I primarily use Git for version control. I follow a branching strategy where I create feature branches for new developments and keep the main branch stable. I also ensure to write clear commit messages and regularly merge changes to avoid conflicts.”

Distributed Systems

4. What are some challenges you might face when designing a distributed system?

This question tests your understanding of distributed systems and the complexities involved.

How to Answer

Mention common challenges such as network latency, data consistency, fault tolerance, and scalability.

Example

“When designing a distributed system, challenges include ensuring data consistency across nodes, managing network latency, and implementing fault tolerance. For instance, using consensus algorithms like Raft can help maintain consistency, while partitioning data can improve scalability.”

5. Can you explain CAP theorem and its implications?

Understanding the CAP theorem is crucial for anyone working with distributed systems.

How to Answer

Define the CAP theorem and discuss its implications on system design, particularly in terms of trade-offs.

Example

“The CAP theorem states that in a distributed system, you can only guarantee two of the following three properties: Consistency, Availability, and Partition Tolerance. This means that if a network partition occurs, you must choose between maintaining consistency or availability, which can significantly impact system design decisions.”

Programming and Algorithms

6. Write a function to reverse a linked list.

This question tests your coding skills and understanding of data structures.

How to Answer

Explain your thought process before writing the code, and ensure to discuss edge cases.

Example

“To reverse a linked list, I would iterate through the list while changing the next pointers of each node. Here’s a simple implementation in Python: I would first check if the head is None, then initialize three pointers to keep track of the previous, current, and next nodes.”

7. How would you approach debugging a complex issue in a production environment?

This question assesses your problem-solving skills and approach to debugging.

How to Answer

Discuss your systematic approach to identifying and resolving issues, including tools and techniques you use.

Example

“I would start by gathering logs and metrics to understand the issue’s context. Then, I would reproduce the problem in a staging environment if possible. Using debugging tools and techniques like breakpoints and logging, I would isolate the issue and implement a fix, followed by thorough testing to ensure the problem is resolved.”

System Design

8. Design a URL shortening service. What considerations would you take into account?

This question evaluates your system design skills and ability to think through requirements.

How to Answer

Discuss the key components of the service, including database design, scalability, and handling collisions.

Example

“I would design a URL shortening service with a database to store the original and shortened URLs. I would use a hash function to generate unique keys for the shortened URLs and implement a mechanism to handle collisions. Additionally, I would consider scalability by using a distributed database and caching frequently accessed URLs to improve performance.”

9. How would you ensure high availability in a web application?

This question tests your knowledge of best practices for building resilient systems.

How to Answer

Discuss strategies such as load balancing, redundancy, and failover mechanisms.

Example

“To ensure high availability, I would implement load balancing to distribute traffic across multiple servers. I would also use redundant systems and databases to prevent single points of failure. Additionally, I would set up monitoring and alerting to quickly respond to any outages.”

• Create a function precision_recall to calculate precision and recall metrics from a 2-D matrix of predicted and actual values. Given a 2-D matrix P of predicted values and actual values, write a function precision_recall to calculate precision and recall metrics. Return the ordered pair (precision, recall).

• Develop an Array class simulating the functionality of fixed-size arrays with a size of 6. Create an Array class simulating the functionality of fixed-size arrays. The array’s size is 6. Implement methods for length, item retrieval, and element placement at the back, front, and specified index. Handle exceptions for full arrays and out-of-range indices.

• Extend the Array class to include deletion and search operations. Create a more extensive Array class simulating the functionality of fixed-size arrays with a size of 6. Implement methods for removing elements from the back, front, and specified index, searching for elements, checking containment, removing all instances of an element, and checking equality with another array.

• Build a logistic regression model from scratch using gradient descent and log-likelihood. Build a logistic regression model from scratch. Return the parameters of the regression without an intercept term. Use basic gradient descent with Newton’s method as the optimization method and the log-likelihood as the loss function. Do not include a penalty term.

• Create a random forest model from scratch to classify a new data point. Build a random forest model from scratch. The model takes a dataframe data and an array new_point with binary values. Each tree in the forest uses every permutation of the value columns of the dataframe and splits the data according to the value seen in new_point. Return the majority vote on the class of new_point.

• - How would you build a fraud detection model with a text messaging service for transaction verification? You work at a bank that wants to detect fraud on its platform. The bank also wants to implement a text messaging service that will notify customers when a fraudulent transaction is detected, allowing them to approve or deny the transaction via text response. How would you build this model?

• How should we test, measure success, and roll out a new algorithm for Lyft Line? If you want to build a new algorithm for Lyft Line, how would you test it, measure the success of the test, and eventually roll it out?

• How would you decide whether Google should build a game feature for Google Home? If tasked with pitching a new feature for Google Home, how would you evaluate your co-worker’s idea to build a game feature for it?

• - What is the downside of only using the R-Squared \((R^2)\) value to determine the relationship between two variables? If you are tasked with analyzing how well a model fits the data and want to determine a relationship between two variables, what are the limitations of relying solely on the R-Squared \((R^2)\) value?

What is the average salary for a Software Engineer at Symantec?

Q: What type of interview process can I expect for a Software Engineer position at Symantec?

A: The interview process typically involves an initial phone interview followed by an in-person interview with team members. You can expect programming exercises, as well as questions about overall software design and development.

Q: What skills and experience are required for a Software Engineer role at Symantec?

A: Requirements include a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science or a related field, 0-2+ years of programming experience, familiarity with integrated development environments (IDE), Git, and experience in languages such as Java, JavaScript, and TypeScript. Additional skills in automated testing frameworks, Node.js, and REST architecture are also valuable.

Q: What responsibilities will I have as a Software Engineer at Symantec?

A: Responsibilities include designing and coding complex modules, performing unit and module testing, participating in design and code reviews, interacting with customers for support issues, and staying current with emerging software development and testing themes.

Q: What compensation and benefits does Symantec offer for the Software Engineer position?

A: The annual base salary range for this position is $107,000 - $171,000, with additional eligibility for a discretionary annual bonus and equity. Benefits include medical, dental, and vision plans, 401(K) with company matching, Employee Stock Purchase Program (ESPP), company-paid holidays, paid sick leave, and vacation time.

Q: How can I prepare for an interview at Symantec?

A: Preparing for an interview at Symantec involves researching the company, practicing common interview questions, and reviewing your technical skills. Make use of platforms like Interview Query for practice and be ready to discuss your past experiences and how they relate to the position you are applying for.

Delving into a position at Symantec as a Software Engineer is both an exciting and rewarding experience. From the extensive range of responsibilities to the intricate skills required, this role is designed for individuals who are passionate about innovation, collaboration, and problem-solving. The interviews are meticulously structured to assess your expertise and readiness, with elements ranging from knowledge evaluations to practical coding exercises. Symantec offers a dynamic work environment with a comprehensive benefits package that underscores their commitment to employee satisfaction.

If you want more insights about the company, check out our main Broadcom Interview Guide, where we have covered many interview questions that could be asked. We’ve also created interview guides for other roles, such as software engineer and data analyst, where you can learn more about Broadcom’s interview process for different positions.

At Interview Query, we empower you to unlock your interview prowess with a comprehensive toolkit, equipping you with the knowledge, confidence, and strategic guidance to conquer every Broadcom software engineer interview question and challenge.

You can check out all our company interview guides for better preparation, and if you have any questions, don’t hesitate to reach out to us.

Good luck with your interview!