What is Pinterest interview difficulty?

The difficulty of Pinterest's interview process is often described as moderately challenging, depending on the role you're applying for (technical or non-technical). Here's a breakdown of what makes the Pinterest interview challenging:

1. Technical Interviews (Moderate to Hard)

For technical roles, such as software engineering, the interview typically involves:

• Coding Challenges: Pinterest's coding interviews focus on data structures and algorithms. You’ll encounter problems similar to those on platforms like LeetCode or HackerRank, with medium-to-hard difficulty levels. Interview questions often require efficient solutions in terms of time and space complexity.
• System Design: For senior engineering roles, Pinterest assesses system design skills. You might be asked to design scalable systems or components, such as parts of Pinterest’s infrastructure (e.g., feed generation, recommendation systems).

Preparation Tips:

• Focus on core topics like arrays, strings, trees, graphs, and dynamic programming.
• Practice system design with resources like Grokking the System Design Interview.

2. Creative and Design Interviews (Moderate)

For roles like product design or UX/UI, Pinterest places heavy emphasis on creative problem-solving and portfolio presentation. Candidates are typically given real-world design challenges that test their ability to create user-centric, aesthetically pleasing solutions.

• Portfolio Review: Applicants are expected to demonstrate a strong portfolio and explain their design choices and processes.
• Product Design Challenges: You may be asked to solve design challenges relevant to Pinterest’s product, emphasizing creativity, usability, and innovation.

3. Behavioral Interviews (Moderate)

Pinterest emphasizes a strong cultural fit. Behavioral interviews focus on your alignment with Pinterest's mission and values, and assess your teamwork, leadership, and problem-solving skills in a collaborative setting.

• Sample Behavioral Questions: “Tell me about a time when you had to overcome a challenge,” or “How do you handle conflicts in a team setting?”

Pinterest’s behavioral interview rounds are generally similar to other large tech companies but place additional focus on inclusivity, creativity, and innovation.

Overall Difficulty:

• Moderate to Hard for Technical Roles: Candidates need to be proficient in algorithms, data structures, and system design for senior roles.
• Moderate for Creative and Non-Technical Roles: Candidates should have strong portfolios and design-thinking abilities.

If well-prepared, especially in technical skills and cultural fit, the Pinterest interview can be manageable. For preparation, Grokking the Coding Interview and mock interviews are highly recommended resources.