Table of Contents
Introduction
While I didn't get the internship, this was an amazing experience. I learned so much about the interviewing process for becoming a software engineer, which is what I am sharing here. I hope others don't make the same mistakes as I did, so they can succeed in their interviews and get an offer. I certainly will be taking my learnings from this interview process and apply it for my next interview.
Process
The whole process for Roblox was quite lengthy. After applying, there is an online assessment (OA) automatically distributed to everyone. It consists of 2 Roblox games, a technical assessment, and a behavioural assessment. I recommend taking the games and behavioural assessment seriously, they are a strong reflection of you as an applicant. If you pass the OA, you are then invited to the virtual onsite, which consists of 2 technical interviews and a behavioural interview. After you complete the virtual onsite, you then await a decision, and they typically get back to you within 2 weeks.
Online Assessment (OA)
The coding portion was fairly challenging for me, since this was the first kind of technical assessment I ever did. Roblox has a strong emphasis on problem solving, so be sure to think creatively to solve these problems. Practicing using Leetcode and other resources are necessary to succeed.
The games were very creative and incredibly engaging. While I cannot disclose what they were exactly, just know they do test relevant skills for the position, otherwise Roblox wouldn't have included it in their assessment. So take it seriously, actually try on these games. Once again, think creatively and try to arrive at the most optimal solution to the problem.
The behavioural assessment was fairly standard, it was similar to a behavioural interview. You are presented situations, and outline what you would do in those situations. Take this seriously and answer honestly. This evaluates if you'd be a good fit for the team, nobody wants to have a coworker they hate working with.
Virtual Onsite
As previously alluded to, the virtual onsite consists of 2 45 minute technical interviews and a 30 minute behavioural interview. These are typically done in the same day, and each interview is done with a different Roblox employee.
I highly recommend using their
Speak_
resource, it provides more insight into the whole process and provides information on what will be on the interview. There is a list of sample problems that cover the possible content, and will prepare you for the interview.Learnings
Prepare Earlier
You can never prepare too early. Even if you don't have an interview lined up, it is best to prepare ahead of time so you can learn more algorithms, have a greater understanding of data structures, and solve more problems. It is best to space your learning out over a longer period of time, since you are more likely to retain that information for a longer period of time. Then, when it comes to interview day, you have practiced numerous times and are familiar with common patterns in problems.
STAR Method
Note that the STAR method is most popular among the industry, but Roblox prefers the ATOLA framework. Either way, both are great guidelines to follow when answering interview questions. When approaching the behavioural interview, ensure you have prepared examples for common situations you may encounter in the everyday workplace. Focus on communication, conflicts, how you deal with situations. When answering the question, present your examples so that it follows the STAR method:
Situation, Task, Action, Result
.
Situation:
outline what happened and the circumstances. Letting the interviewer know the background information and context for the situation that you are describing is crucial, so they can visualize what was going on.Task:
describe your responsibilities in that situation. You are involved in this situation because you originally had some responsibility to attend to. It is important to let the interviewer know what you were tasked to do.Action:
describe what you did in that situation. Explain what you did and why you decided to take those steps to solve the problem. Go step by step on how you tackled the problem, and give precise details.Result:
explain how your actions led to a certain result, and how it made a difference. If possible, quanify your results so the interviwer can better understand your impact. Share your learnings from the situation, and how you plan to approach similar problems in the future.To better prepare, create a document that outlines various situations using the STAR method for common questions that might appear on the interview. Don't necessarily try to memorize the whole document, rather track main ideas to help construct the foundation for your answers.
Take Care of Yourself
As cheesy as this sounds, I'd argue it is the most important. Interviews are stressful, and take up a lot of energy. Ensure you continue
eating healthy, get rest, and take time to destress
. I fell into the trap of constantly grinding for the interview, just to feel extremely tired for it due to lack of sleep and eating poorly. I think I would've performed much better had I just done these little things right.Conclusions
I am incredibly thankful for Roblox to allow me to partake in their interview process for a software engineer intern position. It has taught me a lot about the difficulties on finding a job, preparing for the technical and behavioural interviews, as well as balancing everything else in life. I think that it's great for me to fail at getting an offer, because it has made me recognize and learn a great deal about myself. I am far more disciplined and motivated to secure an intern position for next summer. While it may not be at Roblox, I am excited to see what internship I get to work at for the summer of 2024. It's been a privilege to undergo this experience, and I will undoubtly work harder for the next one.