Inside Waymo’s Interview Process: An Engineer’s First-Hand Experience

This week’s podcast is brought to you by Terawatt – purpose-built charging for autonomous vehicle fleets.

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In today’s episode, I’m speaking with an anonymous AI and machine learning engineer with a background in computer vision and autonomous systems. After advancing to the final round of interviews for a Senior Software Engineering role at Waymo, he joins me to share a rare candidate’s perspective on one of the most sought-after engineering jobs in autonomy.

We discuss Waymo’s interview process from start to finish, including the types of technical questions candidates can expect, how the company evaluates engineering talent, and what stood out compared to interviews at other autonomous vehicle companies such as Zoox where he has previously been interviewed at. He shares insights into Waymo’s engineering culture, the skills and experience the company appears to value most, and why preparing for an autonomy-focused role can be very different from a traditional software engineering interview.

The conversation also explores broader hiring trends across the AV industry, what it’s like interviewing during a period of innovation, rapid growth and commercialization, and how candidates can position themselves for success at leading AV companies. Finally, he reflects on what surprised him most throughout the process and what aspiring engineers should know before pursuing a role in the industry.

Chapters

* (00:00) Introduction to our guest

* (03:00) What made him want to work for Waymo

* (04:30) How the Waymo user experience influences potential employees

* (05:31) How job applicants perceive working at Waymo

* (06:50) The Waymo application and interview process

* (11:20) Tips for the Waymo online job application

* (14:12) Feedback during the interview process and screening tips

* (15:44) How Waymo helps applicants prepare for the interview process

* (16:20) How he prepared for the interview and the role of AI in his interview prep

* (18:40) How Waymo’s interview questions differ from those at other companies

* (21:57) Something he wished he knew before the interview process

* (22:48) The Waymo vs. Zoox interview process

* (24:50) His reaction to being rejected for the role

* (28:05) What Waymo applicants should do to stand out from their peers

* (31:34) How to position yourself for a future role in an AV company

* (34:22) His future plans for working in the AV space

* (36:05) Conclusions and final thoughts

Designing Charging Hubs for Autonomous Fleets

We are excited to partner with Terawatt, one of the leading providers of charging infrastructure. To learn more about Terawatt’s network of AV charging hubs and track record of 99%+ uptime, reach out to Logan Szidik at lszidik@terawattinfrastructure.com

Notes/Links:

* Waymo’s careers page (link).

* Zoox’s careers page (link).

-Harry

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