Bay Area Senior Data Engineering Interview Guide: AI is Now Mandatory
Zachly · x · 2026-07-24
The author shares the typical interview process and core focus areas for senior data engineering roles in the Bay Area:
- AI Building & Debugging (1 hr): Tests ability to prompt your way to a solution in a weird codebase.
- SQL Skills (1-2 hrs): Focuses heavily on window functions, JOINs, and CASE WHEN.
- Coding Skills (45-60 mins): Usually a Leetcode medium; knowing lists, maps, stacks, and queues is key.
- Data Modeling / Pipelining (1 hr): Covers dimension/fact/aggregate tables, SLAs, and data quality checks.
- Behavioral & Project Deep Dive (45-60 mins each): Focuses on technical depth, impact, and openness to feedback.
The author specifically notes that projects must include AI, or you'll likely be rejected, and discusses whether AI will finally kill LeetCode interviews in the future.
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