New Relic | SDE-2 | Interview Experience | ~3.5 YOE (Selected)
Summary
I interviewed for an SDE-2 position at New Relic, completed debugging and several system design rounds, and received an offer after a brief hiring freeze.
Full Experience
New Relic | SDE-2 | Interview Experience | ~3.5 YOE
Sharing my New Relic interview experience for anyone preparing.
Role: Software Engineer 2 YOE: ~3.5 years
Round 1 - Debugging
This was a debugging-focused round.
Given code/system behavior and had to identify where the issue was. Had to debug the problem and arrive at the expected output. Focus was more on understanding the code, identifying the root cause, and explaining the reasoning rather than just writing code.
Round 2 - HLD / System Design
Asked to design a monitoring/observability tool similar to New Relic. Discussed the overall architecture, data flow, scalability, and different components. Follow-ups around design decisions and how the system would work at scale.
Round 3 - Hiring Manager
Detailed discussion about my previous project. Had to explain and draw the HLD/architecture of my last project. Deep dive into the architecture, components, data flow, and technical decisions. Follow-up questions based on the design.
At this point, the hiring process was frozen due to a position/team-related issue.
After ~1 month
I received a call back from New Relic regarding an opening in another team. They conducted the HM round again.
Round 4 - HM / System Design
Again discussed my previous project. Asked me to explain and draw the HLD/architecture. Similar focus on architecture, design decisions, and technical depth.
After this, I received the offer for SDE-2.
Preparation
For my preparation, I mainly focused on:
HLD / System Design Deep understanding of my own project architecture Being able to explain why I chose each technology/component Scalability, reliability, and failure scenarios Debugging and problem-solving Backend fundamentals
Overall experience: The interviews were quite practical and had a strong focus on system design and understanding the projects you've actually worked on. The HM discussions went deep into the architecture rather than just asking generic theoretical questions.
Hope this helps someone preparing for New Relic. Good luck!
Interview Questions (1)
Design a Monitoring/Observability Tool
Design a monitoring and observability platform similar to New Relic. Discuss the overall architecture, including data collection agents, ingestion pipeline, storage, processing, alerting, and UI/visualization components. Explain how you would ensure scalability, reliability, low latency, and fault tolerance. Address design decisions such as technology choices, data models, query capabilities, and handling high volume of metrics and traces.
Preparation Tips
I focused on system design and high-level architecture, deeply understanding my own project's design, being able to explain technology and component choices, and covering scalability, reliability, and failure scenarios. I also practiced debugging, problem solving, and reinforced backend fundamentals.