Google Finals: Close to L5, Offered L4, and a Big Pie in the Sky

Last September, I interviewed for the third time with Google in London: Google Interview Question – Print Message, aiming for an SRE position. I approached it with a “let’s give it a shot” mindset. In the final two minutes of the first round, I answered a follow-up question about applying algorithms to distributed systems (how to optimize them), but my response wasn’t great, so I didn’t pass that round.

Strictly speaking, it was not an outright rejection. After waiting three weeks, they informed me they’d chosen another candidate. While my performance wasn’t the strongest, it likely met the minimum threshold, so they did not reject me outright. Instead, they suggested I wait for other openings in London and apply again.
That wait stretched until December. A charming Google recruiter reached out and quickly scheduled two algorithm and coding interviews for the following week. After the New Year, I had two more rounds: one on system design and another on cultural fit (aka behavioral interview).

Google Final Interviews

After Years in the Field, Google Still Thinks I’m Not Senior Enough

Two weeks after the interviews, I sent an email to follow up but got no reply. Another week passed—still nothing. I started to think I’d been rejected, or perhaps my performance was so poor that Google didn’t even bother sending a rejection letter.

Then last week (the 6 weeks after my final round of interviews), out of the blue, I received an email from the Google’s recruiter:

I hope you’re keeping well! Apologies for my delay: I’ve been unexpectedly out of the office.
Your feedback isn’t straightforward, and getting the feedback through hasn’t been straightforward either.
Would you have some time to connect and discuss further together, please?

google-interview-feedback-email Google Finals: Close to L5, Offered L4, and a Big Pie in the Sky

Google sent me an interview feedback update email

I asked ChatGPT what it means: This email suggests that your interview results at Google are not a clear-cut “yes” or “no.” Here are the likely scenarios:

Mixed Feedback from Interviewers – Some interviewers may have given positive feedback while others had concerns, making it difficult for the hiring committee to reach a decision.
Hiring Committee Deliberation – Your case may have required additional discussion, and the recruiter might want to explain their thought process.
Team Matching Considerations – If your performance was strong but not an outright hire, they might be considering whether there’s a team that aligns with your skill set.
Additional Interviews Needed – Google sometimes asks candidates to do follow-up interviews (e.g., a “Tie-breaker” or a “Googleyness” round) to resolve concerns.
Recruiter Wants to Deliver a Nuanced Response – Instead of a generic rejection or offer, they might want to discuss your situation in more detail, possibly giving you feedback for future attempts or discussing alternative roles.

Since the recruiter has been out of the office, there could have also been internal delays, so this email doesn’t necessarily mean bad news. Be prepared for a range of possibilities and approach the call with an open mind!

Google Final Rounds: Two Algorithm Interviews

The two algorithm rounds were somewhat challenging—not straight-up LeetCode problems. The questions weren’t overly complex but came with follow-ups. I provided multiple solutions and felt I performed well.

One question involved designing a data structure, while the other required implementing an API. A brute-force implementation wasn’t hard, but the challenge lay in optimization—using techniques like Segment Tree or binary search to boost efficiency.

Google Final Rounds: System Design

I felt I bombed the system design round. Halfway through, my thoughts got muddled, and it seemed hopeless.

At the start, I did ask about functional and non-functional requirements (Functional/Non-functional Requirements), but I forgot to use them for calculations later. This led to a suboptimal design and got me stuck in a local optimization trap, wasting too much time. Only after a hint from the interviewer did I adjust and get it right.

The hour-long system design session flew by, but I spent too much of it patching an immature design. Even though I eventually got it right after the hint, there wasn’t enough time left for discussion.

Generally, the system design performance determines a software engineer’s offer level. In contrast, coding ability requirements are fairly consistent across levels—or paradoxically, higher levels might even demand slightly less coding prowess.

Senior engineers need stronger design skills and a better grasp of the big picture.

Google Final Rounds: Behavioral Interview

This round was odd. The interviewer joined five minutes late and started by saying they’d only ask three questions. After I answered, the interview lasted less than 20 minutes. I tried asking a few questions to keep the conversation going, but my home internet (possibly due to my router) was unstable. Thankfully, when I reconnected, the interviewer was still there, but after a quick exchange, it ended abruptly. It didn’t feel smooth.

Google Interview Feedback

Given my weak system design performance, I emailed afterward hoping for feedback. Feedback is the most valuable part of an interview—it’s how you improve. Recently, after being rejected by Jane Street in London, I asked for feedback but got none. When my kid landed two offers, I also emailed their school for feedback—these are all useful insights.

The feedback aligned with my expectations: System design required hints to complete; my code was rushed and had bugs, but I offered multiple solutions; cultural fit was fine, though they didn’t see “strong signals” that I could encourage peers (huh? No strong signals to show that you can encourage your peers). I’d always thought this round was just about avoiding red flags, not something that could impact my final level.

The recruiter said my overall feedback was mixed: I’m close to L5 but need a bit more polish. They offered me L4 and asked if I would like to join. I declined, of course. She said, “Yeah, It doesn’t make sense.” She meant that if I joined at L4, I’d quickly rise to L5—a classic big promise. A friend told me Google, like Amazon, often lowballs offers (drops a level), just don’t fall for the hype.

Google’s L5 is a senior level. L4 is the mid-level. I am 63 currently at Microsoft, and previously I was L5 mid level at Amazon Web Service.

She added that if I want to try again in six months, I should reach out directly. Normally, if you don’t meet the bar, you’re rejected and face a 12-month cooling-off period before re-applying.

Software Engineer Interview Experience

Interview Tips

Interview Questions

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Google Finals: Close to L5, Offered L4, and a Big Pie in the Sky

After Years in the Field, Google Still Thinks I’m Not Senior Enough