Nvidia, I’m coming again — this time I’m tougher

Nvidia

Friends who know me well know that I have been persistently interviewing, but now I only target big tech companies. If it’s not a big company, I won’t interview. This is not arrogance, but reality: after Microsoft Research Cambridge / MSRC, there are indeed only a few places left that can really help me keep growing.

One year later, back at Nvidia: I really got stronger
From rejection to progress: my two encounters with Nvidia
Interviews are truth mirrors: each one makes me clearer about myself
Rejection is not the end, but the start of coming back stronger
Why I only interview at big tech: growth notes from two Nvidia interviews
Two rounds at Nvidia showed me my weak spots
How a big-tech rejection became my growth fuel
The real growth path for engineers: keep interviewing, keep upgrading
My two clashes with Nvidia: evolving from k8s to C++
90-minute technical interview, three days of waiting: goodbye Nvidia, and thank you
That Nvidia rejection helped me fix the most critical gaps
Nvidia, I’m coming again — this time I’m tougher
Big-tech interviews: an ongoing practice of upgrading
After two Nvidia rejections, I’m getting stronger and stronger

Last year I first challenged Nvidia — today one of the most valuable companies in the world and the first to reach the $5 trillion market-cap milestone. I applied for JR1981163 Senior Software & Cloud Architect. Shortly after the first-round conversation with the hiring manager I received a rejection. At that time I was asked about my understanding of k8s internals; I honestly said I only knew the command-layer usage (application) and was not familiar with the core components.

Nvidia Stock Performance / Most Valuable Company

In that moment I realized: where the gap lay.

This year I made another push at Nvidia. The role this time was JR1997486 HPC and AI Software Architect. The first-round conversation went very well — we exchanged backgrounds and dove into each of my past work experiences.

The second round was a 90-minute hardcore technical race: C++ coding, CPU architecture, memory fundamentals, performance optimization — the questions were solid and densely packed.

During the three days of waiting I felt both calm and expectant. In the end I still received a rejection, but this time it was different — I could clearly feel my progress. I knew which questions made me hesitate, which answers I only reached after a prompt, and therefore I now know more precisely what to improve next.

Unfortunately the team have decided not to move forward with your application. The feedback was positive however there were just other candidates whose skillset was a stronger match.

A bit of consolation: reportedly, a single position at big tech often receives well over a hundred resumes, and only about eight people are selected for interviews, with roughly half eliminated each round. Passing the resume screen is already quite an achievement.

Interviews are never simply wins or losses — they are mirrors. They tell me: I can still get stronger. Interviews are the most practical “market-value detector.” After each interview I know which weaknesses were exposed, and then I work hard to patch them. For example, when I interviewed for an ARM principal role mid-year I realized my C++ had grown rusty, which prompted me to intensively brush up on it afterward.

Unlike other FANNG/MANGO (Top Companies), there is no cooling down period and you can apply as many nvidia jobs as possible at the same time without restrictions.

Q: Is there a cool down period before I can apply to another position?
A: No there isn’t, you can apply for as many roles as you wish.

Software Engineer Interview Experience

• NVIDIA, I'm Coming Again! This Time I'm Tougher!
• Jane Street First Round Interview Experience (Software Engineer at London)
• Four Facebook (Meta) Interview Experiences
• Three Attempts at Google: My Software Engineer Interview Journey (Is There Only Three Chances in a Lifetime?)
• Two Interview Experience with ByteDance Tiktok London

Interview Tips

• Difference Between Product Design Interview and System Design Interview
• Onsite Interview Tips for Facebook / Google / Microsoft / Amazon / Apple
• 45 Minute Mock Interview (Coding, System Design) + Career Development Advices
• Facebook Interview Tips and Guidance
• Coding Interview Tips for Software Engineers
• What are Big4 Tech Companies looking for in the technical interviews (Phone Screening)?
• How to use the Leetcode's Mock Interview Overview to Nail Your Interview?
• Facebook Onsite Interview Preparation Part 3: How to Ace a Design Interview?
• The Facebook Initial Coding Interview Experience
• Facebook Onsite Interview Preparation Part 2: Coding Questions
• Facebook Onsite Interview Preparation Part 1: Motivation/Bahavior Questions
• A Microsoft Coding Interview Screening for Position Principal Software Engineer
• How to Prepare for an Amazon Interview? My Amazon Interview Experience
• Go to an Interview even if you are not changing your job.
• Last Minute Tips before Phone Interview

Interview Questions

• Interview Coding Exercise - Nested String (Python)
• Some Telephone Interview Questions for C++/C# Software Enginners
• Microsoft Interview Question - Get the Area of the Triangle
• Google Interview Question: Print Messages

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