Hey there. aspiring Salesforce engineer!
You want to be a part of the elite group at Salesforce, a company known for its cutting-edge technology and friendly, helpful work environment. But you have to get through the interview process before you can proudly wear the Ohana badge. This process is both exciting and could be difficult.
Fear not, intrepid adventurer! This guide is your map to success, packed with insights into the Salesforce interview process, common questions, and expert tips to help you shine brighter than a freshly deployed Lightning Experience
Let’s dive into the heart of the matter the Salesforce interview process
Step 1: The Recruiter Call
This is your first chance to make a stellar impression. The recruiter will assess your experience, project highlights, and passion for Salesforce. You should be ready to talk about your technical skills, relevant projects, and why you want to work for that particular team or organization.
Pro tip If you’re primarily a back-end engineer, be upfront about it Salesforce takes “full-stack” seriously, so avoid any surprises during the coding rounds.
Step 2: The Technical Phone Screen
Get ready to flex your coding muscles! This round varies by team but you might encounter Quip Salesforce’s answer to Google Docs. Be prepared for questions that test your understanding of data structures, algorithms, and problem-solving skills.
Pro tip: Practice those LeetCode medium-difficulty questions. They’re your secret weapon to conquering this stage.
Step 3: The Onsite Interview
This is the grand finale, a 4-hour marathon consisting of coding, system design, and behavioral assessments.
Coding: Brace yourself for two coding interviews, potentially using Quip. Remember, Salesforce values specific programming language skills, so brush up on your chosen language’s nuances.
Pro tip: Don’t neglect front-end or back-end questions, depending on your role. Be ready to build a progress bar in JavaScript or tackle algorithmic challenges.
System Design: This round could involve database-related questions, CRM design, or internal tooling discussions. Research the org/team’s technology stack to impress your interviewers.
Behavioral: This is your chance to showcase your cultural fit with Salesforce’s Ohana values. Be prepared to discuss teamwork, customer relationships, and your contributions to past projects.
Pro tip: Highlight your passion for collaboration, community, and supporting your team. These are key traits that Salesforce cherishes.
Now, let’s delve into the treasure trove of common Salesforce interview questions:
Coding:
- Data Structures and Algorithms: Expect questions on linked lists, hash tables, strings, binary trees, and more.
- System Design: Be ready for database-related questions, CRM design challenges, and internal tooling discussions.
Behavioral:
- Tell me about a time you faced a technical challenge and how you overcame it.
- Describe a situation where you had to work with a difficult teammate.
- How do you stay up-to-date with the latest technologies in the Salesforce ecosystem?
Remember, preparation is key! Practice your coding skills, research the Salesforce ecosystem, and rehearse your answers to common behavioral questions.
With this guide and your dedication, you’ll be well on your way to conquering the Salesforce interview and landing your dream job.
Bonus tip: Don’t forget to showcase your passion for Salesforce and its values. The Ohana spirit is what sets this company apart, and your enthusiasm will shine through.
Now go forth and conquer!
Step 2: Technical Phone Screen
The structure and content of the technical phone screen at Salesforce is team-dependent, as is tooling. One tool you’re likely to see, though, is Quip (their answer to Google docs).
Salesforce’s onsite lasts roughly 4 hours and consists of the following steps:
- Coding (2 hours)
- System design (1 hour)
- Behavioral (1 hour)
Salesforce’s onsite usually has 2 coding interviews. Different tools are used for each screen, but you may need to use Quip, which is like Google Docs for them.
The system design and behavioral rounds aren’t as important, but these are.
This round lasts 1 hour and may also happen in Quip.
The behavioral round is probably the least important out of all the onsite rounds. You’ll get the usual questions about past projects, your contributions, strengths and weaknesses, and so on.
That said, Salesforce really values the concept of Ohana (family), and you may get questions about the importance of community, supporting your team, the importance of customer relationships, and so on.
Types of Interview Questions to Expect at Salesforce
One thing that makes this round different is that they are putting more emphasis on specific programming language skills than the type of interview you might see at a FAANG company or one that is similar to one.
Also, if you’re applying for a full-stack job, the interviewer may ask you front-end or back-end questions. One typical question is, “Build a progress bar in JavaScript”. If you’re mostly a back-end engineer who has done some front-end work in the past, this question may really shock you.
You might get questions like those at LeetCode, but it’s not as likely as at other companies (again, it depends on your team). If you do get them, though, they’ll be easy to medium in difficulty, not medium to hard like with some other companies we’ve written about. Our sources say that you’ll be fine if you practice the top 10 medium-difficulty questions on LeetCode.
Based on what you’ve read so far and our own set of mock interviews, these are the kinds of back-end, algorithmic questions you’ll probably be asked in your coding interviews:
Here, the questions you’ll get are very different from team to team. They could be about anything from databases (like writing SQL) to designing CRMs, which makes sense since Salesforce is a CRM company.
You should also study up on the internal tooling the org/team you’re interviewing for uses, as you are likely to get questions about that (e.g., technologies they’ve acquired somewhat recently like Slack, Quip, Tableau, etc.).
Coding Interview with a VP @ Salesforce
FAQ
Is Salesforce interview difficult?
What does a software engineer at Salesforce do?
What questions does Salesforce ask a consultant?
Salesforce interview questions for consultants include: Can you describe the Software Development Lifecycle at a high level? The Software Development Life Cycle is a concept that defines the best practice way to implement IT systems by following a series of stages.
What questions do you ask in a Salesforce interview?
In a Salesforce interview, you might be asked questions about how Salesforce CRM is used by organizations. At its core, Salesforce is a customer-facing CRM system. It is used to record customer details and the organization’s interactions with them. Salesforce’s most popular product is Sales Cloud.
How do I get a job at Salesforce?
Some places to start include: Careercup, Topcoder, and Project Euler. Seek out practice exercises to make sure your coding skills are on fire before the interview process begins. Do your research. Check online for other candidates’ interview experiences at Salesforce.
How do you impress a job interviewer with Salesforce?
The technologies powering Salesforce are in a constant state of evolution – so the need, and requirements, for developers is growing. Going into a job interview with a good overall knowledge of the platform is a great way to impress an interviewer.
