I applied through an employee referral. I interviewed at TikTok (San Jose, CA) in Nov 2025
Interview
1. Self introduction: About 5 minutes
2. Leetcode: 2 leetcodes, mid difficulty, but is kind of intense as the interviewer requires to finished in 30 minutes.
3. ML foundamentals: about 25 minutes
Interview questions [1]
Question 1
Why LLM uses Layer Normalization not Batch Normalization
self introduction; easy coding (write a function to produce fibonacci numbers + complexity analysis + recusion/dynamic programming); deep dive into my own research; casual talk on the team and tasks;
Interviewer was unclear about role expectations, asked vague questions, provided minimal context about team or projects. Felt rushed, no time for candidate questions. Unprofessional experience, difficult to assess mutual fit.
I applied online. The process took 4 weeks. I interviewed at TikTok (San Jose, CA) in Mar 2026
Interview
The process started with an HR screening, followed by three technical interviews, and concluded with a final interview with the Hiring Manager. Overall, the process moved quickly, and each stage felt smooth and well-structured. My performance seemed solid throughout, and the discussions with the interviewers were generally positive and engaging. Despite this, I was ultimately rejected after the final interview.