In this post, I’m sharing my detailed interview experience for the Senior Software Engineer (SSE) role at Walmart Global Tech — how I was approached, what each round covered, how I felt during the process, and what I learned along the way. If you’re preparing for a similar role, I hope this helps you get a clear picture of what to expect.
Sometimes, the best opportunities come when you least expect them.
I wasn’t actively applying at that time, but one fine Monday, a recruiter from Walmart reached out after coming across my profile on Instahyre. I’ve always admired Walmart for the kind of large-scale systems it builds and the engineering challenges behind them — so I knew I wanted to give this my best shot.
From that first recruiter call to the final round, the process took just a week — well-structured, smooth, and incredibly professional. There were four rounds in total, each elimination-based, starting with DSA and ending with the hiring manager discussion.
🧮 Round 1: Data Structures & Algorithms (DSA)
The first round was scheduled for Thursday with a Senior Software Engineer from Walmart.
Even though I’ve solved quite a few DSA problems before, there’s always that mix of excitement and nervous energy when the round begins. The interviewer immediately made me feel comfortable, which helped me focus on the problems rather than the pressure.
I was asked two questions and a follow-up:
- The first was based on level order traversal of a binary tree — a clean, medium-level problem. I discussed my approach, wrote the code, and walked through the solution.
- The second question was based on graph traversal, which I chose to solve using DFS for simplicity. This one too was of medium complexity.
- The follow-up was another question derived from the same graph problem — I didn’t have to code it again since the logic was already covered, but I was asked to explain how my approach would handle that variation and walk through the reasoning in detail.
What stood out to me was how much emphasis the interviewer placed on reasoning — why I took a certain approach mattered as much as how I implemented it.
When I received the update that I had cleared this round, it was a small but motivating moment — a good start to the journey ahead.
🧱Round 2: Low-Level Design (LLD)
This was the second round on the same day, again with a Senior Software Engineer.
I was asked to design a Restaurant Reservation and Serving System. It wasn’t just about classes and relationships; it was about understanding design intent and trade-offs.
The interviewer kept asking why I made certain choices:
- Why a class instead of an interface?
- Why use enums here?
- How does separation of concerns make this design cleaner?
It was an incredibly engaging conversation. I remember enjoying this round because it felt like a collaborative brainstorming session rather than a test.
We also touched upon Spring Boot concepts — annotations, transactions, and the ACID properties of databases.
By the end of the round, I felt that even if I didn’t make it further, I had genuinely learned something valuable about how to think like a designer.
☁️ Round 3: High-Level Design (HLD)
The next day, Friday, started with the HLD round. The interviewer, a Staff Software Engineer, was warm and approachable — which immediately set a positive tone.
He began with a short Java multithreading exercise: printing numbers using three threads in sequence. I coded it and explained my synchronization approach.
Then came the main challenge:
“Design a video streaming system like Netflix or Disney+ Hotstar.”
This was one of the most interesting discussions I’ve ever had in an interview. We spoke about everything — from functional and non-functional requirements to cloud storage choices, database design, and scalability trade-offs.
We discussed how to handle multiple bitrates, store different resolutions, use CDNs for content delivery, and maintain availability without compromising consistency.
What I loved about this round was that it felt like a true engineering conversation — two people deeply curious about how systems work at scale.
When the recruiter informed me that I was moving to the final round, it was a moment of quiet satisfaction.
💬 Round 4: Hiring Manager Round
This round was more about understanding me as a professional.
The hiring manager began by asking about my background and why I wanted to make a switch. She was warm and conversational, which made it easy to open up.
She asked me about:
- My recent projects and what I was proud of
- How I handled tight timelines or shifting deadlines
- Some technical challenges I had faced and how I overcame them
We also discussed how I approach teamwork, communication, and ownership — values that clearly matter a lot at Walmart.
By the end of this conversation, it didn’t feel like an “interview” anymore — more like a genuine discussion about problem-solving and impact.
🌟 Reflections
Looking back, what stood out to me most about the Walmart interview process was its structure, clarity, and respect for candidates’ time. Every interviewer was kind, patient, and genuinely interested in understanding my thought process rather than expecting textbook answers.
If you’re preparing for a Senior Software Engineer role at Walmart (or any large-scale product company), here are a few tips from my experience:
- Focus on clarity of explanation — how you think is more important than how fast you code.
- Be confident discussing design decisions and their trade-offs.
- Refresh your Java fundamentals, DSA, Spring Boot, and system design concepts.
- And most importantly, stay calm and be yourself — interviews are as much about attitude as they are about skill.
✅ Final Verdict
A few days after my final round, I received the good news — I had cleared all rounds and was selected as a Senior Software Engineer at Walmart Global Tech! 🎉
That moment was surreal.
All the hours of preparation, self-doubt, and learning finally came together.
It reminded me that consistent effort and clarity of thought always pay off — even when the process feels uncertain.
I’m truly grateful for this opportunity and excited about the journey ahead at Walmart — solving meaningful problems at scale, alongside some of the best minds in the industry. 💙
I’m incredibly grateful for the experience and the opportunity to interview with a company that values both technical depth and engineering empathy.
Every round pushed me to think better, design better, and explain better — and that, in itself, made the journey worthwhile. 💙
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