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;
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.
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.
