Waymo, part of Alphabet, builds autonomous driving technology and runs a robotaxi service in several US cities. Software interviews resemble Google's in structure, with C++ depth and robotics or machine learning for specialized teams. This page covers what Waymo builds and who it hires, the process candidates commonly report, the technical depth the teams care about, representative problem types, what interviewers score, and a three-week prep plan.
What Waymo builds and who it hires
Waymo's engineers build onboard software for perception, prediction and planning, simulation and testing infrastructure, the machine learning platform, and the systems behind its ride-hailing service.
- Onboard software engineers: C++ on the vehicle.
- Machine learning engineers: perception and behavior models.
- Simulation and infrastructure engineers: testing at scale.
- Service engineers: the rider app and fleet operations.
What the process tends to look like
| Stage | What happens | How to prepare |
|---|---|---|
| Recruiter call | Role, team, level and timeline | Know the product and the team's area |
| Technical screen | A coding interview with data structures and algorithms | Practical coding in your interview language, explained aloud |
| Final loop | Several coding interviews, plus domain interviews for robotics, machine learning or systems roles, and behavioral questions | One design in the company's domain and two strong behavioral stories |
Processes differ by team, level and office and change over time, so treat this as the common shape candidates report and confirm the specifics with your recruiter.
C++, algorithms and robotics teams
Algorithms. Expect Google-style coding: clear communication, optimal solutions and testing your own code.
C++ on the vehicle. Onboard roles probe real-time constraints, memory safety and performance in C++.
Domain depth. Robotics and ML roles may cover geometry, state estimation, motion planning or model evaluation for safety-critical systems.
Representative problem types
These are the kinds of problems candidates describe, not a leaked question list. Practice the category, not the exact question.
- Find the nearest obstacles to a point efficiently.
- Plan a path on a grid with costs and constraints.
- Merge sensor readings arriving at different rates.
- Design a simulation system that replays logged drives.
- Evaluate a model's performance on rare events.
- C++ questions on memory and concurrency.
- Medium and hard algorithm problems.
What interviewers score
- Working code: a solution that runs, handles edge cases and is readable by the next engineer.
- Practical judgment: the trade-offs you name and the simplest design that meets the requirement.
- Product sense: understanding who the user is and what failure looks like for them.
- Ownership: examples where you shipped, measured and fixed things yourself.
The behavioral side
Technical rounds decide most outcomes, but every Waymo loop also asks about how you work. Prepare a short story for each of these, with a result and what you learned:
- Something you shipped end to end. Cover the user problem, your decisions, what you measured and what you would change.
- A disagreement with a teammate. Show how you made the decision on evidence and kept the relationship.
- Why this company? Connect its product and engineering problems to the work you want to do next.
Structures and sample answers for the common questions are in our software engineer behavioral answers guide.
A three-week prep plan
- Week 1: practical coding: build small features against an API, parse and transform data, and write tests, in the language you will interview in.
- Week 2: system design for the company's domain, plus two behavioral stories about shipping and fixing something under pressure.
- Week 3: timed mixed problems, a mock interview every other day, and research into the product and its engineering blog.
For practice lists, use LeetCode company-tagged questions and the NeetCode 150 roadmap; for design rounds, read system design building blocks; and compare the practical style of Stripe.
Where CoPilot Interview fits
Most of a Waymo loop is spoken: you explain an approach, defend a trade-off and talk through your past work. CoPilot Interview is an AI interview assistant whose free AI mock interview builds technical and behavioral questions from your résumé and the job description, reads them aloud and scores each spoken answer out of ten, so you can rehearse the explanation as well as the code. The free plan gives 15 minutes a day of live help in sessions of up to 15 minutes, with AI mock interviews included. Online assessments and many coding rounds forbid outside help, so practice beforehand and follow your employer's rules on the day.
Disclosure: CoPilot Interview is our product, so weigh what we say about it accordingly.
Frequently asked questions
What programming language should I use in a Waymo interview?
C++ for onboard software; Python for many ML and tooling roles. General coding rounds usually allow your strongest language.
Does Waymo send an online assessment?
Candidates commonly describe a recruiter call followed by technical interviews rather than a separate online assessment; this can vary for students.
How should I prepare for Waymo coding questions?
Practice practical problems under time limits, build small features against an API in your interview language, and prepare one system design in Waymo's domain. Explain every solution out loud, because follow-up questions about trade-offs matter as much as the first answer.
Can I use AI tools in a Waymo interview?
Only if the instructions you receive say so. Online assessments and live coding rounds generally forbid outside help, and some companies now state their AI policy in the invitation. Use AI to practice beforehand, and follow your employer's rules.
Practice this interview before the real one
The AI mock interview builds questions from your resume and the job description, reads them aloud and scores each spoken answer out of 10. Included on the free plan.
Start a mock interview