Pinterest Interview Experience | $500K+ Compensation | Rounds, Process, System Design, Prep Tips
I interviewed for a Senior Software Engineer role at Pinterest, one of the largest consumer tech platforms with 500M+ monthly active users.
In this video, I break down exactly how the Pinterest interview process works, how the recruiter reached out, what each interview round tests, and the $500K+ total compensation senior engineers can expect.
If you’re targeting Pinterest or any product-driven big tech company, this video will show you what actually matters—and what most candidates get wrong.
💡 Here’s what you’ll learn:
✅ How I got the Pinterest interview without applying
✅ The full interview process recruiter screen, phone screen, and virtual onsite
✅ Breakdown of all 5 interview rounds (coding, system design, behavioral)
✅ What Pinterest explicitly evaluates in coding interviews (communication, problem-solving, verification)
✅ Real examples of LeetCode medium & hard expectations
✅ How the system design interview is structured (scalability, CAP theorem, caching, QPS)
✅ Senior-level compensation breakdown (base, equity, bonus, RSUs)
✅ How to negotiate Pinterest offers using real market data
✅ The 6-week preparation plan that works for any big tech interview
👋 about me
I’m Maddy, a senior software engineer (prev. at Google), with prior internships at Microsoft, Morgan Stanley, IBM, and Amazon. Sharing my journey here - thanks for watching 🤍
🔗find me on other socials
Instagram / madeline.m.zhang
LinkedIn / madelinemzhang
Tiktok / madeline.m.zhang
Timestamps
0:00 Why Pinterest
1:05 How I Got the Interview
1:47 Recruiter Screen
2:30 Compensation Breakdown
3:34 Interview Process Overview
4:30 Technical Phone Screen
5:00 – What Pinterest Evaluates in Coding Interviews
6:03 – System Design Round
7:05 – Behavioral Round
7:54 – Preparation Strategy
9:19 – 6-Week Study Plan
9:54 – Final Advice
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*disclaimer: views are all my own and do not represent any current / past employer(s)
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