TikTok Machine Learning Engineer Interview Experience

TikTok · Mid level

ResultWaiting

Timespan3 weeks

DifficultyMedium

Rounds3

Interview process

The process generally be good, and enjoyable, not too much difficult. but needs to explain deeply to interviewer.

1
Recruiter screen
1. Q1. Why do you want to work at TikTok?
2. Q2. What's your timeline?
2
Technical round
CodingTechnical
1. Q1. Reverse a linked list in groups of K.
  Follow-up questions
  Variants flip the convention for the final partial group, split into a two-step problem (single-list reverse warmup first, then grouped reverse), or invert the task entirely — reverse the order of the K-groups while keeping each group's internal order intact.
3
Final / onsite round
BehavioralSystem Design
1. Q1. Binary Tree Maximum Path Sum (with path reconstruction).
  Follow-up questions
  Classic 'max path sum that may bend at any node' on a binary tree, plus the harder follow-up of reconstructing the actual node sequence — not just the score.

Just preparing for the leetcode and basic ML should be fine. Especially needs clear language to describe what you needs that.

Mostly Chinese, and needs to work overnight; but salary is good.

CompanyTikTok

RoleMachine Learning Engineer

LevelMid level

LocationUnited States

InterviewedJun 2026

Questions asked4