OpenAI·Software Engineer

OpenAI Software Engineer interview experience

No offer

Hard

Positive

San Francisco, CAPosted Jul 2026 · Candidate report, summarized by Dataford

My process felt almost refreshingly straightforward.

After the recruiter screen, the interviewing ran as two days back to back, and it was mainly coding problem sessions plus a hiring manager conversation. I didn’t get the sense that it was trying to be mysterious or overly novel—just focused.

For me, the format matched what I expected: LeetCode-style coding practice carried a lot of the weight, and I also spent time on behavioral prep. Turnaround was fast, which made the whole stretch feel like momentum rather than waiting in limbo.

Even though I didn’t get the offer, the experience didn’t feel chaotic or especially punishing. It felt like a

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