OpenAI Software Engineer interview experience

The interviewer used it to assess problem-solving, core coding fundamentals, and communication as I worked through the solution.

The problems were data-structure heavy and often multi-stage, so the requirements evolved while I was still working. It wasn’t as neatly structured as the typical LeetCode format; it felt closer to a real engineering task where I might need to read or interpret existing context before making changes.

Overall it felt like a genuine test of how I handle shifting constraints rather than just whether I can recognize a known pattern. By the end, I felt the session was