20 Samsara Interview Questions and Answers

As the world increasingly relies on technology, the demand for qualified engineers is higher than ever. Companies are looking for engineers who can not only develop and maintain complex systems, but also understand how to use data to improve business operations.

Samsara is a company that specializes in harnessing the power of IoT data to provide actionable insights for businesses. If you’re interviewing for a position at Samsara, you can expect questions that assess your technical skills as well as your ability to use data to drive business decisions.

In this article, we’ll provide some sample questions and answers that will help you prepare for your interview at Samsara.

Samsara Interview Process

The interview process at Samsara can vary depending on the position you are applying for, but it generally consists of a phone screen, followed by one or more rounds of on-site interviews. For some positions, there may also be a homework review or a mock cold call as part of the interview process. The entire process can take anywhere from a few weeks to a month or more.

1. What do you know about Samsara’s products?

This question is a great way to test your knowledge of the company and its products. It also allows you to show that you have done some research on the organization. When preparing for this question, make sure to read up on Samsara’s website or any other sources about their products.

Example: “I know that Samsara offers an IoT platform that helps businesses collect data from sensors and devices connected to the internet. The platform then analyzes the data collected to provide insights into business operations. I am familiar with the different modules offered by Samsara, including the Asset Intelligence Module, which provides information on assets such as vehicles and equipment.”

2. Tell me about a time when you had to manage many accounts or customers at once. How did you prioritize them and make sure everyone was happy?

This question is a great way to show your organizational skills and ability to multitask. When answering, it can be helpful to mention how you organized the accounts or customers into groups or categories so that you could keep track of them all.

Example: “At my previous job, I had to manage over 100 different clients at once. To make sure I was able to prioritize everyone’s needs, I created a spreadsheet with columns for each client’s name, email address, phone number and any other relevant information. Then, I grouped similar clients together by their industry or type of business they were in.”

3. Which of our products are you most interested in? Why?

This question is a great way to show your knowledge of the company and its products. It also gives you an opportunity to explain why you’re interested in that product, which can help you highlight any relevant experience or skills you have.

Example: “I’m most interested in Samsara’s IoT platform because I’ve worked with similar systems before and know how valuable they are for businesses. In my last position, I helped develop a system like this one where we used data from sensors to track inventory levels and predict when we would need to reorder more supplies. This allowed us to reduce our costs by 10%.”

4. Have you worked with any other IoT companies before?

This question is a great way to show your knowledge of the industry and how you can apply it to this role. If you have worked with other IoT companies, explain what you did for them and why you are qualified for this position.

Example: “I’ve worked with several IoT companies in my career, including one that developed smart home devices. I helped develop an app that would allow users to control their devices from anywhere using their smartphones. This was a challenging project because we had to work within the constraints of the company’s existing technology. However, I learned a lot about working with different types of hardware and software.”

5. Why would you be a good fit for the role?

This question is a great way to show the interviewer that you have researched their company and understand what they’re looking for in an ideal candidate. When answering this question, it can be helpful to highlight some of the skills listed on your resume or discuss how your previous experience has prepared you for this role.

Example: “I believe I would be a good fit for this position because my background as a software engineer makes me well-equipped to work with IoT data. In my last job, I worked with large amounts of data every day, which helped me develop strong problem-solving and analytical skills. These are important traits for working at Samsara, where we use data to help businesses make better decisions.”

6. Do you have experience managing a team of sales professionals?

This question can help the interviewer understand your leadership skills and how you might fit into their company culture. If you have experience managing a team, describe what motivated them to work hard and achieve goals.

Example: “In my previous role as an IT manager for a small business, I had two sales representatives on my team. One of my employees was new to the position, so I helped her learn the basics of selling our products to clients. She quickly became one of our top sellers because she learned how to use technology to find customers who were interested in our product. My other employee was more experienced, but he still appreciated my guidance when it came to using new software or finding new leads.”

7. If hired, what could you bring to this position that someone else couldn’t?

This question is a great way to show your interviewer that you’re qualified for the job and have unique skills. When answering this question, it can be helpful to list specific experiences or qualifications that make you an ideal candidate.

Example: “I’ve worked in IT for over 10 years, so I’m very familiar with many of the technologies used by Samsara. However, my experience working as a developer has given me valuable insight into how to improve systems and processes. This knowledge could help me streamline some of Samsara’s existing technology and create new solutions.”

8. Can you tell me about a time where you were working on a team project and there was conflict, how did you handle it?

This question is a great way to see how you work with others and your conflict resolution skills. When answering this question, it can be helpful to mention the steps you took to resolve the conflict and what you learned from the experience.

Example: “In my last position as an IoT engineer, I was working on a team project where we were tasked with creating a new app that would help users track their fitness goals. My teammate and I had different ideas about how to create the app, which led to some disagreements. We talked through our differences and came up with a compromise that helped us both achieve our goals.”

9. Describe your experience in product management.

This question is a great way to show your knowledge of the role and how you can be an asset to Samsara. When answering this question, it’s important to highlight your skills in product management and how they will help you succeed in this position.

Example: “I have experience working as a product manager for my previous company where I was responsible for developing new products and improving existing ones. In my last role, I worked with a team of developers to create a new app that would improve customer service operations. The app allowed customers to submit questions about our products and receive answers from our support staff within 24 hours.”

10. What is your background as an engineer?

This question is a great way to show the interviewer your experience and knowledge in engineering. If you have previous work experience, describe what projects you worked on and how they helped develop your skills as an engineer. If you don’t have any professional experience, explain what classes or certifications you’ve earned that prepared you for this role.

Example: “I graduated with my bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from State University two years ago. During my time there, I took several courses in computer-aided design software, which has helped me create many of my own inventions. I also completed a certification program through Samsara last year where I learned more about IoT technology and how it can be used to improve business operations.”

11. What challenges have you faced while engineering hardware sensors?

This question can help the interviewer understand your experience with sensors and how you overcame challenges. You can highlight your problem-solving skills by describing a time when you had to overcome hardware sensor issues.

Example: “I once worked on an IoT project that required me to engineer sensors for temperature, humidity and light levels. However, I found it challenging to integrate these sensors into my system because of their varying communication protocols. To solve this issue, I researched each protocol and learned how to program them in different languages. This helped me create a universal interface that could communicate with all three sensors.”

12. What challenges have you faced while software development?

This question is a great way to show your problem-solving skills and ability to adapt to new situations. When answering this question, it can be helpful to mention a challenge you faced in the past and how you overcame it.

Example: “One of my biggest challenges as a software developer was finding ways to improve efficiency while working with large data sets. I had to find ways to streamline processes so that I could work more quickly without sacrificing quality. Eventually, I found some tools that helped me manage these tasks better.”

13. What type of programming languages do you have experience with?

Samsara is a Java-based platform, so your answer should reflect this. You can also mention any other languages you have experience with to show that you are versatile in programming.

Example: “I am experienced with Java and Python, but I’m open to learning new languages as needed. In my last position, I was tasked with creating an application using the Samsara API. I used Python for this project because it’s one of the most popular languages for data science applications.”

14. Describe your experience working with full-stack developers.

The interviewer may ask this question to learn more about your experience working with other team members. Use your answer to highlight any specific skills you have that make you a good fit for the role.

Example: “I’ve worked with full-stack developers in my previous roles, and I find it helpful to work with them because they can help me understand how different parts of the system interact with each other. In my last position, I worked with two full-stack developers who helped me develop an application that integrated with IoT devices. They were able to explain what was happening at every stage of development, which made it easier for me to understand the process.”

15. How would you solve this problem (coding question)?

This question is a great way to test your problem-solving skills and knowledge of coding. You can answer this question by providing the steps you would take to solve the problem, or you can provide an example of how you solved a similar problem in the past.

Example: “I would first identify what type of data I’m working with. Then, I would create a new class for each type of data that I want to work with. Next, I would write methods for each type of data that I want to use. Finally, I would call these methods from my main program.”

16. What would you say is your greatest strength and weakness?

This question is a common one in interviews, and it’s important to be honest when answering. Your interviewer will likely want to know what you consider your greatest strengths so they can understand how you’ll contribute to the team. They may also want to know about any weaknesses that you’re working on improving or have already improved upon.

Example: “My greatest strength is my attention to detail. I’ve always been able to notice small details and make connections between them. This has helped me solve problems and find solutions for customers at previous jobs. My weakness would probably be my ability to multitask. While I’m good at focusing on one task at a time, I sometimes struggle with balancing multiple tasks at once.”

17. Give an example of a time when you had to solve a problem that was not straightforward. How did you approach the problem?

This question is a great way to show your problem-solving skills and how you approach challenges. When answering this question, it can be helpful to describe the steps you took to solve the problem and what the outcome was.

Example: “At my previous job, I had to help develop an IoT solution for a client that wanted to use sensors in their manufacturing process. The sensors were going to be used on machines that would produce parts for cars. However, there were many different types of machinery being used in the production process, so we needed to find a way to make sure the sensors could work with all of them.

I started by researching each type of machine and finding out which sensors they currently used. Then, I researched the sensor options that would work with those machines. After doing some research, I found a company that made sensors that worked with all of the machines our client was using. We implemented the new sensors into the system and the client was very happy with the results.”

18. What are some problems that you anticipate will arise from integrating cloud computing into our infrastructure?

This question is a great way to show your knowledge of the industry and how you can apply it to Samsara’s business. You should use examples from previous work or school projects that demonstrate your ability to anticipate problems and solve them effectively.

Example: “I’ve worked with cloud computing in my last two positions, so I’m familiar with its benefits and drawbacks. One issue that arises when integrating cloud computing into an organization’s infrastructure is security. Cloud computing requires data to be stored on servers outside of the company, which makes it more vulnerable to cyber attacks. Another problem is latency, as there are often delays between when data is sent and received. This can cause issues for real-time applications.”

19. What do you think are the pros and cons of using Java instead of Python for backend services?

This question is a great way to test your knowledge of the two languages and how they can be used in conjunction with each other.

Example: “Python is an excellent language for data science, machine learning and artificial intelligence applications because it’s easy to learn and use. However, Python has some limitations when it comes to performance and scalability. Java, on the other hand, is more scalable and performs better than Python, but it’s not as easy to learn or use. I think that using both languages together would allow me to take advantage of their respective strengths.”

20. What past projects have you developed that involved similar technologies to ours?

This question is a great way to show the interviewer that you have experience with similar technologies and can apply your knowledge to their company. When answering this question, list two or three projects you’ve worked on in the past that involved IoT data collection and analysis.

Example: “In my last role as an IT specialist at a large manufacturing plant, I helped implement several IoT devices into the factory floor. These devices collected real-time data about production processes and equipment usage, which we then analyzed using Samsara’s software. This allowed us to identify areas of improvement within our operations and develop new strategies for improving efficiency.”