The Top Relativity Interview Questions You Need to Know

Interviewing at Relativity can be an exciting but nerve-wracking experience. As a leading aerospace company pushing the boundaries of 3D printing and rocket manufacturing they are looking for the best and brightest candidates.

I know first-hand how stressful preparing for the Relativity interview process can be. I spent hours studying Rocket Science 101, reviewing data structures and algorithms, and practicing mock interviews with friends.

After going through the Relativity interview gauntlet myself and talking to others who interviewed there, I compiled this definitive list of the top Relativity interview questions you need to know.

Whether you’re interviewing for an engineering or business role, these Relativity interview questions will help you stand out from the crowd and land the job!

Relativity Interview Questions for Engineering Roles

The engineering interview at Relativity will test your knowledge across a wide range of technical domains. Here are some of the most common Relativity interview questions engineers can expect:

Coding and Algorithms

As a leading aerospace technology company, Relativity relies heavily on software to run their innovative manufacturing processes. Expect coding questions testing your skills in common languages like C++, Python, and Java.

Some examples include:

• Implement a function to reverse a linked list.
• Design an algorithm to find the kth largest element in an unsorted array.
• Code a function that checks if a binary tree is symmetric.

In addition to coding, be ready for algorithm design questions focusing on complexity analysis, heuristics, and optimization techniques. Brush up on big O notation, graph algorithms, sorting methods, and dynamic programming.

Object-Oriented Programming

Relativity’s codebase utilizes object-oriented programming extensively. Interviewers commonly ask OOP questions like:

• Explain inheritance, encapsulation, polymorphism and abstraction.
• What is method overriding in Java? Give an example.
• How do you avoid duplicate code through inheritance?

Understand key OOP concepts like classes, objects, inheritance, and interfaces. Know when and why to use specific techniques like abstraction and method overriding.

System Design

For senior engineering roles, expect complex system design questions such as:

• Design a scalable API for a ride sharing service like Uber.
• Architect a distributed system to store and process large amounts of aerospace sensor data.
• Build a cache to improve performance for a frequently accessed database.

These questions evaluate your ability to consider scalability, reliability, and optimization in complex systems. Focus on distributed computing, microservices, caching, and object-oriented modeling.

Behavioral Questions

In addition to technical skills, Relativity interviewers will assess your problem-solving abilities, communication skills, and capacity for learning. Common behavioral questions include:

• Tell me about a time you overcame an engineering obstacle.
• How do you stay updated on the latest technologies and industry trends?
• Describe a situation where you had to collaborate cross-functionally to achieve a goal.

Keep your answers clear, concise, and focused on showcasing relevant skills for the role. Use real examples and quantify your impact when possible.

Relativity Interview Questions for Business Roles

Beyond engineering, Relativity also hires business professionals across departments like sales, marketing, finance, and more. Here are some frequent interview questions to expect:

Role-Specific Questions

Interviewers will assess your qualifications for the specific business role with targeted questions. For example:

• Sales: How would you go about developing a new aerospace customer for Relativity?
• Marketing: What steps would you take to increase Relativity’s brand awareness on social media?
• Finance: How would you evaluate the costs and potential ROI of adding a new manufacturing facility?

Be ready to address how your skills and experience translate to the business needs at Relativity. Use specific examples of initiatives you’ve led or executed.

Leadership Principles

Relativity has five core leadership principles that guide their culture:

• Transforming tomorrow
• Relentlessly resourceful
• Passionately candid
• Full accountability
• We, not me

Expect interview questions like:

• Can you share about a time you demonstrated [leadership principle]?
• How would you exemplify [principle] in this role at Relativity?

Have stories ready showcasing how you align with these principles. Use tangible examples rather than hypotheticals.

Behavioral Questions

Similar to engineering, behavioral interviews allow business candidates to demonstrate key skills like:

• Communication
• Problem-solving
• Collaboration
• Analytical thinking
• Leadership

You’ll get prompts such as:

• Tell me about a challenging cross-functional project you led. How did you keep stakeholders aligned?
• Describe a time you influenced a team or company’s direction with data-driven insights.
• Share an example of when you managed a complex task with tight time constraints.

Focus on articulating your thought process and actions clearly. Quantify your impact and contributions whenever possible.

How to Prepare for the Relativity Interview

With an overview of the most common Relativity interview questions, here are some tips to prepare:

Study Technical Concepts

• Review coding fundamentals in languages like C++, Python, Java, etc.
• Brush up on essential algorithms, data structures, design patterns and OOP concepts.
• Understand system design considerations like scalability, availability, security.

Practice Coding

• Actively code out solutions to sample problems on platforms like LeetCode.
• Mock interviews with friends using real interview questions can help tremendously.

Research Relativity

• Learn about Relativity’s culture, products, technologies, and customers.
• Understand their mission and how they are disrupting the aerospace industry.

Prepare Behavioral Stories

• Identify around 5-10 behavioral stories highlighting relevant skills.
• Vary examples across projects, roles, and industries when possible.
• Structure answers clearly: Situation – Action – Result.

Ask Clarifying Questions

• Don’t hesitate to ask for clarification during technical questions before coding.
• Confirm requirements and assumptions to set yourself up for success.

With preparation and practice, you’ll feel confident tackling the most common Relativity interview questions. Stay calm, code carefully, and highlight the unique value you can bring to the team.

You got this! Now go ace that Relativity interview.