Brex · Primly Community

Brex new grad / entry level interview, how to prep if you're just starting out

jp_newgrad · 6 replies

Currently a new grad (class of 2025) and went through the Brex new grad SWE process earlier this year. It took about 6 weeks from first contact to offer. Posting this because I couldn't find much new grad-specific info anywhere.

First: does Brex actually hire new grads? They don't do a big university recruiting push but they do post entry-level roles occasionally. I found the opening on LinkedIn, applied cold, and got a response after about two weeks. Not fast, but it worked.

What the process looked like for me: Recruiter screen (30 min, mostly fit + timeline) Technical phone screen (45 min, one coding problem) Virtual onsite: two coding rounds + one behavioral

There was no system design round for the new grad loop, which tracks with what I've heard. System design is mainly for senior and above.

Coding: I got one medium graph problem and one medium array/hashmap problem across the two rounds. Both felt like LeetCode medium calibrated, not the hardest version of those problems. The interviewers were patient. When I got stuck they gave hints rather than just letting me spiral.

Behavioral: One round, 45 minutes. Questions were adapted for someone without much work experience. I was asked about a team project from school, a time I disagreed with a teammate, and how I handle ambiguity. Very STAR-method-able.

Level: I think they placed me at an L3-equivalent. Offer was competitive for SF market as a new grad, roughly $175k TC with the equity included. I didn't negotiate because I was nervous, which I'd do differently now.

Prep that helped: About 6 weeks of LeetCode, 3-4 problems a day, focused on arrays, trees, and graphs. Practiced explaining my thought process out loud from week 2. That last part mattered more than I expected. Also read about Brex's product and had a genuine answer ready for "why Brex" beyond just "it's fintech."

6 replies

newgrad_neil

175k TC new grad at Brex, that's really solid. Was that base + equity vested or the full package including unvested equity?

jp_newgrad

Full package: base + RSU grant annualized + bonus target. Base alone was around $135k. Equity is the bigger piece but it's Brex equity (private), so that has its own risk profile. Worth knowing before you evaluate it.

bootcamp_bri

This is so encouraging. Congrats on the offer. Did your CS background come up at all or did they just care about what you could do in the interview?

jp_newgrad

Came up briefly in the recruiter screen when they asked about my background. After that, the technical rounds just evaluated what I could actually do. Didn't feel like the degree name mattered.

pivot_pat

Do you know if they'd consider someone doing a pivot from a non-CS background if they have strong enough technical skills? Even for entry level?

jp_newgrad

Honestly not sure, I came from CS. I'd guess it depends heavily on your portfolio and technical screen performance. Worth applying though. The cold apply worked for me when I figured it wouldn't.