I'm a 2025 grad and just got through a GitLab entry-level SWE interview process. It took about 6 weeks start to finish. Posting this for other new grads because I was anxious going in and couldn't find much recent info.
First: GitLab does hire new grads, though the pipeline isn't huge. I applied through their website and got a recruiter reach-out about 3 weeks later.
Stages
Recruiter screen: 30 min. Background, why GitLab, basics of the role. She mentioned GitLab's all-remote culture upfront and asked if I'd read their handbook. I had. That came up again in the technical stages because their handbook is genuinely a values document, not just an HR artifact.
Technical screen: 60 min with a mid-level engineer. Two LeetCode-style problems. The first was array manipulation, easy-medium. The second was a graph traversal, medium. They weren't looking for perfect optimized solutions in 10 minutes. They wanted to see that I could talk through my thinking, catch my own bugs, and ask clarifying questions.
Onsite (4 rounds via Zoom): coding, system design (light, entry-level version), a 'values and culture' round, and a hiring manager chat.
What I prepared LeetCode mediums: arrays, strings, hash maps, trees, BFS/DFS. Nothing crazy hard. Read GitLab's handbook sections on their values (CREDIT: Collaboration, Results, Efficiency, Diversity, Iteration, Transparency). They use these in behavioral questions. Prepared a few STAR stories about side projects and internships. One of my behavioral stories was about collaborating async, which they loved. Basic system design: know what a load balancer does, how databases handle reads vs writes, REST vs GraphQL.
My honest take
For new grads, the biggest differentiator isn't the hardest algorithm. It's whether you can communicate clearly, work async, and show real intellectual curiosity about how systems work. They're a fully remote company and they care about that fit.
I got an offer. Leveling was junior, base was around $130k US remote. Happy to answer questions from other new grads.