What It's Like to Be a Software Engineer at Vercel
As a Software Engineer at Vercel, you'll be at the forefront of web development, working on the platform that powers many of the world's most popular websites and applications. Vercel is the company behind the popular React framework, Next.js, and their platform is designed to provide a seamless experience for developers to build, deploy, and scale their applications. The engineering team at Vercel is known for its focus on performance, developer experience, and open-source contributions. You could be working on anything from improving the performance of the Vercel edge network to building new features for Next.js or enhancing the developer workflow within the Vercel dashboard.
The tech stack at Vercel is modern and primarily centered around JavaScript, with a strong emphasis on React, Next.js, and Node.js. You'll also get to work with various cloud technologies and services, as Vercel's platform is built on a multi-cloud infrastructure. The day-to-day life of a Software Engineer at Vercel is collaborative and fast-paced, with a strong culture of remote work and asynchronous communication. You'll be expected to take ownership of your projects, contribute to the team's goals, and actively participate in the open-source community.
Salary & Compensation
Vercel is known for offering competitive compensation packages to attract and retain top talent. The salary for a Software Engineer at Vercel can vary significantly based on your level of experience and location. The company is known to pay at the higher end of the market, especially for senior and staff-level engineers. Compensation typically includes a base salary, stock options (since Vercel is a venture-backed startup), and a bonus.
| Level | Base Salary | Total Comp (incl. equity) |
|---|---|---|
| Entry (L1-L2) | $140K–$180K | $190K–$250K |
| Mid (L3-L4) | $180K–$240K | $250K–$350K |
| Senior (L5+) | $240K–$300K+ | $350K–$450K+ |
Interview Process
The interview process at Vercel is known to be challenging and thorough, designed to assess your technical skills, problem-solving abilities, and cultural fit. The process typically consists of 4-5 rounds, starting with a recruiter screen and progressing to technical interviews and a final round with a hiring manager or senior leader.
- Recruiter Screen — A 30-minute call with a recruiter to discuss your background, experience, and interest in Vercel.
- Technical Phone Screen — A 60-minute interview with a Vercel engineer, where you'll be asked to solve a coding problem in a shared editor. This round focuses on your problem-solving skills and your ability to write clean, efficient code.
- Onsite/Virtual Loop — A series of 3-4 interviews with different members of the team, covering a range of topics including system design, past projects, and behavioral questions. You can expect to have deep technical discussions and to whiteboard solutions to complex problems.
- Hiring Committee — In some cases, there may be a final review by a hiring committee to make a final decision.
How to Stand Out
To stand out in the Vercel interview process, it's important to demonstrate a deep understanding of modern web development and a passion for the open-source community. Here are a few tips:
- Contribute to open-source: Vercel is a big proponent of open-source, and having contributions to projects like Next.js or other popular libraries will make your profile stand out.
- Build with Vercel: The best way to understand the Vercel platform is to use it. Build a personal project or a side hustle on Vercel and be prepared to talk about your experience.
- Show your passion for performance: Vercel is obsessed with performance. Demonstrate your knowledge of web performance best practices and how you've applied them in your past projects.
- Be a great communicator: Vercel is a remote-first company, so strong written and verbal communication skills are essential. Be clear, concise, and articulate in your interviews.
- Know your fundamentals: While Vercel uses a modern tech stack, a strong foundation in computer science fundamentals is still crucial. Be prepared for questions on data structures, algorithms, and system design.