Salesforce·Software Engineer·Technical Phone Screen·Senior

Senior

Jun 2026

Summary

Interviewed for a solutions architect role at Salesforce, got a technical architecture question that sounds deceptively straightforward until you're actually in the room trying to justify a design decision on the spot.

Questions Asked (1)

How would you decide whether a client should use a REST API for their integration needs?

API & IntegrationsTechnical Trade-offsSystem Design

Author's notes

I jumped straight into REST vs SOAP comparisons and lost the thread a bit.

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AI HintsAI Generated

Suggested Approach

Start by clarifying the client's integration requirements, such as data volume, latency, and security. Then compare REST against alternatives like GraphQL, SOAP, or event-driven APIs, and recommend REST if it aligns with their needs and constraints. Emphasize that the decision should be driven by trade-offs, not trends.

Pro tip: Mention that REST is often ideal for CRUD operations and public APIs, but for complex or real-time needs, alternatives like GraphQL or streaming might be better. This shows you consider the client's specific context rather than defaulting to REST.

1. Understand Client Requirements

Gather details about the integration: data volume, frequency, latency, security, and existing systems. Identify the client's pain points and goals.

2. Evaluate REST Suitability

Assess if REST's stateless, resource-oriented style fits the use case. Consider if standard HTTP methods and status codes align with the operations needed.

3. Compare with Alternatives

Weigh REST against other API styles like GraphQL, SOAP, gRPC, or event-driven (e.g., Webhooks, Streaming). Highlight pros and cons for each.

4. Consider Ecosystem and Tooling

Check if the client's tech stack, team expertise, and existing tools support REST well. Factor in maintainability, documentation, and community support.

5. Recommend and Justify

Make a clear recommendation based on the analysis, explaining why REST is or isn't the best fit. Provide a fallback or hybrid approach if needed.

Key Points to Mention

REST's statelessness and scalability for distributed systems
Trade-offs between REST and GraphQL (e.g., over-fetching vs. flexibility)
Security considerations: authentication (OAuth), authorization, and data exposure
Performance factors: caching, payload size, and network latency
Client's existing infrastructure and team familiarity with REST
When to avoid REST: real-time updates, complex queries, or high-volume streaming

AI-generated suggestions, not part of the candidate's original notes. May be inaccurate — verify before relying on them.