Interview Experiences

Real candidates, real loops: every round, what was asked, and how it ended.

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5 stories

Likes earn the author +10 XP for the first 3 likes each day

DatadogSoftware EngineerSenior+
Aug 2026

Reviewing an AI-Assisted Batching PR

In the code review round, I was given a pull request for an issue where a Python application was crashing under heavy load. The pull request changed the existing synchronous processor, which handled one request at a time, into a batched processor that handled 40 requests at a time. The repository still included the synchronous processor as a reference. However, if creation of the batched processo…

Onsite0
DatadogSoftware Engineer
Reported Jul 2026

Datadog Software Engineer HackerRank and final technical interview

The process felt smooth and standard. It began with a HackerRank-style online test containing two LeetCode-like questions. Next came a roughly half-hour recruiter call focused on fit and the usual recruiter topics. The final technical stage lasted about an hour. It included more medium-hard LeetCode-style questions and a separate behavioral and HR block within the overall stage. The recruiter and…

RejectedOnline Assessment0
DatadogSoftware Engineer
Jun 2026

Matching Queries Against a Log Stream

The first-round problem was query and log stream matching. I was given a stream containing two message types: Q: xxx was a query. Each query needed a unique ID, and I had to output an acknowledgment. L: xxx was a log. For each log, I had to output the IDs of all queries that it completely matched. The example input was: The expected output was: My approach was to use a HashMap<String, List<Intege…

Technical Screen0
DatadogSoftware Engineer
Jun 2026

A Filesystem DeleteTree Design Problem with Five Memory Follow-ups

A premium story — unlock it to read the full loop.

Technical ScreenPremium0
DatadogSoftware Engineer
Reported Jun 2026

Datadog Software Engineer Interview Experience: manager roleplay after recruiter screen

I applied through the job portal and a recruiter contacted me for a brief video call about my background, salary expectations, and basic fit. The next stage was more detailed: I met with two managers who dug into my experience. Near the end of that discussion, they switched to a practical roleplay scenario to test my hands on skills. It was direct and focused on what I could do rather than only w…

Rejected0

What are interview experiences?

An interview experience is a candidate's own account of a hiring loop — not a question bank entry. It tells you the shape of the process: how many rounds there were, what each round actually tested, how long the gaps between them ran, and what the recruiter said at the end. That context is the part a question list cannot give you.

How to read them

Weight recent write-ups more heavily — interview loops change, often within a year. Read several for the same company and role rather than one: a single account tells you what one interviewer asked, while five tell you what the bar is. Note the outcome badge too, since a rejection write-up usually explains the gap far more precisely than an offer one.

Share your own

Every published experience earns 50 XP, and each of the first 3 likes it receives in a day earns you 10 XP more. Likes must come from established accounts; like-for-like swaps and likes from your own second account are not paid. Write it while the details are fresh — the round order, the exact prompts, and how much time you were given are what the next reader needs.

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