Interview Experiences

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

Share yours, earn XP

9 stories

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ZiplineSoftware Engineer
Reported Jul 2026

Zipline Software Engineer interview: project discussions and an onsite panel

My first step after applying was a short Talent Acquisition screen about my background and current work schedule. Later, I spoke with a team member in a technical session. We stayed close to my resume, discussing the thinking behind my projects and working through a technical question. The broader sequence moved from the recruiter to technical and behavioral conversations, then a scenario-based r…

Technical Screen0
ZiplineSoftware Engineer
Reported Jun 2026

Zipline Software Engineer interview: large take-home and five onsite rounds

My process lasted more than three months and felt like I was constantly being passed around. I spoke with two different hiring managers, and the work they assigned was substantial: a very large take-home assignment that I put real effort into and delivered a strong solution for. During a later take-home review, I was told the work looked great and wasn’t something they saw often. Then came the on…

Take-home Project0
ZiplineSoftware Engineer
Reported May 2026

Zipline Software Engineer interview with an industry-expert recruiter

A recruiter reached out to me on LinkedIn and quickly talked up her background. She described herself as an industry expert and implied that she could "sniff out" whether I really knew what I was talking about. That framing threw me off before I had a chance to explain my experience. I didn’t want to feel put on the defensive, especially since I had already done significant work and expected a mo…

Rejected0
ZiplineSoftware Engineer
Reported May 2026

Zipline Software Engineer onsite cut short by a video setup

My early screens went well, including an initial check with the hiring manager and a coding portion. I was then invited onsite for the final rounds, and that's when the process started to feel badly mismanaged. When I arrived, the interviewers were working from home, so I had to join by video while sitting in a congested, makeshift phone setup. That made the whole experience feel pointless. Durin…

RejectedOnsite0
ZiplineSoftware Engineer
Reported Apr 2026

Zipline Software Engineer interview: seven-round onsite after take-home

The process started with a technical interview with a senior team member and quickly moved into a comprehensive take-home assessment. I felt good after passing that stage, and then I was invited to an intensive onsite at the South San Francisco office. The onsite was the heavy part, with seven distinct rounds covering technical and behavioral topics. The structure showed that they were evaluating…

Technical Screen0
ZiplineSoftware Engineer
Reported Mar 2026

Zipline Software Engineer interview: project deep dive and technical discussion

My process began with straightforward introductions. The interviewer first walked me through the role description, and we then discussed my resume and portfolio in more detail. From there, the conversation shifted to technical questions. I had enough time to answer them before we returned to company-related questions that came up during the discussion. Another part of the process focused closely…

0
ZiplineSoftware Engineer
Reported Feb 2026

Zipline Software Engineer: take-home, system design, and a month-long ghosting

The process took longer than I expected, although it started out feeling genuinely fulfilling. I went through six stages overall: a recruiter call, a hiring manager screen, a take-home assessment, a technical interview connected to the assessment, a system design interview, and a product prioritization conversation. The later rounds also included a culture-fit discussion and an interview with a V…

No responseHR Screen0
ZiplineSoftware Engineer
Reported Jun 2024

Zipline Software Engineer interview rejected over manufacturing experience

I started with a recruiter call that was genuinely pleasant. She walked me through the process and answered my questions thoroughly. The next round was with the hiring manager, and I felt that went well too. After that, the timeline became exhausting. I followed up for two weeks and then received a rejection. They said I lacked experience with manufacturing and maintenance software. What bothered…

RejectedHR Screen0
ZiplineSoftware Engineer
Reported Apr 2024

Zipline Software Engineer interview: Rust or C++20 take-home and automation panel

I entered the process through LinkedIn, then had a short recruiter call followed by a brief conversation with the hiring manager about my past experience. Next came a take-home assignment in either Rust or C++20, which took me a little over two hours. My impression was that they cared more about whether the solution worked than about polish such as code quality or tests. After that, I had a rough…

Take-home Project0

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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