Interview Experiences

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

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KaratSoftware Engineer
Reported Jan 2022

Karat Software Engineer interview with three English and three coding questions

My Karat process began with a structured sequence of questions that felt a little relentless. After the initial stages, I answered three English questions and then moved straight into three coding problems. The first coding prompt asked whether a solution met the requirements. I was then asked more focused computer science questions about time and space complexity. The other coding problems were…

Technical Screen0
KaratSoftware Engineer
Reported Dec 2021

Karat Software Engineer interview with a moderate algorithm question

The interview started with a casual introduction from the interviewer, which made the conversation feel less cold. I then talked through my background, including my achievements, previous experiences, and how I’d handled challenges on earlier projects. It felt like that discussion was meant to provide context before the technical portion. Afterward, I worked through a moderate algorithm question.…

Technical Screen0
KaratSoftware Engineer
Reported Oct 2021

Karat Software Engineer interview with learning materials before rejection

I was surprised by how much Karat tried to include "learning" before making a final decision. What they called onboarding felt like an extension of the interview process. I studied their learning materials for a while and completed a couple of practice interviews, then still got rejected after about a week. The part that threw me off was that it didn't feel like optional preparation. It felt like…

RejectedOther0
Chainlink LabsSolutions Engineer
Reported Oct 2021

Chainlink Labs Solutions Engineer interview: 90-minute HackerRank and 15+ hour take-home

I started with a recruiter call that set the pace and guided me through the process. After that, I completed a HackerRank round that lasted about 90 minutes. It included multiple-choice questions, a straightforward DSA problem, and a language-specific API check. Next was a conversation with an engineering manager about cultural fit, followed by a hiring manager call that led to the next stage. I…

Online Assessment0
Chainlink LabsSoftware Engineer
Reported Aug 2021

Chainlink Labs Software Engineer, positive team interviews and hiring concerns

The interviews with the actual team felt positive, which was the surprising part. My disappointment came from the hiring process overall. Despite the company’s public values, I perceived discriminatory practices in the way hiring was handled. That contrast made me feel that the recruitment process wasn’t aligned with what the organization claimed to stand for. Even though the interview atmosphere…

Offer0
Chainlink LabsSoftware Engineer
Reported Jul 2021

Chainlink Labs Software Engineer interview with recruiter follow-ups

After a brief coding assessment, I had a pleasant conversation with a recruiter who said they were interested in moving me forward. They told me they'd reach out the following week to schedule the next interview, but I never heard back. I sent a couple of follow-up emails asking for an update, and still got no response. The interviews themselves weren't the issue. The silence and lack of professi…

No responseOnline Assessment0
AirtableSoftware Engineer
Reported Jun 2021

Airtable Software Engineer interview with live-coding trick questions

Recruiter outreach started the process, and the early conversation felt more like pressure to apply than an authentic screen. I then had a technical phone screen that felt like a live-coding trick problem. It seemed less focused on my actual experience and more focused on whether I noticed a specific inefficient behavior or used a particular "special term" they wanted to hear. The experience felt…

Technical Screen0
Chainlink LabsSoftware Engineer
Reported Jun 2021

Chainlink Labs Software Engineer interview for a UI-type role

My first step was an HR interview, and it felt smooth and pretty standard. I was told the next interviews would involve engineers and leads, with a test in the middle. The next challenge was an online coding task where I walked through my thinking and got through most of it. What threw me off was how the test was conducted and evaluated. I mentioned that I didn’t do well on interview calls, but I…

HR Screen0
AirtableSoftware Engineer
Reported Apr 2021

Airtable Software Engineer take-home that took six hours or more

My process began with a call with a hiring manager, followed by a take-home assignment that took a very long time, six hours or more. After that, I went through an onsite that lasted six hours and included multiple rounds. There were coding and algorithm questions, design questions, a code review, and a culture-fit conversation with the hiring manager. The process felt manageable at first because…

Take-home Project0
Chainlink LabsSoftware Engineer
Reported Mar 2021

Chainlink Labs Software Engineer interview: a 12-minute call in a 45-minute slot

The interview felt surprisingly short. I had been given a 45-minute slot, but the call lasted closer to 12 minutes, and the interviewer was very direct. They told me that only one person would receive the position and said I'd hear back in the middle of the following week. The process was straightforward and not stressful, but its brevity made it feel a bit opaque. Location: San Francisco, CA. Ov…

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Chainlink LabsSoftware Engineer
Reported Mar 2021

Chainlink Labs Software Engineer interview: HackerRank test for a UI-focused role

I received a HackerRank test shortly after applying. I don't remember seeing anything in writing, either in the recruiter's emails or before the HR screen, that clearly said it had to be completed in a specific language such as JavaScript. I had to adjust quickly and brush up on it. The bigger mismatch was between the test and what I thought I was interviewing for. Since the role was UI focused,…

Online Assessment0
AirtableSoftware Engineer
Reported Feb 2021

Airtable Software Engineer take-home assignment that took roughly eight hours

My recruiter call was followed by a take-home assignment that was supposed to take about four hours. The work didn’t feel close to that scope. I was expected to build a fairly substantial front-end library from scratch to support a complicated chart, something in the neighborhood of d3-style functionality. I spent roughly eight hours on it and still didn’t finish. After submitting it, I never rea…

Take-home Project0
AirtableSoftware Engineer
Reported Jun 2020

Airtable Software Engineer interview: six-hour coding exercise and $200 certificate

I applied online and heard back quickly about a recruiter call, but the tone felt scripted and quota driven. It seemed like the person on the other end wasn't closely involved with the team or the role. The next step was a six-hour coding exercise before I had spoken with anyone from the actual team. I was told I'd receive a $200 Amazon gift certificate for completing it, but the exercise didn't…

No responseTake-home Project0
AirtableSoftware Engineer
Reported Dec 2019

Airtable Software Engineer interview: five-hour assignment and six-interview onsite

I started with a long independent programming assignment instead of a typical phone screen or live challenge. It took around five hours, and I received a $200 gift card regardless of how it went. The next step was an onsite in San Francisco with six interviews in one long day. The mix stood out right away. One interview focused on practical algorithms and design rather than the usual LeetCode sty…

OfferTake-home Project0
IMCSoftware Engineer
Reported Feb 2017

IMC Software Engineer interview: seven three-minute reasoning sessions

I applied through a school career fair and online, and then received an online logical reasoning test. It was divided into seven sessions. Each session lasted three minutes and had four questions, which made the test feel rushed even though the topics were the kind of things you can practice. After I finished it, I received a second online test with three questions. This one was more technical, a…

Online Assessment0
IMCSoftware Engineer
Reported Oct 2016

IMC Software Engineer assessment with limited sample guidance

After I sent my resume, I was pushed into an online assessment pretty quickly, just a few days later. It ran through Codility and had only a handful of questions, with a couple of hours to complete it. The structure was pretty tight. Each question had only one sample input and output, with no extra guidance, so I felt I couldn't rely on the examples to confirm my approach. That same straight-to-t…

Online Assessment0
IMCSoftware Engineer
Reported Jan 2016

IMC Software Engineer asynchronous video interview after an online assessment

I applied in November, and about two weeks later I received a link for an online assessment. I did the work myself, but the part that really got to me was the interview afterward. Instead of speaking with someone on a call, I had to record my responses in a video format. I remember feeling unusually nervous because I wasn't used to talking into a camera without any back-and-forth. It didn't feel…

Online Assessment0

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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