BigPanda Interview Questions
& Process

The interview process involved engineers and C-levels, though the latter were manipulative time-wasters. There were 3 rounds: live coding, system design, and a leadership interview. The live coding session focused on problem-solving skills without requiring compilation. I received positive feedback after each stage and was initially promised an offer. However, the process was ultimately a waste of time as the offer wasn't approved by a C-level executive, and I was kept waiting for 3 weeks before being informed of the final decision, which felt very unprofessional.

First, there was an HR phone call, which felt a bit snotty. Then, an interview with a senior dev. Even though I got the answers right, the interviewer wasn't impressed. Overall, it left a decent impression though, since the task was practical and relevant to the actual job, not some abstract nonsense. Apparently, the company has a lot of old Scala code because of past mistakes. The shift to Java seems tricky since the team isn't very familiar with it, or Spring Boot. The tech stack is pretty uninspiring and limited.

This was probably one of the best interview processes I've gone through. The whole thing was very transparent from start to finish. The recruiter kept in touch through all the rounds, and the coordinator did a great job getting everyone together for the interviews. It really felt like a two-way street. The PS team and leadership were super responsive to my questions, giving me the roadmap for the product and team growth for this year and next. While most interviews focus on just evaluating the candidate, this one felt like the team was really invested in my success. Unfortunately, due to some things outside my control (mostly on my end), I couldn't take the offer, but leadership still reached out to hear my reasons.

I had 6 interviews over the phone and Zoom with peer directors, HR, and the VP of R&D. It was hard to get a clear picture of the process or what to expect after each stage, so I was just waiting to see who I'd talk to next. After all the interviews, they waited about a week and then told me they were impressed but decided to go with someone else. When I asked for feedback, they said there was nothing wrong, I just 'lost by points' to the other candidate. Funny thing is, the position is still open two months later and they're still hiring. It's frustrating they aren't more transparent with candidates instead of just saying vague things and not giving real feedback.