Blue River Technology Interview Questions
& Process

So first, there was a quick call with a recruiter about my background and the role. Then, a technical round with the hiring manager to dig more into my experience. After that, a coding round to test my skills. If it went well, I had a virtual onsite with four interviews: one behavioral, two technical, and another coding session to see how I approach problems and work with others. The team was great, really professional and friendly, made me feel comfortable, and showed respect while understanding how I think and work. On the other hand, the recruiter was the total opposite. I had to follow up multiple times for basic answers, and their emails were vague and unhelpful about the interviews. The sample questions were misleading, and they even gave wrong info about the interview format, saying no coding in the onsite when there was. The team was excellent, but the recruiter experience was super frustrating.

The interview process was the typical one. It started with a recruiter phone screen, then an interview with the hiring manager. After that, there was a coding assessment from a team member, followed by a technical interview with another team member. The whole thing took about two and a half months. What was weird is that in the fourth round, the interviewer was from a different team and didn't have any experience in autonomy, only networking and some sensor calibration. He asked me stuff from his background, nothing about autonomy, and then decided I wasn't a good fit. It felt like I was just a backup candidate while they interviewed others who were more of a priority.

So there are four interviews in total. First, an HR interview, then an Engineering Manager interview, followed by a coding interview, and finally a 4 hour virtual onsite. The first two interviews are pretty standard, just checking if your background is a good fit for the role. The coding interview is really to see if you can nail their specific questions. Don't just assume that if you can figure out the solution, it'll be good enough, because it won't be.

First, I had a quick chat with a recruiter to figure out potential roles. Then, I had a phone screen with the hiring manager. After that, it was a ~5 hour "on-site" interview (though it was all virtual because of COVID). The first 30 minutes involved a presentation, followed by several 1:1 interviews. A few days later, I got a verbal offer, followed by a written one. I asked for a tour of the facilities before signing, and they agreed. It was a really great process; everyone was nice and responsive, and the expectations were super clear!