Center for Open Science Software Engineer Interview Questions
& Process

The interview process was pretty straightforward. First, there was a quick 10-minute introductory call, followed by a technical screen. During the tech screen, we talked about some basic coding concepts and my past experience. The person interviewing me was friendly and seemed focused on whether I'd fit the company culture. They also gave me a good amount of information about how the company works and what the day-to-day job is like.

A recruiter from the company visited my school, and I was really inspired by their mission. I applied through an online submission link. Soon after, I was contacted about moving forward to a phone interview. I spoke with a current software engineer, discussing my projects and technical background. There were no technical questions, but many 'soft' questions required detailed answers. At the end of the call, I was told I'd be interviewed by someone else in a few weeks, after which a decision would be made. Around this time, I received an internship offer from another company with a deadline, which I accepted. A few days later, I was informed I'd be offered an internship here if I submitted references. I was very interested in working for COS, but the timing didn't work out. I hope to work with them in the future!

I applied via the career fair and heard back about two weeks later for a quick 15-minute phone screening. After that, I had a 45-minute chat with a developer. It was pretty laid-back, no real technical stuff, mostly just talking about my background and what I've done. Since it's a startup, they seem pretty flexible with hiring.