Cision Software Engineer Interview Questions
& Process

It was a really long interview process. First, I had a phone interview, then an onsite. After the onsite, I had another interview with Senior Management. They got back to me after 4-6 weeks with no offer.

First, a Skype interview with two Engineering Managers from different offices. One manager only dialed in by phone, the other turned off video early. The interview was laid-back and not too technical, focused on initial fit and high-level abilities. Second, a take-home coding challenge with no time limit, which could take one to two days to complete if aiming to impress. Third, a two-hour Skype interview expected to be with the hiring Engineering Manager, but it became a panel of five: the original two managers and three developers from both offices. They did a live coding exercise and presented thought-provoking problems. They seemed to prefer candidates with ready-made solutions rather than those who would research and understand needs and options first. They also disliked ambiguity, wanting a definitive architecture/solution immediately. Overall, a positive experience with pleasant and respectful people. Pro tip: highlight your role as the driving force behind technical decisions.

It was a pretty standard interview process. I talked with the director and two senior software engineers. The engineers asked some pretty detailed, maybe even slightly granular, technical questions, but nothing too crazy. The director, Waroon, was very laid-back and skilled at guiding the conversation to assess the candidate well. The interview involved technical questions and discussions about system design and the candidate's process.