ClassLink Interview Questions
& Process

Got a call the day after applying, set up an in-person with the Director/CTO for the next week. Showed up and two other devs were supposed to interview me, but they didn't know I was coming. It got pretty informal and unprofessional after that. They went through my resume word-for-word, asking about stuff on it. Then they gave me a coding question from a regular site, about 20 mins to do it. It was simple, but they just chatted with each other the whole time like I wasn't there. Found out they didn't have space for more devs, which was a clear sign I didn't want to work there. I didn't nail the interview, but honestly, it was one of the most unprofessional logistics-wise I've been through.

I had an initial 30-minute phone call with a recruiter. Although I was excited to talk about the role, the interview left me feeling negative about the company. The recruiter questioned my ability to balance finishing my degree as a part-time student with working full-time. I felt my capabilities were doubted, and I spent most of the time defending my choice to study while working, which many people do with flexible online programs. It felt unfair that my skills and expertise weren't the focus, and instead, personal biases and comments like 'I just can't wrap my head around how you would be able to do all of this and work for us' were made. My chance to ask questions felt rushed and dismissed because so much time was spent on this. If a company judges candidates based on how they use their free time to improve themselves, I'd rather not work there. It's important for recruiters to remember that in 2023, many people juggle work and flexible education, and old-fashioned recruiting practices should be updated.

I talked to Classlink in Jan 2024 for a job. It was for a technical role and had 3 rounds. The first was with a recruiter, which went well. Then I met some developers, and that interview was great. They seemed really interested in someone with my experience and maturity joining the team. The last interview was with the CTO, Stanley. I was a bit nervous but also excited. Stanley has been CTO for over 20 years and only worked there, which made me curious, though it can be a red flag for me. The video interview started off bad. Stanley clearly wanted to interrogate me and expected me to have all the right answers without him preparing. He was reading my resume as we talked. I was hoping for a senior-level discussion where we could ask questions and explore solutions together, but he gave very short answers to my questions about the job's challenges. He seemed to not trust my profile that shows I've helped millions of people. Things got worse when I found out the previous person in this role was fired by Stanley for arguing too much. I also learned they have a really high QA to developer ratio, suggesting big technical debt and bad development practices under Stanley. To top it off, Stanley wanted me to do an abstract puzzle homework assignment, another red flag for a senior role. I ended up declining the offer because I've seen these dysfunctional patterns before. Classlink might be okay for new grads, but not for experienced people. They keep having the same jobs open month after month, which also points to a dysfunctional organization with poor leadership.

Came on site for interviews. Had three parts: first, a meeting where they asked about my resume and gave me a programming question to do on a laptop with an hour to finish. After that, I met with a manager one-on-one. He reviewed my resume and talked about the company.