Codat Software Engineer Interview Questions
& Process

I applied directly to Codat and had an interview with them last week. It was a pleasure interview overall, and it took about a week since they are expanding. The first stage involved a conversation with a lead engineer who asked me about HTTP, TCP/IP, and scalability. I got feedback that my answers on HTTP and TCP/IP were correct, but my scalability answer sounded like it was copied from the internet and that I didn't truly understand it. They then decided I wasn't a good fit for a senior level but asked if I'd consider a mid-level role, which was within my expected salary. I proceeded to the final round, which lasted 2.5 hours. The first hour was a pair programming session where I had to build a payment API from a blank Web API template, demonstrating coding and problem-solving skills. I found this fairly easy and used TDD, which they acknowledged positively, noting I produced many lines of code. They mentioned there were no right or wrong answers and encouraged questions, stating they were there to help. Task 1 was successful. However, during Task 2, after writing a test, I realized my code design was flawed and immediately refactored it, making it work correctly with TDD. Despite this, they told me I misunderstood the requirements and made a mistake, even though I corrected it and got it working. This was confusing given their earlier statement about being there to help, and I questioned the criteria and purpose of pair programming when faults are not tolerated during development, suggesting others be wary of this approach. Following that, I had a technical round with an Engineering Manager. She asked about 20 questions in an hour covering C#, Unit Testing, general Testing, CI/CD, and related topics. I felt I answered most questions well, trying to head in the right direction even if I didn't know every answer. I noticed she had a prepared list of questions and seemed to stick to it rigidly, asking questions without follow-ups, which felt like a lazy approach from the interviewer. The feedback given was that I didn't understand Task 2 and didn't start with the right approach, which was disappointing even after I corrected it and made it work. It seemed like they didn't value my coding, communication, or problem-solving skills. They then concluded I wasn't suitable for a mid-level role, implying I was more of a junior, despite my ability to use TDD and answer difficult questions on C#, CI/CD, Testing, and Async. Ultimately, I suspect they didn't want to extend an offer, perhaps due to my salary expectations, and always found a reason to reject candidates.

First, an intro call with talent acquisition to get to know you, your experience, and suitability. Then, a 30-minute call with the Engineering Lead for a similar discussion about you, your experience, and suitability. Lastly, a 2-hour final interview that included a pair programming exercise and a technical chat.

First, there was an intro interview, which was nice. Then, I completed an online technical test. After that, I had an interview with one of the team leads. The whole experience was good, and they seem to foster an inclusive and collaborative culture, with lots of positive feedback and training opportunities.