Code42 Interview Questions
& Process

I applied online and was picked for a quick 30-minute phone chat with the recruiter. Like others mentioned, it started with getting to know me and talking about the company, then moved into some technical questions. After that, the recruiter sent an open-book test via email. This test was all about checking my technical writing and how well I could explain complex tech stuff to regular people. Then, I had an in-person interview with three different groups, about 30 minutes each. The first group was managers assessing cultural fit, talking about the company's young, vibrant, and supportive vibe. This was where I learned a lot about the company and the role. The second group was technical leads who wanted to gauge my technical skills and problem-solving approach. They gave me a scenario: an FTP server was down, and a client urgently needed files. My job was to figure out the issue, propose a theory, and they'd tell me if it worked. They said it was a zero-sum thing, but they seemed impressed I could narrow down issues they hadn't considered. The problem turned out to be a down shared disk on the FTP server – a simple fix, but it showed how tough diagnosis can be with limited info. The last group, more managers, was the most awkward. They asked why I wanted to work at Code42 and why I wanted a support role. The main interviewer seemed more interested in his laptop than me, which was a bit concerning. It felt like it went against the company's image and that he'd already made up his mind. He asked few questions and struggled to answer mine. That was the only part where I felt nervous. Overall, it was a good process. I'm bummed I didn't get the job, but besides that last interview, I felt like a sure thing, and my work history supports that. I hope I was just beaten by a slightly better candidate and they might contact me again.

First, I did an 8-hour coding exercise where I built a single-page app using 3rd party APIs. I wanted to make it look good, so I spent a lot of time polishing it. Then, I had a half-day, 3-part in-person interview. It started with a quick chat with an engineering manager from another team, which felt a bit pointless and I didn't feel like she asked great questions about me. Next, I met with a panel of 3 engineers who would be working on the team. It was a bit of a red flag that they had all been there less than 3 months, and they mentioned a lot of company churn and issues with migrating software. Still, the conversation was good, and I felt like I could work with them and learn from each other. Finally, I spoke with the CTO, who was pretty stand-offish. He mostly talked about timing his own joining the company and didn't seem focused on long-term value. I suspected they might have already had someone in mind. I thought I had a decent chance of getting a follow-up or an offer, but they never responded. I emailed the recruiter multiple times with no reply, which shocked me, especially coming from a Minneapolis company where I expected people to be nice. In my career, I've never had an interview where they didn't follow up. It's a shame if that's how they treat candidates.

I applied online and heard back from the recruiter. We did a phone interview, and then I was asked to come in person to meet the hiring manager. I took time off work for this 45-minute meeting, which was basically a quick review of my resume. He mentioned I'd be invited back for a more detailed interview, but I never heard from them again. I emailed both the recruiter and hiring manager with no reply, and called and texted them, leaving messages too. Still, not a word, not even a notification that they were moving on with other candidates. I get not being a good fit, but the unprofessional behavior from HR and hiring managers is baffling. If this is how they operate, why would anyone want to work there?

Had an initial phone interview. Then went through multiple in-person interviews, including ones with people I'd be working with. There was also a writing assignment to show my skills. The questions in the interview were good, but the writing assignment was confusing about what they wanted and seemed pointless since I already gave them my portfolio.