CoStar Group Software Engineer Interview Questions
& Process

First, there was a recruiter call. Then, a behavior interview with a higher-up engineer where they asked me about myself, why I chose Costar Group and Computer Science, and some resume specific questions. Finally, I had a Power Day at the Irvine Office with behavioral and technical knowledge questions like polymorphism, OOP, sorting algorithms, and overriding vs overloading. I got the offer after the Power Day.

First, a recruiter called me. Then, I had a 60-minute virtual chat with the hiring manager where we talked about my background and experience and some technical questions. I didn't make it past this stage. The following was supposed to happen: A 30-minute virtual pair programming session with senior engineers. Then, an on-site interview that was about 3 hours long. This included a 60-minute meeting with the hiring manager, a 75-90 minute architecture interview with whiteboarding and technical questions, and a 30-minute chat with the VP. I emailed to follow up two weeks after the second interview since I hadn't heard back, and they told me they went with someone else. It's a shame they couldn't bother to inform me themselves.

The initial interview stages were fine, but the in-person interviews felt like an intellectual hazing. It seems like there's some internal turmoil at the company due to their office relocation to cut costs. These companies heavily rely on web traffic, but user interaction with sites is rapidly changing. While things might be stable now, the impending shifts suggest that this stress is trickling down to the teams. Reading 'Programming Interviews Turn Normal People into A-Holes' would be beneficial for those designing interviews; it perfectly describes my experience.