Fundrise Interview Questions
& Process

I had about 7 hours of interviews. They went over my resume in detail, looking back many years. They threw in a simple, impromptu coding question. I was grilled on many architect-level questions, similar to what you'd see on the AWS Solutions Architect and Docker certification exams. They're really looking for someone with professional-level Docker and AWS certifications, but they didn't mention this in the job description. This might cause them to overlook good candidates who could actually do the job better than someone who just memorized exam answers.

There were a few rounds where I spoke with different groups. They asked a lot of questions without giving me much time to learn about the company. One interviewer seemed to be texting coworkers, even trying to hide his laughter, which made me feel like they didn't respect the candidates or the process. They also didn't seem very interested in getting to know me. Another person repeatedly said 'this is my last question' about four times. I was initially excited to meet the team, but after the interview, I felt it wasn't the right fit and I wouldn't enjoy working there.

The interview process kicked off with a phone screen that lasted for an hour. During this call, the interviewer inquired about my background, my motivations for applying to this specific role, and my reasons for seeking a new job opportunity. I also took the chance to ask several questions to better understand the expectations for the position. Following the phone screen, the next step involved a take-home project. This part of the process felt like a negative experience for me as a candidate due to the vague project requirements, making it unclear what was being assessed. The project focused on two weeks of Google Adwords data, requiring me to prepare a presentation to convince top executives about what aspects of the data were performing well and which were not. I received no further clarification on their specific interests. When I attempted to ask clarifying questions about the analysis task's objective, I was told I needed to make my own assumptions and demonstrate my approach. I did my best with the limited two-week data set, conducting an in-depth analysis that highlighted data relationships based on my understanding of Google advertising from an entry-level perspective. The task was also confusing because the interviewer in the phone screen had described the role as focused on data analysis for enhancing user experience, rather than for advertising goals. However, I initially overlooked this discrepancy, assuming they were testing general analytical skills. My submission showcased my programming and statistical abilities for data analysis, but the lack of information regarding their specific business/marketing objectives and how to target them with the project left me feeling constrained as an analyst. Understanding the audience is critical for effective data analysis, and I was not provided with any context about Fundrise's marketing strategies or specific questions my work could address. If a project assessment is to be used, I strongly suggest posing specific questions answerable by the data, allowing candidates to demonstrate data extraction, manipulation, and visualization skills. If multiple candidates meet this standard, further differentiation can be achieved through a final interview or follow-up questions. Otherwise, the current approach is unclear and demotivating, especially after investing significant effort into an open-ended project with minimal guidance on expectations. It is unfair to candidates to provide such limited project requirements without indicating assessment criteria or the types of responses that would be convincing for their specific needs and use cases.

There were 4 interviews in total and an assessment. Started with a 30 minute call with the recruiter, then 2 45 minute interviews with team leadership, and a final interview with the director. The recruiter kept in touch until after the final interview, but then stopped responding to emails asking for feedback, which was weird since I thought I was a good fit. Anyway, I'm fine with it because it wasn't meant to be. Hope this helps future applicants. You should read up on Investor Relations beforehand, there are some risks.