Inkling Interview Questions
& Process

The interview started with a recruiter call, followed by a call with a Solutions Engineer, which I found a bit unusual as I usually interview with the hiring manager first. After passing that stage, I spoke with the hiring manager. Before that conversation, I asked the recruiter about the role's location in the Southeast, given I live in California, and was assured it wouldn't be an issue. However, the hiring manager immediately stated that there's no relocation assistance and the role is indeed in the Southeast. I felt misled by the recruiting team and that my time was wasted. Also, this company was founded in 2009 and has fewer than 100 employees, which makes me question their growth and market fit, feeling like it might be a declining business.

I sent my application to the recruiter and got an email back pretty fast about interview times. The options they gave me weren't far off, maybe a day or two to get ready, but it was nice they were so quick. Maybe it was just the time I went, around lunch, but the office seemed pretty quiet and not many people were around. My interview was in a conference room, which was a bit awkward since I was dressed up a bit and there wasn't a real table, just a low coffee table I had to lean over to write. The person interviewing me was nice and friendly in a quiet way, didn't try to trick me. I felt a bit overdressed, even without a full suit. Didn't get the job, but I can't complain about how they handled it.

The start of the interview process was good. The recruiter was easy to reach and gave solid info. The phone interviews went well, and I moved on to an on-site interview. However, the on-site experience was bad. It became clear the job description didn't match what they actually wanted in a candidate. I got asked about skills totally unrelated to the job description. A couple of the interviewers were condescending, a change from the phone calls. What really did it for me was when a very senior person asked overly personal questions. I have a high tolerance for personal questions, even if they're not typical, but he crossed the line multiple times. They didn't try to sell the company at all – no info on culture, benefits, office tours, etc., which I usually get in final rounds. To top it off, the recruiter made false promises about when I'd hear back. I ended up not getting an offer. I stayed curious about what an offer might be, but I wouldn't have accepted it after feeling disrespected on-site. My advice: be careful if you interview with them.

I found out about Inkling through my fellowship at a publishing house and applied online after hearing from an employee that they loved working there. To my surprise, the next morning, the HR rep called to schedule a phone interview and a skills test. The skills test involved building a website from scratch to exactly match a provided PDF, which I found fun and challenging. After that, I had the phone interview, then I was invited for two in-person interviews with enthusiastic employees. Finally, there was a long series of 4 or 5 interviews that lasted several hours but were interesting and gave me a clear idea of the work and my colleagues. It was a long day with all 4 interviews back-to-back, but I was prepared for it. The last step was an interview with the CEO, which required scheduling in advance, and it was made clear that I'd only get this if they thought I was a good fit. I appreciated the straightforwardness and found it fair, and was thrilled to get to the CEO interview. The CEO interview involved direct discussions about my past jobs and Inkling's mission and goals. I gained significant company insight and enjoyed his perspective. What made it a great experience was that during the week I waited for a decision, my potential supervisor kindly invited me for coffee to discuss any lingering questions. It was one of the most considerate interview processes I've experienced.