Jellyfish (MA) Interview Questions
& Process

It was a really long interview process, not super hard but definitely lengthy. First, there was a recruiter call that lasted about 10-30 minutes. Then, I had an interview with the hiring manager for 30-45 minutes. After that, I did a 30-45 minute portfolio presentation. Next up was a 30-45 minute behavioral interview with the EPD team (Engineering, Product, Design). Finally, I had a 30-45 minute behavioral interview with the director of engineering and product. I asked the Director of Engineering and Product about their non-negotiable product-level trade-offs. Their response was pretty vague. This makes me think individual contributors might have a lot of freedom in decision-making, but it also could mean they don't have solid processes for managing trade-offs yet. It's potentially a good chance to have influence, but also a red flag that the long-term product vision might not be super clear.

I had a phone screen with the recruiter about my background. She mentioned this was a popular role with a vacancy, and they were looking at many people. She said she'd get back to me in a few days. The interview went well, no issues, and I felt very qualified based on my experience. The recruiter was a bit condescending. She outlined a process that seemed to have 4-5 stages, including a coding assessment. A few days later, I got an email saying they were moving on with a few candidates. The day after my rejection email, I saw the job reposted, indicating they were looking for more candidates, which contradicted what the recruiter said. This makes me think the company might not be serious about hiring, might overlook qualified candidates (or not list all requirements if they need someone super specific), and could waste a lot of your time with interviews if they do proceed.

I got referred by an engineer for the Software Engineering Manager job. After the first interviews with HR and the Hiring Manager, I was told the role was on hold because of money issues, but it might open up later. When I followed up, I had to start the process over, but HR rejected me right after the screening. The Hiring Manager who told me to follow up seems to have ghosted me and is now a social media influencer. The engineering leadership at Jellyfish seems amateurish. I'd avoid it if you care about your engineering career.

It was a four round process, and each stage was about an hour. First, an HR rep did an initial screen to see if I was a good culture fit. Then, the hiring manager did a screen to check my technical skills and acumen. After that, there was a technical screen where I had to solve problems using Python and SQL. Finally, a project review to see how I handle tough questions, present complex stuff, and work with others under pressure.