MindGym Interview Questions
& Process

I interviewed with Octavius for an EA position. The initial contact and professionalism were good, but the whole thing was a letdown. It felt like there was an internal or previously associated candidate who was already favored. It’s one thing to compete with someone who’s done the exact same job before, but it would’ve been better to know that upfront. I started with a recruiter call via Fitzgerald (an external agency), then did a detailed test, followed by a one-on-one virtual chat with the current EA. This all took a lot of time and effort. Still, there were hints that the outcome might have been decided already. I then traveled to London for interviews with Octavius, the Executive Chair, and Christoffer, the CEO. I’d been told by the recruiter to look at Christoffer’s LinkedIn (which I already did), but the CEO didn’t show up, and nobody told me he wouldn’t be there beforehand. Since I’m currently between jobs, the travel time and expense made it even more frustrating. My chat with Octavius also felt rushed, happening late on a Monday for about 20 minutes. The difference between what I was told to prepare for and the actual interview made it seem like things weren’t really on the same page. I really liked the company and the people, but it felt like a lot of work went into a process where my chances were slim from the start. If they had been more upfront about the other candidates and clearer about what to expect in the interviews, it would have felt more fair and respectful. The company has a pretty bad Glassdoor score, and experiences like this explain why. They should really think more about candidates’ time, effort, and personal situations.

The interview process for this position consisted of three stages: an initial conversation with an internal recruiter, a one-on-one interview with a director, and a two-hour session that required preparation and presentation of two challenges along with role-play elements. While the first two stages were relatively easy, the last session required significantly more preparation than what was outlined in the instructions. I provided feedback on this issue since I believed that it was underestimated. Nevertheless, the interview process did give me a good idea of what the role would entail. Unfortunately, it did not appeal to me. I was also concerned about the negative reviews on Glassdoor and some feedback shared directly with me by current employees about the work being “messy” and the frequent need to take on other people’s responsibilities. Ultimately, I decided that the role was not for me. Overall, the interviewers were friendly and professional, and the process was well-structured. However, I was disappointed that the company did not acknowledge my decision to withdraw from the process. This lack of acknowledgement came across as unprofessional, especially considering the amount of effort put into the process by both parties.

I got an email from an internal recruiter and scheduled a Zoom call a few days later. The interview started out neutral, but mostly asked how I'd deal with angry clients or put out fires. I asked about the current workload and staffing, and she mentioned they're understaffed. I also asked if upper management was aware and working on solutions, to which she said yes, there's transparency, but no examples. By the end, I felt like a number and got a negative vibe. Glad I didn't get an offer.

The interview journey started with a chat with HR, then moved on to two discussions with different team leads about my general skills and if I'd fit in. The last part was a final assessment that involved giving a presentation, figuring out a solution, doing two mock client calls, and a storytelling task. Honestly, the interviews themselves weren't super hard, but the prep for that final round took a ton of time. My biggest gripes were not getting much time to ask my own questions, having to chase for feedback after the last interview (took ages to hear back), not getting the promised written feedback, and just how much work went into getting ready for the final bit. On the plus side, everyone seemed really nice, and things were handled smoothly and quickly up until the very end.