NewsCred Interview Questions
& Process

We started with a recruiter call, which was non-technical, mostly to get to know each other. Next up was a technical interview where I had an hour to build a basic hotel booking system. They then grilled me on my code and my general approach, plus I had to solve some coding problems and talk about the algorithms and their time complexities. The final round involved meeting the VP of Engineering and other engineering leaders. We talked about my current role, and they threw some abstract system design and OOP questions at me, along with design pattern queries. It was the last technical part, but sadly I didn't get the offer. Still, it was a good learning experience overall.

I applied online after seeing good things about the company's business and work culture. A few days later, HR called me, a bit late, and we talked about my resume and why I wanted this job. The call was short, like 10 minutes, and felt rushed. We ended on a good note. Then, a week later, I got an email saying they weren't moving forward with my application. I replied thanking them. But then, the next day, I got another email from a different HR person at NewsCred saying they wanted to continue with my application and invited me for an in-person interview at their NY office. I was confused but didn't want to miss out, so I replied. The office was great, spacious and well-laid out. Even without a reception due to renovations, employees helped me out. The HR interview was standard stuff: resume questions, company knowledge, strengths/weaknesses. They also brought in a software engineer on the spot who hadn't seen my resume. He asked basic questions about my past work, tech skills, and programming ability. I felt the interview went well, and we finished on good terms. I waited two weeks for a response about the next round. When I didn't hear back, I followed up a week later and was told they found a candidate and filled the position. That was it.

Josh from the company reached out on LinkedIn about a potential role match. We had a 15-minute call to discuss the job and set expectations. Then, I had two phone calls with the hiring manager who explained her methodology and expectations. After that, I had an in-person interview with 5 people. The interviews themselves were fine, but the interviewers seemed unsure about the role's focus (client-facing vs. non-client-facing). I was then asked for references to speed things up, but then went silent. It was frustrating because I liked everyone involved, but there was a lack of follow-through. They kept me updated with occasional emails from Josh saying they were still deciding and interviewing others. Ultimately, I withdrew my application.

A recruiter hit me up on LinkedIn and we scheduled a phone call. After that, I chatted with the design lead via video, which felt like it went really well. The next step was an in-person meeting at their NYC HQ with four people. I felt good about it, though the design director did ask for a short design exercise for the next phase. However, the head of product rushed the end of the interview. The day after, I got a standard form email saying I wasn't selected, which seemed kinda weird and sudden.