Ontra Interview Questions
& Process

My first interview was a challenging coding round where I had to build a unit conversion tool. I thought it was pretty straightforward and I nailed it. Then they asked for a more general solution for different metrics, and I figured using an object would be best since there aren't many, and it's super fast. The interviewer didn't really react. He also mentioned he got promoted to engineering manager just because the last person on his team left and he was the only one left. That felt like a bit of a red flag, promotions shouldn't just be about being the last one standing, right? Plus, he seemed to lack experience interviewing engineers and was pretty disengaged throughout. Getting a rejection email the next day was a surprise. Honestly, I feel like my time was just wasted.

I actually liked meeting everyone I interviewed with, the process was pretty long though and I was hoping it would work out differently, but I do appreciate them being upfront about everything. They ended up deciding to hold off on the position until next year. They were really good at letting me know what to expect and what the next steps were throughout. It started with HR, then the hiring manager, followed by a practical interview with the hiring manager and a coworker, and finally, a values-based interview with another manager on the team, wrapping up with the hiring manager again.

I had a phone screen with the recruiter which was thorough and friendly. Then, I had a 1st interview with the hiring manager, and it seemed to go well. They told me about a potential assignment for the second round. After the interview, the recruiter let me know I'd move on and sent over a detailed assignment to create an employer brand communications strategy for a fictional company, which I'd present in the next round. I spent about 18 hours over three days on this project. I submitted it more than 24 hours before the scheduled interview. However, two hours before my 10 am interview on Wednesday, June 11, I got an email stating they had to cancel all remaining interviews because they'd already extended an offer to another candidate. They regretted I wouldn't get to present my work, but acknowledged the effort and my strong qualifications. They kept my work even though I didn't get to present it. This was unprofessional.

I went through 5 rounds with Ontra and was incredibly impressed by the professionalism, organization, and entire process. After a phone screening with the recruiter, I had an hour-long interview with the hiring manager. She was prepared with questions, asking about my technical skills as well as how I work collaboratively. I then moved onto a project round where I was tasked with creating a Digital Marketing plan and then I presented it to the hiring manager and head of Marketing Ops. They asked fantastic questions throughout and that is the round where I knew this is where I wanted to land. That presentation round was then followed by 3 team interviews.