Ontra Software Engineer 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.

We'll start with an intro to see if you're a culture fit and go over the role. Then, there's a technical coding part where you'll solve problems and show your skills. After that, a technical architecture discussion to see how you think and your experience. We'll also have interdepartmental chats for culture fit and to discuss your experiences. Departmental chats will also be about culture fit and values. Finally, a wrap-up for any last questions.

The whole process was really quick, took about 3 weeks total. Started with an HR call, then talked to the hiring team for behavioral and coding questions. Finally, there was an onsite with four different parts: a cross-departmental chat, a coding challenge, a talk with the department, and a meeting with the hiring manager.