Performance Software Software Engineer Interview Questions
& Process

Started with a quick 15-minute call with an assistant. Then, a 20-25 minute phone call with the recruiter to go over the job details and an assignment. After that, there was a take-home assignment. The next step was an interview to discuss the take-home assignment. Unfortunately, the interviewer got covid, and I didn't hear back for about two weeks until I followed up. I was then told the positions were filled, which felt like a complete waste of my time since there was no communication keeping me updated.

I was contacted by a recruiter in Arizona, and after a good conversation, we scheduled an in-person interview. The recruiter mentioned I'd have an assignment beforehand, which involved documenting an embedded system design with IEEE-format requirements. This took several hours. On the interview day, I was asked general background questions and had a discussion. They also asked a couple of string manipulation questions involving pointers and one bit shifting question. Towards the end, they elaborated on the position, and I realized it wasn't for me. It seemed to be primarily a documentation role with minimal programming, more aligned with traditional engineering principles rather than modern software development. They didn't even ask about the 4-hour document I prepared, which felt like a waste of time. Despite my disinterest, they never followed up, which speaks volumes about their regard for candidates.

So first, there were two phone interviews where they explained the hiring process. Then I was given a technical project to complete before the in-person interview. As a CS major, the project was a bit challenging and felt slightly outside my expertise, but I really put effort into it, and I think it paid off because I got the offer.