SAS Interview Questions
& Process

I applied for two roles online. Then I set up a screening call with a recruiter. We realized my skills were broader than the roles offered. The recruiter said they'd connect me with a manager for a role that fit my background. Everything was going well. Then I shared my current salary. I never got that call with the manager. I think the recruiter is a nice guy, but I don't think they were upfront about what they'd pay for my experience level. I know people who worked at SAS and many have left. You hear the same stuff about their cafeteria piano and low pay. My sense is they're worried about AI and other things that can do their job. I think they're probably a decent company, but my experience was bad.

So, first, I got a call from HR and they did a quick phone interview right then, it was about 20 mins. They asked some quick questions on Python, Networking, and Docker to see what I knew. Then, I had two actual interview rounds, both with panels. The first one had two people, and it was like a rapid-fire session with questions on Python, FastAPI, Networking, Linux, and Docker. The second round was with the senior folks, like the people from the onsite team, there were four of them. This one was more of a discussion, with scenario-based questions mixed in. I really liked the vibe, everyone was super positive and encouraging. Unfortunately, I didn't get the job after the second round because I didn't have a networking background, and they ended up hiring someone who did.

Applied for Software Engineer In Test. The recruiters were really bad, very robotic and seemed like they didn't even read my resume. They asked a lot of questions about why I wanted to work at SAS and how much I knew about the company, but didn't give me much info about the actual job. They got annoyed when I asked about the salary range instead of giving my desired salary. Benefits were just described as 'good'. After that, I had a call with the hiring manager and a lead, which was better but still had that 'company hype' feel, and the job description seemed a bit misleading. The recruiter said a panel round would be scheduled soon, but it took a week to even get a request for availability. I gave them wide open slots and mentioned a pending offer to maybe speed things up. Then they told me my slots didn't work and they'd schedule me for a time that did, asking me to be flexible. I withdrew my application because of this poor scheduling and communication. To top it off, they didn't remove me from their system and I still got an email about them finishing interviews and making a decision.

The R&D interview process at SAS is usually in a few parts to see if you're a good fit technically and as a person. First, there's an aptitude test covering logic, math, and English skills. Then, you'll face technical multiple-choice questions on Data Structures & Algorithms, databases, operating systems, object-oriented programming, and basic C/C++/Java, plus some SQL. After that, expect 1 or 2 coding problems, usually medium difficulty, focusing on common areas like arrays, strings, trees, graphs, and recursion. This whole thing is to figure out if you're right for the role.