Semrush Interview Questions
& Process

The first interview was with Brad Hohman from the Expansion sales team, and he really set the tone for the entire process. He was incredibly communicative, transparent, and quick to follow up, which made a huge difference as a candidate. He kept me updated after each step and helped reduce the usual uncertainty between interviews by sharing where things stood along the way. The process felt very human and supportive, and it was clear that Brad genuinely cared about the candidate experience. Even if things hadn’t worked out, I would have walked away with a very positive impression. He’s exactly the kind of recruiter you want representing a company.

First, there was a Recruiter Call where we chatted about my background, what the job is all about, what they expect, and also practical stuff like salary and when I can start. Then, a Technical Interview happened, which was all about my coding chops, how I solve problems, and if my experience lines up. This might have included live coding, designing systems, or looking at code. Lastly, I had a Team & Manager Interview with the folks I'd be working with and the boss, to see if I'd fit in, how I work with others, and how I tackle real problems. It was also my chance to ask them about the team and the job.

I went through a 3-stage interview for a remote training and enablement position at SEMrush. It kicked off with an HR screening, followed by a talk with the hiring manager, and then a panel interview with sales leadership and training staff. While the remote aspect was nice, the vibe felt off, maybe the team dynamic or culture? It's hard to say exactly why. I wasn't as excited as I usually would be if it were a good mutual fit. Plus, the pay seemed low for the strategic ownership and responsibilities they were talking about, definitely felt under-leveled compared to market rates. The last interview required a 90-minute strategic plan on improving their enablement, which they wanted in advance and kept afterward. That felt like a lot of deep work to do before even joining or having context. During the panel, they asked super specific "when did you do X" questions. For a role focused on consulting and enablement, I leaned more into strategic and adaptable answers, emphasizing that training isn't one-size-fits-all and needs discovery. I also asked questions, which is normal for advisory work. The whole thing showed me interviews should be two-way street and compensation needs to match the job. In the end, I knew it wasn't the right fit for my values or expectations, which was helpful clarity.

The interview process was mostly good. It started with a short chat with HR, followed by a technical part, and then a final meeting with the team. My main issue was that after each stage, I usually had to follow up myself. It took 11 working days to get an update after the final interview, which made me feel overlooked and disrespected. During the initial HR talk, they also mentioned another role, Site Reliability Engineer (SRE Team), with similar skills but different duties. I said I'd consider it if I didn't get the Cloud Engineer role, but HR didn't seem interested, and I never heard back, leaving me wondering if I was forgotten. I later saw the SRE position is still open on the website.