SERES Interview Questions
& Process

The interview process consisted of two technical rounds and two behavioral rounds. They were specifically looking for candidates with strong experience in robotics. The technical interviews included coding assessments and discussions about your resume and past experiences, particularly those related to robotics or machine learning. The behavioral interviews focused solely on your resume.

The interview process involved a group discussion followed by one-on-one meetings with various engineers and managers. It was a typical interview, with many questions focusing on my background and resume. I declined the offer because the seniority level offered didn't match my request, even though HR initially seemed to agree and then later disagreed on the job title. This, combined with the HR team's persistent counter-offers that diminished my interest, led me to decline. It felt like negotiating at a bazaar. While the engineering team seemed good, the HR team was a letdown.

I first had a quick 25-minute phone chat where they mainly talked about the company's future. After that, I was told about another phone interview, but then they changed their mind and decided to fly me over from Europe for six short interviews with six different people. It was a bit strange because I felt like I was answering the same questions repeatedly. When I asked them questions, it was clear they weren't happy in their jobs, which was discouraging. A few days later, I returned to present ideas for a challenge I was given. However, my presentation was basically shut down from the start because it wasn't exactly what they expected. In the initial interview, I was told I'd need to start ASAP, within a month, but during this later stage, they said they'd get back to me in 4-5 weeks. This was confusing. Nobody ever got back to me. I sent five emails asking for updates to various people, and it was only 6 weeks after the interview that I received a brief email saying they had hired someone else. My follow-up email asking for feedback was also ignored. While I get that people are busy, I spent 24 hours on planes for this interview process, and I feel it was pretty disrespectful to be treated this way.

I got this job by applying on Linkedin, figuring my resume might get lost. About a month later, I got a call on a Friday. I went in the following Monday to meet the teams I'd be working with, and they offered me the job the very next day, Tuesday. The whole interview thing was pretty chill, really easy, and a bit disorganized. The team's enthusiasm and the chance for me to grow professionally really sealed the deal.