unico Software Engineer Interview Questions
& Process

The hiring process for Unico's Academy program was incredibly fast. I went from the initial conversation to selection in just two weeks, completing four interviews. This was a stark contrast to other companies where I've waited two months for a response. The role aligned perfectly with my current career stage, where I have a strong academic background but am seeking practical market experience to translate my doctoral research into tangible products and user value. This alignment was a key theme throughout the four conversations: the job presentation, the HR interview, the technical assessment, and the culture discussion. During the job presentation, Unico outlined their needs, which directly matched my doctoral research area. The HR interview clarified the specifics of the Academy program and the company's dynamic nature, which is one of the aspects that attracted me – the constant opportunity for learning. The technical interview focused on the previously mentioned demand, which is precisely what I'm currently working on. Finally, the culture chat was very engaging and ran over the allotted time. A crucial takeaway is that despite being an academic program (Academy), the goal is to contribute to the company's product development. It's not purely R&D with extensive research before any output. Instead, it involves delivering value to customers more rapidly by collaborating closely with engineering and product teams, embodying the agile software development principles. I'm thrilled to have been accepted into the program, and these past two months have been fantastic, filled with immense learning.

I learned about the Unico Academy program through a presentation at my university. The presentation emphasized transparency, and given my background from a top university, I initially trusted their claims. However, the interview process lacked transparency. I started with a recruiter call, which was fine. I then asked several questions about the technical interview. It's a common, unethical practice in Brazil for companies to use technical interviews to get free solutions from candidates. So, I asked about the selection process and the technical test, but the only answer I got was that it would be an 'algorithm test.' This is very vague in computer science. They also didn't provide specifics about the role, saying they would match my profile to their needs. I expressed interest only in data science, but they didn't confirm if I'd be hired for that specific role. They also lack a research department and won't hire you to use master's or doctorate skills, but rather seek a programmer skilled in new AI techniques and frameworks. The whole process felt very opaque. I decided not to proceed with the technical interview because they wouldn't share more details about the selection process, just calling it an 'algorithm test.' I wouldn't recommend this program to my peers.

The whole process took about a month and a half, and I went through 5 interviews in total. First, there was an HR interview with someone from Talent. Then, a technical background interview covering my general technical history. After that, a Technical interview where I had to design a solution on a whiteboard for a system design problem that Unico had already faced and solved. Next was a deep dive interview, focusing on my background, particularly on a relevant project I had worked on, to understand all its requirements, challenges, and my role in it. Finally, a culture interview focused on behavioral aspects, how I handle certain situations. The interviews were good, with experienced professionals who had strong technical knowledge. After the interviews, I received the offer, and the process from the end of the interviews to the offer was quite quick.