Watermark Interview Questions
& Process

I found this job on Naukri and they called me to schedule an interview. They asked if I had Java and React experience. I said I have 2 years of Java experience and have learned React in college and made projects with it. The interview lasted an hour and they asked me Java and SQL questions, along with some small coding questions. I got all of them right. They also asked what the company does, but I wasn't sure because the interview was scheduled late the night before and I was busy preparing. They didn't seem to like that I didn't know about the company. I didn't hear back and after calling for feedback, HR said I was rejected for not having React experience, which is strange because they didn't ask me any React questions during the interview. It felt like a waste of my time.

I applied via a LinkedIn notification. Initially, there was an aptitude test with logic and reasoning programming questions. After a 30-minute wait for the results, they let us know who got selected for the interview.

The interview process was transparent and welcoming. I met with a recruiter, then the hiring manager, and last the product team. The portfolio review process at the end of the interview stage was a good experience. I also had the opportunity to ask about the team and how they work, which provided insight into the day-to-day work.

I had an initial recruiter call that went well, followed by a positive interview with the hiring manager. Then, I was asked to do a mock presentation for the hiring manager, CRO, and another sales team member. I put a lot of effort into preparing for it. I thought it went really well and got good feedback afterwards. A few days later, the recruiter told me they weren't moving forward and were making an offer to someone else with more recent Higher Ed experience. Even though I have over 16 years in Higher Ed, it's been a few years since I was actively in that sector, having worked in the private sector and with the federal government. The main takeaway is that before investing significant time in presentations, I need to clarify any potential concerns or red flags. Maybe the lack of Higher Ed experience was just a cover for something else. Next time, I'll be sure to ask the hiring decision-makers directly where I stand in the running if I nail the presentation.