After an initial screening by HR and a remote interview, I was admitted to the final stage of five on-site interviews. Company recruiters send a list of books and papers to prepare on.
For questions / answers asked, see below.
My interview didn’t go very well, there were two problems, one per side:
First: interviewers were very courteous, but the situation was unlike expectations. I had prepared for a set of 5 interviews on specific subjects, similar to a university or certification exam, and interviewers started asking questions with no mention of what it was about. To me it was disorienting.
In this informal, unstructured context, I made the mistake to try to answer questions casually, always addressing interviewers, without pausing to gather my thoughts on a notepad. I turned out to be verbose and lengthy, covering some questions partially. I didn’t do enough analysis before starting to talk. Don’t be afraid to stop and concentrate in the midst of the interview.
Second: The feedback I received of the interview was so inaccurate that it seemed about an imaginary person, not me. Some interviewers stated I wouldn’t be able to work without support from others and that I didn't care about users. In real life I'm doing exactly the opposite, every day. So?
I think a 45-minute interview is enough to convey an idea of a person. I welcome objective comments about my performance, but these stereotyped negative characterizations seem to be the perfect thing to say when an interviewer wants to get rid of a candidate, making sure they never get an offer.
All in all, the final stage was an uneven experience. Very well organised, but neither me nor the interviewers came out at our best.
Preparing for the on-site interviews takes time. Even if it’s flattering when a recruiter contacts you, I’d advise anyone who doesn’t fit company stereotypes to think about it. You may be better off investing your time differently.
