Katkat

real interview stories, told over a cup of tea ♡

Interview Experiences

3935 interview stories from candidates at 857 companies: how each round went, what was asked and how it ended. Every company page links to practice questions in the same style.

3935
Experiences
857
Companies
532
Offers

3935 results

  • Technical Phone Screen on an In-Memory Rate LimiterPatreon · Software Engineer · Technical Screen · Jul 2026

    The question was the rate limit one. You need to use an in-memory rate limiter to protect an API endpoint. The rate limiter is initialized with a value that represents the maximum number of requests allowed per second. Every time a request hits the API endpoint, it first asks the rate limiter whether there is still capacity to handle the request, and the rate limiter decides based on that whether…

  • Technical Screen on Designing a P2P Model DownloaderAnthropic · Software Engineer · Technical Screen · Jul 2026
    In progress

    The question was about downloading a model. It went so-so, even though the question itself was actually the simplest version of it. The main issue was that download and upload shared a 10Gbps bandwidth cap — not sure if the interviewer just picked that number randomly. The main problem was that early on I spent a lot of time performing — working through and explaining the optimal algorithm. I'd a…

  • Teledyne Technologies Software Engineer interview: C++ and SLAM questionsTeledyne Technologies · Software Engineer · HR Screen · Jul 2026

    I started with an HR round of about 15 minutes. Soon after, I had a technical interview with a technical leader, focused on C++ coding and problem-solving around vision. The technical discussion covered SLAM, including bundle adjustment, filtering, and state estimation. It felt like they wanted to know whether I could connect the parts of a pipeline, not just answer isolated trivia. The content m…

  • Teledyne Technologies Systems Engineer interview: an intimidating first impressionTeledyne Technologies · Systems Engineer · Other · Jul 2026

    From the start, I wondered whether I was the kind of candidate they wanted. The hiring manager's tone felt intimidating, and I began second-guessing my answers during the conversation. I expected the process might stop there, so I was surprised when they invited me to a second interview. I had to put the first conversation behind me and continue. The difficulty itself was average. What stood out…

  • Telefónica Software Engineer interview: mobile architecture and offerTelefónica · Software Engineer · Technical Screen · Jul 2026
    Offer

    After I sent my CV, they called to ask about my experience and studies. I then went to a personal interview at the office. They told me there that I had been selected, so I did not have to wait or chase an answer. That part was quick and direct. In another part of the process, I first had an introductory interview, then an aptitude check and an English test. I later met the team to discuss the ro…

  • TELUS Digital - Account Executive interview: concerns about fairnessTELUS Digital - · Account Executive · Jul 2026

    I did not find the process fair, and I left discouraged. I felt I was not given the same opportunity to show my skills and experience as other candidates, which made the experience feel uneven. As the interview progressed, I got the impression that I was being treated differently. That changed how I felt during it. Instead of feeling able to present my strengths clearly, I kept wondering whether…

  • Temu Phone Screens with Spiral Matrix and Sliding Window, RejectedPinduoduo · Software Engineer · Technical Screen · Jul 2026
    Rejected

    Sharing my Temu interview experience. First phone screen round (coding): The problem was printing a 2D matrix in spiral order. Part one: given an m x n matrix, print all the values in a spiral (clockwise, from the outside in). Follow-up: the matrix has blockers, and whenever you hit a blocker you turn clockwise (turn right). What is the output order? Second round: Coding problem: given a string,…

  • Teoresi S.p.A. Software Engineer interview: transparent recruitment processTeoresi S.p.A. · Software Engineer · HR Screen · Jul 2026
    Withdrew

    After initial recruiting contact, I had a phone HR conversation and then an online technical interview on Microsoft Teams. The process seemed orderly and well organized. People were punctual, professional, and willing to clarify questions about the role. Early on, they were trying to understand whether I had the basics for the job and how my experience fit the work. The technical discussion was g…

  • Tesla Software Engineer interviewTesla · Software Engineer · Technical Screen · Jul 2026

    Two technical managers interviewed me, and the conversation became intense right away. They asked about my motivation as well as technical and behavioral topics. One technical question concerned a motor module and required more rigor than I expected. The behavioral questions asked how I would handle production-engineering difficulties, when problems stack up and work still has to ship. I found th…

  • Tesla Software Engineer interview: algorithms, behavior, and system designTesla · Software Engineer · Technical Screen · Jul 2026
    Offer

    After a phone recruiter screen, I had two Tesla rounds. The first was LeetCode-style and focused on algorithms and problem solving. The interviewer cared about whether I could reason through the problem end to end, not simply arrive at an answer. The second round mixed behavioral questions and system design. We discussed how I work, how I would architect a scalable solution, and how I think about…

  • Tesla Software Engineer interview: Python and RAG depthTesla · Software Engineer · Other · Jul 2026

    After a recruiter call, my profile moved forward to two technical interviews. The role was associated with Python, RAG, and AI, and the interviews seemed designed to find out whether my experience could support that knowledge. Surface familiarity was not enough. I had to give concrete reasoning grounded in what I had done, and the very difficult format demanded that I demonstrate understanding qu…

  • Tesla Software Engineer interview: resume detail and controls fundamentalsTesla · Software Engineer · Technical Screen · Jul 2026

    Most of the interview started as a resume overview, then became technically detailed. The interviewer repeatedly returned to what I had written and asked me to explain it, as if they were checking that I understood the details rather than merely listing them. The technical questions covered PID and closed-loop control systems, including sensors. The hardest part was connecting those fundamentals…

  • The technical interview felt jarring from the start. The interviewer was not very conversational and moved quickly from questions about my resume into transient heat transfer. They first asked for specific details from what I had written, then gave the heat-transfer question in a way that felt rushed. I was trying to catch up with the pace and tone instead of settling into a normal problem-solvin…

  • Tesla Software Engineer ML coding interviewTesla · Software Engineer · Technical Screen · Jul 2026

    My first real technical step was an ML coding interview. I had to implement a standard machine-learning algorithm with numpy and explain core ML fundamentals. The prompt was not obscure, but its details were tricky enough to test whether I understood basics rather than only buzzwords. It felt easy overall because the subject was fundamental and the scope was clear. Still, I had to be precise with…

  • Texas Instruments Software Engineer interview: Webex HR and technical screenTexas Instruments · Software Engineer · HR Screen · Jul 2026

    I interviewed with Texas Instruments online over Webex. It was a compact two-step process: an HR screen followed by a technical interview with staff. Before we started, I had to share my screen with my resume and introduce myself from it. The screening and follow-up covered personality-style and technical questions. The whole process lasted about 30 minutes. It was my first real job interview, an…

  • Thales Software Engineer interview: Noida OA to next-day college interviewsThales · Software Engineer · Online Assessment · Jul 2026

    I was first shortlisted after an online assessment in a college setting in Noida. The assessment had 25 multiple-choice questions on CS fundamentals and aptitude, and I also worked through DSA questions on HackerEarth to reach the interview stage. The next day, I went to face-to-face interviews at the same college location. After the assessment, the day moved quickly into the interview portion. T…

  • The Blackstone Group Financial Analyst interview: short HireVueThe Blackstone Group · Financial Analyst · Online Assessment · Jul 2026
    Rejected

    After I applied, things moved quickly to a HireVue. The recordings were short, about 20 minutes, with only a few prompts. I finished early and wondered whether I had overprepared, because the questions felt like standard fit checks rather than intimidating ones. They asked why the firm, why I fit the program, and about my background and relevant experience. There was an earlier assessment compone…

  • My first step was digital business-case material under tight time limits. It felt less like a conversation and more like targeted skills testing, with little room to show every nuance of my reasoning. I then had in-person case interviews in a pass-then-advance structure: two back-to-back case studies of about 45 minutes each, followed by another two 45-minute cases if I passed. Time management ma…

  • The Boston Consulting Group Consultant interview: constructive casesThe Boston Consulting Group · Consultant · Other · Jul 2026

    The interview was smoother and a little quicker than I expected from consulting loops. I built a response to the case problem without major breakdowns and then spoke with a high-level manager. It was presented as feasible with preparation. Elsewhere in my process, the interviewers were approachable and open to discussion. The cases were challenging but suited the work I was applying for, and the…

  • The Boston Consulting Group Data Scientist Interview Experience: data science under case pressureThe Boston Consulting Group · Data Scientist · HR Screen · Jul 2026

    After HR screening and a basic coding or data-science test, I went through multiple technical cases: two earlier cases and two more in a heavier final stage. Staying sharp across the repeated case interviews was the hard part. The role mixed consulting-style communication with data-science execution. I needed PEI-style communication and an MBB business case, but had to apply data science rather t…

  • The Depository Trust & Clearing Corporation (Dtcc) Business Analyst interviewThe Depository Trust & Clearing Corporation (Dtcc) · Business Analyst · Jul 2026
    No response

    After a recruiter phone screen, I spoke with the hiring manager. Those conversations felt normal, and I expected to hear something soon after. Instead, the process turned into frustrating silence. The recruiter stopped responding to requests for updates, and more than a month passed after the final interview without a meaningful response. The earlier steps had felt fine, but the lack of follow-up…

  • No response

    I ran into a bad side of the process: missing responses and cancellations without notice. In one stage, the manager interview was canceled without warning, and there was no response until I reached out. I also had conversations where I waited afterward and then simply heard nothing, as if they had stopped contacting me. In another stage, the recruiter seemed transparent at first and promised feed…

  • The Home Depot Account Executive interview: quick hire and orientationThe Home Depot · Account Executive · Jul 2026
    Offer

    After I applied, the process moved fast and felt almost too straightforward. The interview included a department walk-through and an explanation of the day-to-day role. The atmosphere was relaxed and low-pressure, with basic questions about clear communication, schedule fit, and simple customer-service situations. I was scheduled for orientation about two weeks later, with training included. It t…

  • the LEGO Group Software Engineer interviewthe LEGO Group · Software Engineer · Technical Screen · Jul 2026
    Offer

    After I applied, the interviewer explained the role and asked about my current work. The rest was light and conversational, mostly a couple of phone or Zoom interviews about my background and how the work would fit. For a software-engineering process, it felt unusually smooth. Being able to speak clearly about my experience and how I work was enough to carry the conversations. Nothing dragged or…

  • The Realreal Account Executive interview: role play and sales feedbackThe Realreal · Account Executive · Technical Screen · Jul 2026

    After speaking with the recruiter, I had a video interview with two team members that lasted about three quarters of an hour. They explained what the role expected, discussed my sales background and how I would approach the job, and left room for my questions. It was structured without feeling hostile, and I had time to think through my answers. Some conversations went into how quickly I would ra…

  • The Reynolds And Reynolds Account Executive ghosting experienceThe Reynolds And Reynolds · Account Executive · Jul 2026
    No response

    The process took longer than I expected, and the lack of momentum was the hardest part. Early conversations were about background and fit, but some interviews felt scripted, as if the interviewer was tracking their own responses more than engaging with mine. I still answered fully and tried to make my story coherent. After recruiter and later rounds, there was a lot of silence. Emails requested d…

  • The Reynolds And Reynolds Software Engineer interview: assessments and rejectionThe Reynolds And Reynolds · Software Engineer · Online Assessment · Jul 2026
    Rejected

    I applied online and then completed a Wonderlic-based pre-screen and personality questions. An HR interview followed and was pleasant, straightforward, and easy to talk through. Across attempts, the early steps varied a little. In one, a recruiter explained that a director would review my profile after an aptitude/personality test, then I received an email saying I would not continue. In another,…

  • After applying, I had a recruiter phone screen about my background and how my sales experience would translate to the role. The questions were standard: why I wanted the job, how I would help customers, and how I handled objections or difficult situations. There was strong emphasis on confidence, being self-starting, and giving a detailed example of pushing past a customer objection and how the s…

  • The University of Pennsylvania Research Analyst interview: presentation dayThe University of Pennsylvania · Research Analyst · Other · Jul 2026
    Offer

    After recruiter-style outreach, I had a full-day interview with people from the department and institute. Before the day, I had a prep call that let me meet people in advance. On the day itself, I spoke with several potential colleagues. I gave a presentation on my previous research experience. The other conversations stayed grounded in that background and how it related to the group's work. It w…

  • About a week after applying, I had a recruiter screen with two resume-related questions and little useful role detail beyond the posting. A week later I supplied availability for a hiring-manager round about two weeks away. Scheduling then became difficult. None of my offered times worked, and I was asked to fit the interviewer's availability. The technical content also mismatched the stated job:…