A recruiter reached out via email for an iOS engineering role. After an exploratory call, they scheduled a phone screen. The phone screen involved an iOS-based question with a simple algorithm, which was practical and not overly LeetCode-style – a positive aspect.

The virtual onsite consisted of four interviews:

• A practical iOS coding question where you are provided with an Xcode project and asked to implement features. These are straightforward, typical daily iOS tasks.
• An interview focused on past projects, for which you are asked to prepare some visuals for reference.
• A systems design/architecture interview. You are given mocks for an iOS app and discuss how to implement and design it on the client-side.
• An interview with both a designer and an engineer where they walk you through a Figma spec. You discuss the features, requirements, and technical challenges. This was phrased like a hand-off meeting, simulating the process of receiving a feature to implement. It was quite different from other interviews but engaging once you found your rhythm.

Assuming these interviews go well, two 30-minute cultural/behavioral interviews are then scheduled, as well as an interview with the hiring manager.

Finally, an offer is extended. There was a small window for negotiation, but not extensive. This likely depends on interview performance. While my interviews went well, they weren't outstanding, so I wasn't able to secure significant concessions during negotiations.

Tell me about a technical project you worked on or led.

What technical decisions did you have to make? How did you make those decisions?

What were your responsibilities?