The interview process began with a video-less Zoom call where basic questions about my work history were asked, followed by a coding test. Communication during the coding test was somewhat off-putting. The interviewer went to bed when I woke up, meaning any questions I had would require a 24-hour wait for a response.

The coding test itself wasn't a significant challenge. However, there was a task that I was docked for, with the claim that I didn't complete it. Upon reviewing the task, it became clear they asked for an explanation of how to resolve it, not its completion. Essentially, I was penalized for understanding the task as described.

I also apparently "repurposed an exploit" that they expected me to resolve. I reviewed my code multiple times and verified with another developer that my final submission contained no security vulnerabilities, and I had resolved the ones relevant to the challenge. I have no idea what they were looking for there. I asked if they would kindly explain, but I have to wait 24 hours for a response.

Overall, it was a pleasant experience. Everyone was very nice to talk to. It was just extremely disappointing to wake up to their decision not to move forward after investing 16 hours into coding, only to be graded on expectations that were not clearly outlined in the tasks.

I'm a huge Automattic fan, but I'm unsure if I would apply again. This experience was very discouraging.

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