Interviewing with Square was the longest, most frustrating process I've had with any company. As other reviewers have mentioned, you sign an NDA when you make it past the chat with the recruiter, so I'm keeping this intentionally vague.

But be prepared to take a day of PTO, if you are currently employed, to be scrutinized while they look for a reason to reject you.

Most of the feedback I received throughout the process was positive. I had one coding interview that I struggled with a bit, which, notably, I did solve, but not in the way the interviewer was expecting. That particular interview was rather uncomfortable as well; he was quiet, unhelpful, and did not seem to want to be there.

At the end, I had good rapport with the recruiter and a hiring manager who both seemed happy with my overall results and wanted to hire me, but I was rejected based on little more than a formality. I didn't receive any specifics, but I'm guessing it was my performance on that one interview.

I've interviewed with many companies over my career as a software engineer, and while it's never fun to get rejected, I normally finish the process with neutral or even positive vibes towards a company. This is the first time I finished frustrated enough to feel compelled to leave a review in hopes others may see it and use this information to weigh whether or not to apply.

Why do you want to work at Square?