I found the posting on a LinkedIn group and contacted the recruiter. We had a good 20-30 minute conversation, after which the recruiter scheduled a technical phone interview for the following week.

The position was for a C/C++ developer, so unsurprisingly, the interview focused on C++ questions. These were typical technical questions about C++. Nothing was too easy, but nothing was obscure either. That interview went well.

I then had a second technical phone interview. The questions were similar. One design question was included. However, as long as you understand data structures—and how and when to use them—the interview shouldn't be too difficult.

I was invited for an onsite interview(s) in NYC. These were conducted in stages with little to no break.

My first interview was at 10 am and was technical, with 2-3 developers. It was similar to the phone technical interviews, but this time, I needed to write code. Unfortunately, this was done on paper (tiny sheets of paper) with dull pencils. I should have brought my own. I'm not sure why they don't have whiteboards.

At the end of each interview, the team decides whether to proceed. I was invited for a second interview.

This second interview also involved a team of 2-3 developers asking technical questions. Nothing was too challenging. However, during this interview, I felt the team lead (or at least a senior developer) was trying to pressure me to write code faster. He repeatedly mentioned we were almost out of time, even though we weren't. It's a good technique, though. Seriously, as an experienced software developer, you will encounter high-pressure situations, and it's important to see how people respond.

This is where my onsite interview day ended. As I understand it, the typical process involves two technical interviews, followed by a manager interview, and then an HR person to wrap things up. You might receive an offer on the spot, or within 24 hours if a decision can't be made immediately. They will let you know either immediately or within 24 hours at the latest, which is great.

I knew I was done for the day when the HR person entered the room after the second technical team left. I wasn't upset, though. I enjoyed the experience. My suspicion is that my technical responses weren't as sharp as they could have been. I didn't do much prep right before the interview, mainly because I wasn't entirely sure if I wanted to live and work in NYC, and also because I wasn't completely convinced it would be a good fit.

My advice is to practice writing code beforehand. You can find many interview questions online. Practice them. On the day of your interviews, practice them for an hour or two beforehand to warm up your brain for coding off the top of your head, on paper.

If you get an onsite interview, eat a big breakfast beforehand. They will keep you there until they are finished with you. Of course, you can take bathroom breaks, but you'll be there all morning, and possibly the afternoon. Honestly, though, I find the time flies by. My interviews started at 10 am. I had two, but the second didn't end until 12:30 pm, and I left by 1 pm. There was a long wait between the end of the second interview and the HR person telling me we were done. This is why I think I did okay, but just not 100% right for them, I guess.

Nothing too difficult, I guess.

Design a system that keeps track of tickers (name and price) per exchange that gives the top 20 most recently updated tickers, or something like that.