The entire process took about 2 months.

I was contacted by a recruiter after attending a Capital One-sponsored hackathon and asked if I was interested in a full-time Java Backend position. The following steps were part of the application process:

• Phone screening with the recruiter
• Online code challenge (simple 3 questions on HackerRank with a 2-hour limit)
• Phone screening with a Senior Software Engineer
• In-person interview (behavioral & technical) at their Toronto offices that took about 3 hours in total.

Good things:

• Everyone was extremely friendly and laid back.
• No one cared about a dress code.
• Lots of newer technologies were being used, which is uncommon for a bank.

Bad things:

• The recruiter emphasized it was a Java Backend position, but it turned out to be an Associate Software Engineer role.
• The recruitment team seemed to have their own agenda. I went through a lengthy technical interview where I was tested on HTML, CSS, JavaScript, C++, Java, Database Design, OOP concepts, Data Structures & Algorithms, Swift, and Responsive Design, among other fields. Discussing the GCD and multi-threading model of Swift is not typically expected for an Associate Software Engineer, though I answered perfectly.

My biggest issue? My friend (worth mentioning that she is a white, fresh graduate female with 1 year of professional experience) was interviewing concurrently. Her technical and social skills are not the best, so I helped her with all the interview preparation. Eventually, she had a 30-minute technical interview where she was asked if she was willing to learn new things on the job. She ended up getting the position, while I received a rejection after my 3-hour interview.

I'm not sure what Capital One's hiring process entails, but I am confident that something unethical was involved.

FizzBuzz

Simple Algorithms on HackerRank, etc.