The interview process involved four rounds and took over a month:

• Recruiter Screen
• Hiring Manager Round
• Take-Home Test
• System Design Round

The take-home test was very time-consuming, requiring the creation of an entire project. I attempted to add extra features to stand out, but it was all for naught as they were not even considered. I suggest making it as basic as possible, as it doesn't seem to be an effective evaluation criterion.

The final decision appeared to be based solely on the last round. It also seems they are not genuinely looking to hire, and the job postings might not be real.

According to their job criteria, I met every requirement at the desired level and excelled in every round. However, the feedback stated I was not versed in DevOps, which was not a requirement; only basic knowledge of CI/CD was expected. I was confident that their requirements matched my expertise and skills and anticipated positive feedback.

The final round had two interviewers who made it difficult to think clearly, as they asked different questions. I specifically asked for feedback on the take-home test, which I had invested significant effort in. One interviewer began nitpicking, essentially unable to find substantial criticism and focusing on minor details like the unnecessary inclusion of comments in the code.

This last interview was very stressful and uncomfortable. One interviewer was extremely arrogant, and it felt like a lost cause within the first five minutes. It appeared they were there to reject candidates, not to hire.

I have marked the interview difficulty as the highest, as the interviewers themselves seemed unsure of what they were looking for, even when candidates matched the job requirements. I interviewed for the Integrated Platforms team; perhaps other teams have better interviewers, based on other reviews (I am trying to remain optimistic).

The feedback also became somewhat personal, suggesting I was not eligible for my current level and did not understand my own projects. Just because interviewers are unfamiliar with your work does not give them the right to declare you bad at your job. One should never consider working in such an environment. Nobody can accurately judge your capabilities within an hour, especially when they make no effort to evaluate your strengths.

Don't let their feedback affect you. I strongly feel they were not genuinely looking to hire at the moment and were merely browsing.

Standard questions from resume in HM round

Design a payment gateway with a bank simulator for a take-home test

Design a file upload system