I had remote interviews (LATAM) directly with the company's recruiter.

There were four stages in total:

• A 15-minute welcome call
• A take-home assignment (given a few days to complete, but I finished it in a couple of hours)
• A one-hour technical interview
• A half-hour cultural fit interview

The take-home assignment was typical and not too challenging, involving database structure, reading statistics, and a few backend questions.

The technical interview left a very positive impression. The Technical Director was genuinely knowledgeable and impressive. It was one of those rare instances where I felt eager to work not just on the project but under the guidance of that specific person. The questions were of high quality, and the discussions were engaging.

After this round, I received "very positive feedback."

However, the behavioral interview didn't go as well for me. Standard questions for such interviews were asked, but I sensed some stiffness from the CTO's side. He cut me off during my last answers, saying, "That's enough; we're running out of time, and I need to go to another meeting."

Perhaps I should have chosen a different day of the week (it was a Friday) for this interview.

In any case, I gained valuable experience, especially from the technical interview. It was my first experience with a behavioral interview, and it made me aware of my weaknesses and what I need to work on. I will be actively monitoring job listings to better prepare myself if a similar opportunity arises again.

Fixing performance issues and implementing features, system design, reading query plans and statistics.