Staff Software Engineer Interview Experience - San Jose, California
February 1, 2009
Negative ExperienceNo Offer
Process
I was not actively looking for a new role. A company recruiter found my profile on LinkedIn and arranged a phone interview for me.
However, the interviewer totally forgot about it and did not call me. The recruiter scheduled another time, and I did not get a call again -- this time, because the interviewer needed to take care of an urgent issue.
The recruiter again made an appointment, and I eventually spoke with the interviewer. However, it took only about 10 minutes, far less than the 30 minutes originally scheduled. The questions he asked were quite simple, though.
I never heard back from the recruiter. The interviewer was not professional or serious.
Questions
How many years of Java experience do you have?
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Interview Statistics
The following metrics were computed from 4 interview experiences for the eBay Staff Software Engineer role in San Jose, California.
Success Rate
25%
Pass Rate
eBay's interview process for their Staff Software Engineer roles in San Jose, California is very selective, failing most engineers who go through it.
Experience Rating
Positive75%
Neutral0%
Negative25%
Candidates reported having very good feelings for eBay's Staff Software Engineer interview process in San Jose, California.
eBay Work Experiences
2.0
Nice campus; better get used to the view.
Staff Software Engineer • Current Employee
San Jose, California, United States
October 25, 2009
Pros: Nice gym, though crowded at times.
Free coffee.
Competitive, though not compelling, benefits.
There are some interesting projects going on.
Cons: Sub-par management. Knee-jerk reactions are par for the course.
Poor vision and leadership from executives.
Work-life balance is poor for engineers, due to unreasonable schedules, management that doesn't fight for their employees, offshoring of key functions, and a sweatshop culture.
Very inefficient development processes.
4.0
Was slipping but showing signs of improvement.
Staff Software Engineer • Current Employee
San Jose, California, United States
January 7, 2009
Pros: Flexibility in working remotely and in schedule is great.
Peer relationships with team members around the globe are really great.
Compensation is just fine, and the benefits and other perks are quite good.
Cons: Leadership has been lacking and growing worse for a couple of years now.
While us "grunts" have enough background to know what needs to be done and usually do it, we still need a solid, evolving strategy. Too often it seems that we are still jumping from one thing to the next.
4.0
Good place for a college grad, but NOT for the faint of heart.
Staff Software Engineer • Current Employee
San Jose, California, United States
September 16, 2008
Pros: The constant changes will always keep you on your toes; you cannot be bored. Technically, it is a very challenging place for engineers (especially college grads) to keep up with the fast pace and learning curve. This is not a place for slackers, for sure.
There is lots of lateral career movement you can take if you are tired of being in a certain position. I have seen software engineers become project managers or product managers. This is very much encouraged by management.
Cons: It can be stressful at times when you have to deal with production site issues while working with your current projects. Everything can be very compressed.
- 2.0Nice campus; better get used to the view.Staff Software Engineer • Current EmployeeSan Jose, California, United StatesOctober 25, 2009Pros: Nice gym, though crowded at times. Free coffee. Competitive, though not compelling, benefits. There are some interesting projects going on.Cons: Sub-par management. Knee-jerk reactions are par for the course. Poor vision and leadership from executives. Work-life balance is poor for engineers, due to unreasonable schedules, management that doesn't fight for their employees, offshoring of key functions, and a sweatshop culture. Very inefficient development processes.
- 4.0Was slipping but showing signs of improvement.Staff Software Engineer • Current EmployeeSan Jose, California, United StatesJanuary 7, 2009Pros: Flexibility in working remotely and in schedule is great. Peer relationships with team members around the globe are really great. Compensation is just fine, and the benefits and other perks are quite good.Cons: Leadership has been lacking and growing worse for a couple of years now. While us "grunts" have enough background to know what needs to be done and usually do it, we still need a solid, evolving strategy. Too often it seems that we are still jumping from one thing to the next.
- 4.0Good place for a college grad, but NOT for the faint of heart.Staff Software Engineer • Current EmployeeSan Jose, California, United StatesSeptember 16, 2008Pros: The constant changes will always keep you on your toes; you cannot be bored. Technically, it is a very challenging place for engineers (especially college grads) to keep up with the fast pace and learning curve. This is not a place for slackers, for sure. There is lots of lateral career movement you can take if you are tired of being in a certain position. I have seen software engineers become project managers or product managers. This is very much encouraged by management.Cons: It can be stressful at times when you have to deal with production site issues while working with your current projects. Everything can be very compressed.
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