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Software Engineer Interview Experience - Montreal, Canada

March 1, 2016
Negative ExperienceNo Offer

Process

The interview process began with a screening phone interview conducted by an HR representative. After passing the initial screen, I had a phone interview with an engineer. During this interview, I was asked to solve a problem using Google Docs. It was important to articulate my thought process aloud so the interviewer could follow my reasoning.

Following that, I participated in a rigorous, approximately five-hour on-site interview session. This involved five different interviewers and included a lunch break. Each interviewer presented a single problem for me to solve. While the problems were generally straightforward, they often included an edge case that proved challenging to address.

There was one exception where I struggled to understand the interviewer's request. It was unclear whether the issue was with my comprehension or the problem's presentation. The question lacked context, making it difficult to answer without prior knowledge of the larger issue the interviewer was trying to address. This particular problem felt less structured compared to the others.

Unfortunately, the quality of the interviews varied significantly. I felt two of the engineers conducted themselves professionally. However, one interviewer was on his phone for approximately 90% of the time. Another spent more time discussing himself and his work rather than focusing on the interview. A third interviewer seemed to lack social skills.

I had high expectations for the interview, but ultimately left feeling quite disappointed.

The overall process was surprisingly fast. The company was accommodating when I requested they expedite the timeline. Additionally, the recruiter handling my case was kind enough to return my call even after I was rejected, which is a courtesy many companies do not extend.

Questions

I don't believe we're allowed to talk about the specific problems asked.

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Interview Statistics

The following metrics were computed from 7 interview experiences for the Google Software Engineer role in Montreal, Quebec.

Success Rate

14%
Pass Rate

Google's interview process for their Software Engineer roles in Montreal, Quebec is extremely selective, failing the vast majority of engineers.

Experience Rating

Positive57%
Neutral14%
Negative29%

Candidates reported having very good feelings for Google's Software Engineer interview process in Montreal, Quebec.

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