Senior Software Engineer Interview Experience - Foster City, California
Process
I was called for an interview for a Senior Software Engineer, Applications position. The interview lasted 4 hours.
Hour 1: I was asked to calculate the price of a coffee. You could choose the coffee and add additional items like milk, creamer, etc.
Hour 2: The same problem was presented, but now the cost of extra items depended on the size of the cup.
Hour 3: I was asked to fix issues in an artificially badly written Set class.
Hour 4: This was a general discussion with the Project Manager.
All interviewers were very good and treated me with respect. They all seemed technically proficient.
I received a call from HR the next day stating I was rejected. I appreciate this, as many companies do not call to inform you of rejection.
They also provided the reason for my rejection, saying I had over-engineered the coffee vendor and took around 1 hour and 50 minutes to solve the first problem. They expected a quicker solution.
Regarding the Set class, I knew I couldn't immediately identify problems, so I understood I wouldn't get through.
Overall, it was a very good experience with no regrets, even though I was rejected. This is a good company to work for!
Questions
I was asked to identify a problem in an artificially incorrect class.
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Interview Statistics
The following metrics were computed from 6 interview experiences for the Guidewire Senior Software Engineer role in Foster City, California.
Success Rate
Guidewire's interview process for their Senior Software Engineer roles in Foster City, California is very selective, failing most engineers who go through it.
Experience Rating
Candidates reported having very good feelings for Guidewire's Senior Software Engineer interview process in Foster City, California.
Guidewire Work Experiences
- 4.0Best place I've worked so far..Senior Software Engineer • Current EmployeeFoster City, California, United StatesJanuary 5, 2013Pros: * Smart, nice people * Work/life balance * Use of common sense... most of the time ;) * I feel productive but not abused * Agile environment Guidewire is a great place to work. It isn't a high-flying startup with astronomical growth and a frenetic work pace, nor is it a 9-to-5 clock-punching paycheck with no challenge. If you're looking for a place to make a meaningful contribution at a measured pace, a place where you come in to work and feel like you've been productive but still have a life, Guidewire is a great place to work.Cons: Insurance ain't the sexiest domain. Company feels a bit stingy at times.
- 5.0Working with good people on difficult problemsSenior Software Engineer • Current EmployeeFoster City, California, United StatesNovember 1, 2013Pros: Guidewire has really good people with a culture of working together well. There's a lot of respect between different departments, so as a developer, you know that the product managers and project managers will work with you to solve problems and will trust your judgment on technical issues and estimates. There's a big emphasis on getting work done without any politics. If problems come up, the attitude is always, 'How can we fix it and prevent it in the future?' never, 'Who can we blame?'Cons: Guidewire has a lot of proprietary technology, which is a mixed blessing. It means you can work on technology you might not get to work on elsewhere, but it also means it's harder to use some of the newer tools.
- 5.0Best company worked for, period!Senior Software Engineer • Current EmployeeFoster City, California, United StatesNovember 9, 2013Pros: Extremely smart colleagues who are also always willing to help. Just ask! Leadership thinks rationally and focuses on real use cases rather than someone's whims and fancies. At the same time, there is a willingness to stretch the limits of what enterprise software can do. You can literally feel that these folks have a passion to serve the P&C insurance industry. Work hours are flexible and working from home is okay, but working in the office is so much fun that I cannot think of working from home more than a day a week. Lots of freedom along with accountability. These folks take software quality very, very seriously. There are code clean-up days organized, and pair programming encouraged. Truly an agile workplace. You are not only allowed but even encouraged to try out different roles and/or teams, rather than stagnate in the same role for years.Cons: No free lunch like Google/Facebook. This would be a nice addition; however, it is not a deal breaker.
Guidewire Interview Questions
