I was recently referred to Guidewire Software and asked to come to their office for an interview. I was told the entire process would take 2-3 hours the same day. However, the reality was far from this.

The process dragged on for the entire day, and to make matters worse, HR was completely unaware of how many rounds were actually planned or even properly scheduled.

After a few days, HR had a brief and rather dismissive salary discussion where I was essentially told, "This is our budget, and we can't cross it." Later, I was asked to attend yet another short virtual round. This was described as a managerial discussion but ended up being a more than hour-long technical grilling session.

HR failed to show basic courtesy by keeping me updated on feedback. The experience was highly unprofessional, and I sensed micro-management from the start, which left a bad impression. Interviews are meant to be a two-way evaluation, but here it felt entirely one-sided.

On top of that, the salary offered was significantly lower than current market standards, making the entire ordeal a complete waste of time. I strongly advise others to insist on virtual interviews when dealing with this company. Please note that this is how they treat senior-level candidates; imagine how they would treat their employees.

Taking a day off for such an unorganized and disrespectful experience was simply not worth it.

Java and DSA questions.

1. System design