The interview process began with an introductory call with a recruiter. This was followed by a technical phone screening, and then an in-person interview, as I was local.

The intro call focused on ensuring I was a good fit for the role and that the role was a good fit for me.

The phone screen was straightforward, consisting of general Linux Q&A and questions about my background, experience, and exposure to ensure familiarity with their technology stack.

The in-person interview was a brutal marathon. Being on-site, I had the opportunity to observe how people worked and interacted. It included a catered lunch, which was tasty. The interview covered a full spectrum of topics, including Linux, Coding, Architecture, Security, Troubleshooting workflow, Databases, Message Queues, and other assorted applications. This lasted for 5.5 hours, plus an additional hour for lunch where I could get to know some of the interviewers. It was definitely an endurance interview.

In between these stages, there were also interviews with management, who are technically adept. Expect a mix of questions from them.

If you are scheduled for this kind of lengthy interview, ensure you get a good night's sleep and try to remain clear and focused throughout. They cover a broad range of topics, so brushing up on weak points is advisable. Additionally, they did not ask a lot of duplicate questions.

Security is one of my weaker aspects. I'm familiar with the concepts and the TLAs, and can usually give a short summary on most topics. However, getting into the details and low-level troubleshooting are rough for me, so that whole topic was the most difficult.