I was contacted by the agency, then passed to an outsourced recruiter (always a bad sign).

The first talk with the recruiter was pleasant enough to get an idea of my skills and readiness for the next step. The next step involved IQ tests, and after passing those, I received a link to an online coding test. I passed both the IQ and coding tests.

Following that, there was a review of my code and an interview with two engineers, which went well enough. I made improvements to my code and discussed testing scenarios.

I was then passed to the Hiring Manager for a pleasant one-hour conversation about behavioral issues and motivation.

Everything went well, and the good news was that I needed to go onsite to Sweden. At this point, we started discussing the relocation package and salary, which had been kept on the back burner. This was a BIG MISTAKE. I had read Glassdoor reviews about low salaries but still wasted my time.

When it was time to go onsite, I was told a really low salary, and they said it would not get better. I asked about relocation, and the package was basic, with no accommodation or other amenities.

The recruiter told me I could negotiate after the onsite, but she wasn't optimistic they would increase their salary offer. She then proceeded to tell me I wasn't a senior, based on the feedback (the FIRST TIME I WAS HEARING THIS). There were many excuses to justify the low salary.

I had already decided to pretty much be prepared to decline after the onsite, but I went for the experience. When they contacted me back, they told me they wouldn't move forward. Their reasoning was that I wasn't senior enough, they couldn't pay me more, I would require too much training as I lacked skill, and finally, it would be too expensive to relocate my family.

All in all, a VERY negative experience.

Maybe this role is suitable if you are already in Berlin, perhaps if you are single and just want adventure, or maybe if you don't mind being told you are not good enough. Don't waste hours and weeks interviewing here; it is not worth it.

IQ, int to string