Applications Support Engineer Interview Experience - Natick, Massachusetts
November 1, 2017
Neutral ExperienceNo Offer
Process
I went through all four steps of the hiring process but ultimately did not get an offer. No hard feelings; there appears to be a fairly competitive pool of talented candidates for this role. Following is my detailed experience, which may or may not be the same process you may go through.
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Initial Phone Screen: This covered a basic overview of the company and the position, as well as some discussion of my resume and qualifications.
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HackerRank Coding Challenge: I had 75 minutes to work on a couple of algorithm-developing puzzles, with limited choices of programming languages.
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Technical Phone Interview: This interview used a screensharing app and covered:
- One (1) focus area that I felt most comfortable with. Options included:
- Object-Oriented Design – software design, advanced object-oriented programming concepts
- Control Systems – classical control, modern control, and non-linear systems
- Signals Processing – concepts such as aliasing, convolution, and transforms
- Embedded Systems – real-time operating systems, scheduling, and general operating system concepts
- Programming concepts: programming constructs, data structures, OOP.
- Any two (2) of the following four (4) choices in programming languages:
- C/C++, MATLAB, or Python
- Java
- JavaScript and Web Concepts
- Math – problem-solving and application of either discrete math, computation, and algorithm theory, etc., OR calculus, differential equations, and linear algebra, etc.
- One (1) focus area that I felt most comfortable with. Options included:
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On-Site Interview: This was an almost day-long affair. It began with a technical whiteboard interview, followed by a behavioral interview with the hiring manager. We then had lunch with other app support engineers where I could ask more questions, followed by a mini-tour of the place. The day ended with a final behavioral and job-related discussion with HR.
Questions
Math puzzles, develop algorithms in pseudo code, etc.
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Interview Statistics
The following metrics were computed from 170 interview experiences for the MathWorks Applications Support Engineer role in Natick, Massachusetts.
Success Rate
24%
Pass Rate
MathWorks's interview process for their Applications Support Engineer roles in Natick, Massachusetts is very selective, failing most engineers who go through it.
Experience Rating
Positive56%
Neutral30%
Negative14%
Candidates reported having very good feelings for MathWorks's Applications Support Engineer interview process in Natick, Massachusetts.
MathWorks Work Experiences
4.0
Application Support Engineer Intern
Applications Support Engineer • Former Employee
Natick, Massachusetts, United States
October 2, 2014
Pros: It is a very good company to work for. We get to learn social skills, like writing quick and well-organized technical emails, and speaking to customers on the phone. We also get to learn about all the toolboxes in MATLAB.
Cons: Team members were helpful, but it was like micromanaging.
3.0
Engineering Development Group
Applications Support Engineer • Former Employee
Natick, Massachusetts, United States
October 13, 2020
Pros: MathWorkers are friendly people and outstanding engineers.
You will learn a lot working here, and many of your coworkers will become friends.
Cons: The MathWorks is a great company, but the Engineering Development Group is seriously flawed. These cons apply only to EDG and not MathWorks overall.
In EDG, you are in a technical support role. On a typical day, you log in to the phone queue at 8:30 am sharp. You can't sign off until 5:30 pm. Sometimes your manager will listen to your calls. You have a scheduled lunch hour. You message your coworkers to tell them you are going to the bathroom. About once a month, you get a late shift, meaning you answer calls until 8 pm. None of this is explained during the recruitment process.
Each day, you are either "on support" or not. You will quickly grow very tired of technical support, and time away from it is precious. There is a shadow economy where engineers swap shifts so that they can focus on professional development or take a bit of personal time.
When you are in EDG, you are laser-focused on transferring out, which often happens after a year or more. Transferring entails applying for any of the non-EDG openings that are listed on the MathWorks careers site. You have to interview for a permanent role, and you will compete with both internal and external candidates.
Your EDG manager gives final approval on your transfer. Occasionally, a hiring manager will make a job offer that is shot down by an EDG manager. Engineers feel pressured to take any opportunity that presents itself because they are afraid of being forced out by management and because they have been exhausted by the tech support schedule.
EDG engineers are too talented to sit this low on the totem pole. They need to be given the whole story before they join.
3.0
Spent a summer here
Applications Support Engineer • Former Employee
Natick, Massachusetts, United States
April 25, 2014
Pros: A good place to learn a product used heavily in the scientific industry.
Cons: Compensation is a bit lacking.
- 4.0Application Support Engineer InternApplications Support Engineer • Former EmployeeNatick, Massachusetts, United StatesOctober 2, 2014Pros: It is a very good company to work for. We get to learn social skills, like writing quick and well-organized technical emails, and speaking to customers on the phone. We also get to learn about all the toolboxes in MATLAB.Cons: Team members were helpful, but it was like micromanaging.
- 3.0Engineering Development GroupApplications Support Engineer • Former EmployeeNatick, Massachusetts, United StatesOctober 13, 2020Pros: MathWorkers are friendly people and outstanding engineers. You will learn a lot working here, and many of your coworkers will become friends.Cons: The MathWorks is a great company, but the Engineering Development Group is seriously flawed. These cons apply only to EDG and not MathWorks overall. In EDG, you are in a technical support role. On a typical day, you log in to the phone queue at 8:30 am sharp. You can't sign off until 5:30 pm. Sometimes your manager will listen to your calls. You have a scheduled lunch hour. You message your coworkers to tell them you are going to the bathroom. About once a month, you get a late shift, meaning you answer calls until 8 pm. None of this is explained during the recruitment process. Each day, you are either "on support" or not. You will quickly grow very tired of technical support, and time away from it is precious. There is a shadow economy where engineers swap shifts so that they can focus on professional development or take a bit of personal time. When you are in EDG, you are laser-focused on transferring out, which often happens after a year or more. Transferring entails applying for any of the non-EDG openings that are listed on the MathWorks careers site. You have to interview for a permanent role, and you will compete with both internal and external candidates. Your EDG manager gives final approval on your transfer. Occasionally, a hiring manager will make a job offer that is shot down by an EDG manager. Engineers feel pressured to take any opportunity that presents itself because they are afraid of being forced out by management and because they have been exhausted by the tech support schedule. EDG engineers are too talented to sit this low on the totem pole. They need to be given the whole story before they join.
- 3.0Spent a summer hereApplications Support Engineer • Former EmployeeNatick, Massachusetts, United StatesApril 25, 2014Pros: A good place to learn a product used heavily in the scientific industry.Cons: Compensation is a bit lacking.
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