I was contacted by a recruiter, who scheduled a 30-minute phone discussion. This call explained the interview process, and towards the end, the recruiter asked four questions from SQL and four from Python.

After the call, I was sent study materials, mostly consisting of links to online courses. The recruiter also gave me time to study and practice before suggesting a date for the next coding interview. All those links were very helpful, so I recommend not neglecting them.

I practiced SQL and Python coding on HackerRank, LeetCode, and Interview Cake. After one month, I had my coding interview, which was conducted via CoderPad and a phone call. It consisted of 25 minutes of SQL and 25 minutes of Python.

I consider myself a "SQL person," but I struggled a bit at the end. I answered four out of five SQL questions. It seems that based on ability, candidates move on to harder levels, which is a good sign.

For Python, I was able to complete only two out of three questions. We needed to pass all corner test cases as well, for which my interviewer provided hints. It was an overall tough interview with a stringent timeline.

However, I received an email from my recruiter after four hours stating that I had been selected for an onsite interview.

Again, I had a 45-minute call with the recruiter, who provided another set of study materials. I reviewed all of these and scheduled my onsite interview for a month later.

As others have mentioned, the onsite interview was an end-to-end test of case scenarios. It was interesting and challenging. It consisted mostly of SQL, followed by a little data modeling, visualization, and one Python coding program.

They present a scenario or issue and ask us to brainstorm the problem and determine the root cause, which should match their expectations. Once a match is found, they provide transaction table data (like log file data) and ask us to write SQL queries.

The behavioral interview included around 12 questions, all related to how you handle situations at work. The lunch interview was more of a casual chat; be prepared to ask a few questions during that time.

Overall, I felt I did well. However, after three days, my recruiter called to inform me that I was not selected. They expected more perfection in SQL, although my product knowledge and data modeling were good.

One thing to note: Don't panic about the 5-hour interview. Time just flies once you are in your interview room. The food was good, and the people were nice. It was a very good experience.

I have been given an option to reapply in six months, and I may take that opportunity.

Advice to others: Practice SQL thoroughly for the onsite interview. Avoid subqueries and try to complete tasks in a single query whenever possible.

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