The initial phone screen was conducted by Human Resources. The recruiter followed up after I had submitted an application approximately five years prior.

He performed a quick phone screen and then forwarded an overwhelming amount of resources to aid in the interview process. This included live meetings with Gayle Laakmann McDowell, offering assistance with technical interviews. I have never been more prepared by a recruiter, and likely never will be again. Ironically, this was one of the instances where I needed it the least, as the technical challenges were not as demanding as those typically encountered at Google or Microsoft.

Following this, he followed up and was extremely flexible regarding the phone screen, which I opted to complete in person. This allowed the interview to be on my schedule and terms, demonstrating a very accommodating approach.

During the in-person initial screen, the recruiter again offered extensive preparation and a "pep talk." He advised me not to rush and to take my time, which is a natural tendency of mine. However, I do not recommend following this advice. My adherence to it was ultimately cited as the reason for my rejection, as my slow deliberation was interpreted as "struggling." Despite this, the preparation was extremely helpful and valuable.

The interviewer I was scheduled to meet was out sick, so I was assigned to another interviewer. This interview proved to be the least adversarial of the Google/MS/Amazon-style interviews I had experienced. The interviewer was helpful and supportive, maintaining a very laid-back demeanor (he was wearing sweatpants and a T-shirt), which significantly eased my nerves.

I took my time and avoided the usual rush-panic, but consequently, I was only able to get through one question within the allotted time. I answered it and developed the solution on my first try (a very long and deliberate first try), which even my interviewer admitted he couldn't do during his own interview. Ultimately, however, I was still rejected.

This experience highlighted the importance of not solely obsessing over technical preparation. The interviewer I had likely faced less technical preparation himself when he interviewed, but he probably excelled in soft skills. And he secured the job.

I successfully navigated the technical aspects of the interview without issue, but I likely spoke without a sense of confidence and made inappropriate jokes while slowly deliberating through the problem.

They make you sign an NDA on the way in.

It was a very basic Graph Theory problem, disguised in a way that didn't initially look like one. Ultimately, it was basic Depth First Search.