The position was local, based in their Georgetown office.

The interview process was, overall, not much different than at other companies, but there were some troubling oddities.

Despite their reputation for hard interviews, this was an average experience. The recruiter reached out to me and conducted a phone screen with someone from California. Next, someone from the UK called to prepare me for an on-site interview, which was followed by the on-site itself. I met with four different engineers separately, and they all asked similar questions. I had to whiteboard a solution to a problem, was pounded with Linux CLI questions like a contestant on Jeopardy, and had to describe various "what would you do" scenarios.

As for the oddities:

• They projected an attitude of, "We're the greatest company ever. Be honored we reached out to you." This sentiment was evident in their literature, phone screens, and even the front desk greeter.
• I had never even heard of Palantir before the recruiter reached out. The first three news search results I found online were related to diversity problems, gender discrimination, and public trust issues surrounding the misuse of personal data.
• I was very uncomfortable when they insisted on taking a photo of me for my "candidate profile."
• When I left, they told me to keep my ID badge and gave me a Palantir-branded packet containing Palantir paper and pens.

In the end, they declined to extend an offer, stating I wasn't experienced enough. This was despite my possessing a number of relevant high-level certifications, a security clearance, and a lengthy track record of success working for top technology companies. I was not disappointed because they left an uninspiring impression, and I would not have accepted the position if it had been offered.

What's the difference between RAID 0 and RAID 5, and when would you choose one versus the other?