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Software Engineer Interview Experience - Tokyo

March 1, 2014
Positive ExperienceNo Offer

Process

Contacted on LinkedIn. They said they were looking to discuss career options. I said okay, and they told me to do a preliminary Codility test. Then we arranged a schedule for the meeting.

They didn't ask much, and I supposed they didn't speak English that much either. Interestingly, they let me ask questions, which took more time than the interview itself.

I think I asked a sensitive question about who was responsible for the front page (which we know is messy). The situation became pretty awkward when they said "nobody". Apparently, they just divide slots on that page among departments.

The so many smartphone apps available in the Play Store were also a product of a similar policy: they just do because others do it, not because users need it. I think I asked them if they counted in users' perspective, but needless to say, it was not appreciated.

Questions

A short coding test. About five people from different departments asking you to explain your history. The rest of the time, you are allowed to ask questions. It is better to communicate in Japanese.

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Interview Statistics

The following metrics were computed from 75 interview experiences for the Rakuten Software Engineer role in Tokyo.

Success Rate

24%
Pass Rate

Rakuten's interview process for their Software Engineer roles in Tokyo is very selective, failing most engineers who go through it.

Experience Rating

Positive51%
Neutral33%
Negative16%

Candidates reported having very good feelings for Rakuten's Software Engineer interview process in Tokyo.

Rakuten Work Experiences