Samsara's Data Engineer interview feels more like a friendly chat with a colleague than a stressful code test. It's engaging and far less formal, making the whole experience refreshing. One area for improvement could be providing candidates with better information about the interview content beforehand.

• Initial contact: The process started with a recruiter's call to discuss the role and my experience.

• Duration: The interview process spanned four weeks, blending technical skills with behavioral questions.

• First Round: This was one hour of talking about API development and SQL, with a coding exercise.

• Second Round, Part 1: This hour focused on general software engineering, Object-Oriented Programming, and data management coding tasks.

• Second Round, Part 2: This was 45 minutes on Data Engineering best practices, Cloud tech, and a behavioral assessment.

• Third Round: The process concluded with a 30-minute chat on personal fit and soft skills.

Without giving specifics (NDA), expect questions about:

• Designing and implementing APIs: e.g., how to handle API requests and responses, and some security aspects.
• SQL: Understanding database internals, query optimization, and modeling.
• OOP: Understanding and applying concepts like classes, objects, and inheritance. Be prepared to discuss your approach to coding, testing, and software lifecycle management.
• DE: Focus on your understanding of data processing, data storage solutions, and ETL processes.
• Behavioral Assessment: Assess your soft skills, such as teamwork, communication, problem-solving approach, and how you handle challenging situations.