The interview process began with a phone screen, followed by a call with the Hiring Manager, and concluded with a technical screen.

I was honestly baffled by the process. A recruiter initially reached out to schedule the first interview. After that initial call, I was bounced around to three other recruiters for scheduling the technical screen.

The Hiring Manager had informed me there was a technical screen but didn't provide much detail on the material that would be covered or its extent. I knew I should review my basic SQL concepts, so I prepared for that.

I sent five emails asking for further details from all three recruiters about the material and depth of the screen. Was it just conceptual? Should I prepare to explain different types of joins and best practices for database design, or be ready to write complex queries? I received no response. The only reply I did get was a forwarded question to a fourth individual, who never replied despite a follow-up from me.

At this point, I was about to leave town for two weeks, so I decided to proceed with the interview having reviewed the core concepts of SQL. The technical screen consisted of an interview and then a hands-on-keyboard session. I wasn't prepared for some of the queries, and I wasn't allowed to reference or look up syntax, so I did not perform well, especially after not having worked closely with SQL for several years.

I wish the recruiters had provided more detail or simply replied. That would have allowed me to cancel and avoid wasting either party's time. The interviewer was a nice individual, so I feel bad for spending their time when it wasn't a good fit.

Asked about the competitive landscape at my current company.

Asked what features differentiate my company from its competitors.

SQL Queries and tuning