I applied online.

My experience during the phone screening was not what I anticipated, considering the company's highly praised culture: Throughout the interview, I noticed a lack of connection as the interviewer seemed to strictly adhere to a predetermined script, resulting in a conversation that felt rushed and impersonal.

The questions asked were not as relevant to the role as I had expected. I was prepared for a question about the company and while I did answer, the absence of follow-up questions and the interviewer's monologue about the company felt redundant and limited my opportunity to demonstrate my genuine interest.

One element I found confusing was when I was prompted to ask questions, but my inquiries were deferred to the end of the session without being addressed in the moment. I was taken aback when I realized that the interviewer hadn't thoroughly read my resume, especially the part about my ongoing master's degree program.

It led me to discuss my career path and skill set in detail, focusing on my experience in software engineering, data engineering, and applied machine learning, which I believed were pertinent to the role.

The discussion of salary expectations was a bit tense. While I understand that aligning expectations can save everyone's time, I felt the conversation could have been handled with more empathy. I wanted to learn more about the role before discussing figures, yet ended up sharing my previous salary.

My motivation as a tech lead applying for a non-lead position wasn't explored, which I felt was a missed opportunity. Such inquiries could help discern why a candidate might be willing to trade a leadership role for the chance to work at a dynamic startup.

Beyond the initial "tell me about yourself" and inquiries about my last job's nature, there were few questions pertaining directly to my fit for the role or why I would be an excellent candidate. The scheduled one-hour meeting concluded in just 30 minutes.

It was unexpected to witness such a disjointed process from a company that otherwise projects a positive image. I would recommend that future applicants be prepared for a scripted screening process, focus on hitting keywords, and do not expect a personalized interview or a detailed discussion about the specific role.

1. What do you know about Synthesia?
2. Tell me about yourself.
3. Was your last job hands on or managerial?