Software Engineer Interview Experience - New York, New York
June 1, 2012
Positive ExperienceGot Offer
Process
Initial contact was a cold email from the Times' HR Department. After a phone screen with the tech lead on the Mobile Web team, I was invited a couple days later to interview in NYC.
I was in DC at the time and was never reimbursed for the travel costs.
The in-person interview was a series of five people:
- A tech lead, asking to refactor some code that was written in an in-house language.
- An interview with a software engineer, talking about technology and development in general.
- An interview with a fantastic dev that turned into him convincing me to come to the Times.
- An interview with the project lead.
- An interview with the project director.
I was given an offer Friday that week and given until Monday to accept. I accepted on that Monday.
Questions
Why do you want to work at the Times?
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Interview Statistics
The following metrics were computed from 17 interview experiences for the The New York Times Software Engineer role in New York, New York.
Success Rate
24%
Pass Rate
The New York Times's interview process for their Software Engineer roles in New York, New York is very selective, failing most engineers who go through it.
Experience Rating
Positive59%
Neutral12%
Negative29%
Candidates reported having very good feelings for The New York Times's Software Engineer interview process in New York, New York.
The New York Times Work Experiences
4.0
Fantastic and Friendly Coworkers, Excellent WLB, Questionable Upper Management
Software Engineer • Current Employee
New York, New York, United States
March 8, 2022
Pros: - Really smart engineers and product people, with a lot of empathy.
- Incredible work-life balance, with a really flexible schedule depending on the team.
- The core mission of the company (producing great, informative, important journalism) can be very motivating. Not everything we publish resonates this way, but the work that does feels good to be a part of.
- For the most part, I've felt pretty shielded from office bureaucracy/politics in my day-to-day (though I am aware it exists in some parts of the company).
Cons: Upper management often comes off as very disconnected, disorganized, and even antagonistic at times.
They don't pay as much as many other tech companies of similar size, which makes retention difficult and hiring to replace people very slow. The company insisted it planned to address that discrepancy, even at some point sending emails about pay raises across the board, but it never happened. Instead, they offered slightly larger RSU grants than normal to senior engineers and above only (still below the rate of peer tech companies they claimed they were comparing their compensation to).
4.0
Cool Projects, Union Challenges
Software Engineer • Current Employee
New York, New York, United States
September 20, 2022
Pros: - Very cosmopolitan workplace with interesting people and events.
- Interesting projects.
- One of the largest tech unions in the world.
Cons: DevOps support, while improving, is still lacking. Individual teams are on the hook for DevOps work.
Management does some anti-union practices (see news articles for details).
5.0
Impactful Work, Demanding Pace
Software Engineer • Current Employee
New York, New York, United States
November 18, 2024
Pros: Working at The New York Times provides the opportunity to be part of a highly respected and impactful organization known for its commitment to quality journalism and innovation.
The company encourages a collaborative work environment, allowing you to engage with talented, motivated peers and share ideas across multidisciplinary teams.
It offers the chance to work on high-profile projects that directly influence user engagement and readership on a global scale.
Additionally, The New York Times places emphasis on professional growth and development, offering support and resources for skill enhancement and career advancement.
Cons: While The New York Times offers a dynamic work environment, the fast-paced nature can sometimes lead to high pressure and tight deadlines, which may be challenging to balance. The high standards for quality and innovation mean that projects often involve complex problem-solving and may require extended hours to achieve desired results.
Navigating a large organization with multiple teams can sometimes slow down decision-making and project execution. Additionally, working in an environment that constantly evolves to stay ahead in media and technology may require continuous adaptation, which, while enriching, can be demanding.
- 4.0Fantastic and Friendly Coworkers, Excellent WLB, Questionable Upper ManagementSoftware Engineer • Current EmployeeNew York, New York, United StatesMarch 8, 2022Pros: - Really smart engineers and product people, with a lot of empathy. - Incredible work-life balance, with a really flexible schedule depending on the team. - The core mission of the company (producing great, informative, important journalism) can be very motivating. Not everything we publish resonates this way, but the work that does feels good to be a part of. - For the most part, I've felt pretty shielded from office bureaucracy/politics in my day-to-day (though I am aware it exists in some parts of the company).Cons: Upper management often comes off as very disconnected, disorganized, and even antagonistic at times. They don't pay as much as many other tech companies of similar size, which makes retention difficult and hiring to replace people very slow. The company insisted it planned to address that discrepancy, even at some point sending emails about pay raises across the board, but it never happened. Instead, they offered slightly larger RSU grants than normal to senior engineers and above only (still below the rate of peer tech companies they claimed they were comparing their compensation to).
- 4.0Cool Projects, Union ChallengesSoftware Engineer • Current EmployeeNew York, New York, United StatesSeptember 20, 2022Pros: - Very cosmopolitan workplace with interesting people and events. - Interesting projects. - One of the largest tech unions in the world.Cons: DevOps support, while improving, is still lacking. Individual teams are on the hook for DevOps work. Management does some anti-union practices (see news articles for details).
- 5.0Impactful Work, Demanding PaceSoftware Engineer • Current EmployeeNew York, New York, United StatesNovember 18, 2024Pros: Working at The New York Times provides the opportunity to be part of a highly respected and impactful organization known for its commitment to quality journalism and innovation. The company encourages a collaborative work environment, allowing you to engage with talented, motivated peers and share ideas across multidisciplinary teams. It offers the chance to work on high-profile projects that directly influence user engagement and readership on a global scale. Additionally, The New York Times places emphasis on professional growth and development, offering support and resources for skill enhancement and career advancement.Cons: While The New York Times offers a dynamic work environment, the fast-paced nature can sometimes lead to high pressure and tight deadlines, which may be challenging to balance. The high standards for quality and innovation mean that projects often involve complex problem-solving and may require extended hours to achieve desired results. Navigating a large organization with multiple teams can sometimes slow down decision-making and project execution. Additionally, working in an environment that constantly evolves to stay ahead in media and technology may require continuous adaptation, which, while enriching, can be demanding.
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