I applied through a recruiter. The process took four weeks.

The interview process began smoothly but ultimately highlighted several concerns about communication and organization within the hiring workflow. I was initially contacted by a recruiter for a 30-minute screening covering my background and a few technical topics. I was told the next step—a technical assessment—was time-sensitive and should be completed as soon as possible. Because of that urgency, I reached out multiple times when the assessment did not arrive, ultimately receiving it four days later. Despite the stated urgency, the assessment itself included a 14-day submission window.

I completed the exercise the following day, but before I was able to submit it, the recruiter reached out again asking if I had finished. This felt inconsistent given the earlier communication delays. After passing the assessment, I met with a hiring manager. The conversation was informal and lacked a clear structure; rather than a standard behavioral or technical interview, it primarily consisted of reviewing my résumé line-by-line. Unstructured interviews can introduce bias, and the format made it difficult to fully understand the expectations of the role.

Following that interview, communication became unclear again. I was handed off to another recruiter but did not receive a response after multiple follow-ups, eventually hearing back only after messaging the original recruiter on LinkedIn. I was then asked to chat, which typically indicates next steps, but no follow-up occurred until I reached out again and was informed the team would not be moving forward. Overall, the experience felt disorganized and inconsistent. Although the outcome was not what I hoped for, I believe everything works out for the best, and I appreciate the clarity this process gave me about the team and environment.

It was a typical LeetCode medium question.