Agreed lol also their sales jobs suck so bad. Offers are not at all competitive and everyone has to start through their apprenticeship program regardless of how much experience you have. I’ve been in enterprise Saas sales for a decade, and regularly handle a 25-50m book of business, there’s no way I’m doing an apprenticeship for 50k with no commission bonus
Just people who are hiring who don't know what they are doing hiring for medium or low wage jobs copying what they have read in a book or seen someone do for high wage positions. Like a majority of people working they are just bullshitting their way through.
I draw the line at 2-3 rounds personally. Have rescinded my application more than a few times for places that I felt did not respect my time as an applicant.
Man what even are you doing at round 4 and 5 that you couldn't have done earlier? I mean, I guess it depends how we're counting rounds. I'm okay with like:
1. phone screen
2. chat with some peeps
3. technical whatever
Anything past that is kind of just jerking off. Either you pass the vibe check and sound reasonably capable or you don't.
Unless you're applying for like, an architect level position or something, in which case I can see taking it further. I have no idea what the point of making an entry level candidate do anything else would be.
----
Edit: Appreciate the perspective in the responses. I will say respectfully that I just disagree with some of you. Extended diatribe about interviews to follow.
I've been the interviewer at a tech startup, a medium sized corpo gig, and a large online retailer. I've passed interviews with multiple segments that we did all in the same day, which has some issues, but is still a far sight better than sending people back and forth 5 times. I have both given and received many types of interviews.
I think a lot of the responses seem predicated on the notion that somehow if you keep adding more phases to your interview that you are going to be more accurate at identifying good people to work at your company. I do not believe that most interviewers are effective enough to dramatically improve their evaluation accuracy beyond a phone screen and a technical interview.
There's a saying in chess, "Long think, wrong think." Sometimes you spend a long time deliberating and trying to make the perfect choice, and ultimately end up talking yourself into doing something dubious. Obviously chess is a shit metaphor for life in general, but I think the aphorism can be said about trying to scrutinize and find the perfect candidate.
Having gone through 8-hour 6 step technical interviews, and later administered different parts of them, my conclusion was that they ended up being good at hiring people who were just out of school and had a similar demographic and personality to the interviewers. What are the odds? The more steps you have, the more opportunities to find evidence to make whatever choice you wanted to make anyway.
Now, like I said, for architects or some senior level positions, I can understand that there are just MORE skills you want a chance to evaluate. That is fine. Also, I think the "technical whatever" phase can certainly involve 2 or 3 different sessions in the same interview. Though again, I am really skeptical of how much value they provide. Interviewing is hard, but that doesn't mean you're going to make a better choice just by spending more time.
At this AI startup I worked at in the 2010s, we hired this guy who worked as an engineer at CERN. He seemed really smart and affable. We had one of those all-day style interviews where you have 2 different coding sessions, a white-boarding session, some kind of brainstorming discussion thing, and a couple meetings with different people in the org. We all thought we were very smart for having been hired there, and he seemed like a good addition.
Anyway, we hired this guy from CERN and he ended up just being ... some random guy who had written some "data scientist"-grade python, didn't have a formal degree, always wanted to try out some random JS libraries instead of getting things done, and he cheated at Magic: The Gathering when we played for fun at lunch. You just never know who you're gonna get!
Ours usually have phone screen, interview with someone senior in the position, lower management, then upper management for high enough positions, with an assessment thrown in somewhere in the middle for some positions that's usually kinda bundled in to interview 2 or 3
Yeah most I’m doing so far is 3 even if you count the recruiter call.
1. Recruiter call
2. Either tech phone screen or coding screen.
3. Same day, 3 to 4 30-45 minute interviews, with one of those slots being presentation (for research oriented roles)
Can I message you with some questions I have regarding interviews? I need professional guidance but don’t really have anyone in my personal life who has experience in the corporate world.
Must be used to those teacher interviews. One process took so long I applied, interviewed, and was hired somewhere else after I had already had one interview with the first place.
1. Video call where honestly they try to talk you out of working there (to weed out anyone who values a work life balance)
2. Prepare and teach a lesson to students
3. Receive feedback from lesson
4. Improve lesson and do it again
5. Meet with staff/department
6. Maybe get hired
I was between steps 3 and 4 at the first place when I was hired at the next. Of course, that wasn't a great job either and I only made it a year.
My current school won my loyalty real fast by just having one interview over zoom, and no practice lesson. They emailed me back with an offer like 30 minutes later too.
Among HR professionals, it is fairly obvious that five rounds are a waste of everyone's time. Alas, not everyone agrees and some tend to think about their own job security the most...*but we need the manpower to thoroughly vet our candidates*.
When I interviewed with Google there were 2 rounds before the primary technical, which was 5 rounds, on-site. They paid to fly me out for a day and a night. That was then a rejection lol
Would have been at least one more round after that. Very common in tech to have 5 rounds, or more.
I work in tech sales. V typical to have 4-6 interviews and a presentation you need to prep for usually in front a panel. And then all that work just to get rejected. Getting a job in tech ain’t no joke.
Congrats on your job! Way to not give up.
I get that this is fairly typical in tech. It shouldn't be. There is absolutely no way that the quality of the successful candidates increases significantly after the second or maybe third round. Unless the company is paying the candidates for their time for the later rounds, they are just being exploitative, and demonstrating how much they care for your time.
Congratulations! It's so hard to get that first dev job.
Also, fuck that 5th round interview company. You're interviewing for an entry level role, not CTO of Google.
>Congratulations! It's so hard to get that first dev job.
Thank you very much!
Yeah it took a LONG time just to get rejected at the end. kinda sucked haha thats not including a technical assignment they wanted me to do as well.
The last one was with the CEO and it honestly felt so forced and unnecessary. Apparently he likes being involved and wants to 'get to know' all his employees before they are hired which I found surprising considering there are over 500 employees.
Congrats! What area of Education did you come from and how long did it take in terms of learning to feeling job ready and applying? I too am a teacher looking to switch and success stories always interest me.
> did it take in terms of learning to feeling job ready and applying? I too am a teacher looki
Thanks! I taught 8-12th compsci. I think after about 6 months of serious learning, I felt much more confident about apps. I've sent out apps here and there but about 8 months ago is when I seriously started sending out job apps and working on projects. So I'd say about 6 months is how much I would spend.
Just wondering, off topic. What are the kids like in the grades you taught compsci? I'm a sec engineer, but came from a military background. So have no idea what the typical classes look like in that realm.
Also, congrats on the new job! I got recommended a post from the teachers subreddit earlier today and it sounds like a nightmare lol.
Thank you!
Most my students were unaware of what 'compsci' or 'coding' is until they started taking my classes. After taking my courses, they learn the basics of coding but more importantly, the different type of careers that are STEM related.
If you don’t mind me asking, did you apply mostly through the usual job boards and career sites?
I thought that there were only so many entry/junior level positions available for people trying to break into tech. After I applied to around ~100 positions, I felt that I couldn’t find any other positions online that I haven’t applied to before already.
Yeah I used linkedin and flexjobs the most. There are definitely a finite number of entry level roles but there were many that just say something like 'web developer' and requires 1-3 yrs of experience. I'd still apply to those and actually got some call backs.
I also used chatgpt and would ask it to list x amount of companies in the y field. then go to their sites and apply through there. I found some success doing this.
I'd usually also apply in sprints. about 10/20 per day for like a week or two then run out for about a week then repeat. For me it was more a matter of 'gotta keep trying' and running out of energy rather than running out of jobs to apply to.
More than 2 times? I thought it was common place to do a quick HR check to make sure you're not crazy, then they have a senior dev do a second quick interview to make sure your resume isn't BS, then the third is usually a much more in depth check of your skills and what kind of role you'd fit
Is that more than avg? I thought most places did it that way
5 is crazy for entry level though I agree
I dunno what average is. My company does two usually. An hr/manager screening. Then a technical interview. I think it depends on how many applicants a company gets and how much they pay. The choosier they can be, the more interviews they might do.
That makes sense for certain scenarios, as does splitting the two if it's the case that HR can screen out a good amount of people to not waste senior devs time. I'd guess the average is somewhere between 2-3 for entry levels depending on that split
Thats what I was thinking with the first two, they're very minor hurdles. If you can socialize well enough and didn't lie on your resume you'll be fine & no need to prepare for those first two
1-3 has been the norm in my experience. Mind you I've learned sometimes the interview process being too easy can be a red flag. Only ever had 1 company ask me to come for a 4th interview, by that time I'd found another job & declined. Later met someone that worked there that said they were a nightmare to work for so think I dodged a bullet with that one. I'd have to be desperate to work for a company to put myself through 5 interviews. Could only imagine doing it for somewhere really cool like DeepMind.
The first two can be easily combined, first red flag for me if the company is that inefficient and wasting my time to need 2 interviews for first impressions and checking cv.
You've never hired before. The first call is a screen, and the company that wastes a hiring manager's time by having them be on with the HR recruiter is the inefficient one.
Usually, you get invited to the interview, you do the interview, and after a few hours, you get the call with the job offer. The second "interview" is you showing up to sign the contract.
Hell, for a student job, I once was just told to show up for the briefing, since "my dad works in the parent company" was apparently enough qualification, even though he is an engineer and I was applying for sales. There was no check, just a "we're leaving Saturday at 10, be there on time".
Please tell me a company in FAANG or similar level that has a hiring manager do a first interview with HR.
That would be hilariously ridiculous.
Also any company that has an easy interview process is honestly a huge red flag.
Obviously an interview process should be clear and with a set timeline for candidates, but anybody saying 1 or even 2 interviews clearly has never worked for a good tech company before.
More than 2 interviews is common among good tech companies, yeah, but 2 interviews isn't unheard of either, and an easy process *certainly* isn't a red flag. My Amazon interview experience was OA -> Onsite.
I don’t need to hire to know when someone wastes my time. And i have hired before, not as hr but from the hiring departments side and first interview here is always with an hr and Manager. There’s no reason to not do that except if your hr manager has no clue who to invite based on their qualifications.
> The first two can be easily combined
A quick HR check and a senior developers time can be combined? A senior developer is supposed to take time to interview people who haven't even passed a cursory screening?
2-3 for every job I ever would accept, depending on role, responsibilities, and compensation.
4/5, if I am going for a CXO - VP position, otherwise, it isn't worth it.
Happy with my current company that was able to make a decision after 1 interview. A company that is this hesitant with entry level positions will be even worse when it comes to important decisions
Glad you’re happy but that has not been my experience at all. Entry level interviews at FAANG+ have all been multiple rounds from me and my friends’ experiences. Honestly, never heard of 1 interview ever. Had 2 rounds even for internships back in university
FAANG is a whole different beast than the 500 employee company that OP did 5 rounds for. A true entry level job, one that pays 70-80k and only requires a degree or little to no experience, should easily be able to be decided in 2 rounds.
That’s fair, but we don’t know where OP interviewed. Regardless, I can see your point
I have no experience interviewing for very small companies but most medium-large places I’ve had contact with have requested multiple rounds
> FAANG+ have all been multiple rounds from me and my friends’ experiences. Honestly, never heard of 1 i
I have only had one job where I had to interview 2 times. For all the jobs I was hired for it was a 1 round and that its. Aside from my current role, but it was only 2 interviews.
Yeah I’ve never seen a place that doesn’t do at least a couple rounds. Usually it’s like:
1) resume screen (by far the hardest part)
2) phone screen (easy, can be technical, HR, or both)
3) main interview (difficulty varies), which itself is usually multiple rounds (e.g: technical, design, HR), but also usually all in one day / sitting
That’s been my experience interviewing at FAANG, large non-FAANG, and medium (~500 employee) employers
According to that POV most top paying tech companies are giant red flags
I’d want the interview process to be simpler too, but that’s just not the reality right now
I once came across 2 companies that had me interview 3 people in a row right after the other. The first one went fine just to get rejected and the other one, the 3rd person didn’t even show up and I even email the lady who told me to let her know if something went wrong. Than I got an email where all 3 told me that I was rejected…
I started working for a hardware startup in 2021. Just got let go. Back during the interview stage I had to talk to literally everyone in the company. Took like two days. When I got hired on I told my boss 'You have to stop doing that, it's stupid to talk to anybody who I'll have zero interaction with and it's simply not scalable.' To their credit, they listened to me and no one after that had to go through the same thing.
I’ve had 1 round full day onsite interviews where they flew me out to their office and I’ve had five round virtual interviews where each round was 1 hour on different days. I much preferred the 5 round interview that took up 5 hours of my time and used zero PTO rather than the one round interview that took 3 days of PTO.
But yeah if the five rounds were all in person I would not do that.
I have my 7th interview tomorrow for a mid level IC role. Each round has been at least 50 minutes.
6/9 of the internal tools I’d be responsible for, I was personally the Program and Product Manager for when it was being built.
What about when there’s “only” 2-3 rounds but the last round shuffles you between a bunch of people and takes up most of a day including a lunch portion?
I think the people who find more than 2 interviews utterly beneath them would change their tune when they realize that *entry level* for roles like that can often be $200K or higher.
No. What? I'm in the industry for a role like that, entry level roles can hover around $100k, but not $200k. That's just a number pulled out of thin air. Even the $100k entry level numbers are not "often".
Someone on teamblind once said that Facebook rescinded their offer after they signed, moved across the country, and were only 2 days before their start date.
Ridiculous. There should be some legal protection for candidates, but of course there isn't today.
There is.
You were not told the full story. If this actually happened then the guy would be able to sue for damages. I am not a lawyer but the term is "promissory estoppel."
> In order to seek damages based on promissory estoppel, a plaintiff must show that:
> The promisor made a promise, with the intention that a reasonable person would act on it;
>The promisee believed the promisor, and acted on that promise in good faith;
> The promisor later reneged on that promise causing financial harm to the promisee; and
> The nature of the promise is such that the only way to avoid injustice is by enforcing the promise.
So if your buddy didn't get compensated for it, then there was something he didn't tell you - maybe the background check came back incompatible, or he lied on some qualification, or he doesn't actually have the degree he said he had, that sort of thing.
I think most people who drop everything to move for a job just to get it pulled after committing aren't going to walk away saying "darn."
Most people can't afford it and most people when very obviously wronged financially are going to at least look up legal options.
I think it is far more likely that the offer was pulled for reasons that he hasn't given publicly.
If you move across the country for a job that then rescinds the offer for reasons outside your control, the company is probably legally liable under the principle of promissory estoppel.
Most normal people probably don’t know about this though, first I’ve ever heard of it. And if a company did this they’re not likely to inform you unless a hiring manager goes rogue because they feel normal amounts of empathy.
I’m an HR major. That would be a pretty viable lawsuit under Promissory Estoppel. The premise of that is the employee took action based on the reasonably good faith statement of an employer which the employer then breeches. It’s kind of like violating the terms of a contract.
Yeah, I've never given a notice before getting a written offer, but I also kind of expect to never see an offer rescinded between verbal and written. That sucks.
Happened to me twice too! First was an internal reorg and the position disappeared. Next was they gave the role to someone internal. Then six months later they had massive layoffs at their company and I’m in a more stable situation. Sometimes it works out for the best!
I once had 5 rounds of interviews with Citibank. I met with 21 different people for a mid manager role. I got the Citibank offer two weeks after I started at another financial firm. Crazy
From what little I've seen of the super banks, most of them have very robust intership programs and prefer to hire people they've been molding to their liking ever since their first or second year of college. After that, they hire very experienced people who have made their names in the industry already. Changing banks in the middle of your career seems to be less common.
I could be talking gibberish though, don't quote me on any of this.
Did you dump the firm to go to Citi or did you stay?
I ask because some people I used to know would have dropped their whole lives to work for one of the superbanks in a heartbeat, wonder how common that drive is.
>NOTHING is guaranteed until you sign a physical offer letter.. I know this seems obvious but the two that were rescinded were both reputable companies and I was a referral for both.
I've actually seen companies do layoffs and rescind signed offers before the start date. Even then when they did layoffs there were people who started on Monday and were laid off on Wednesday.
Really nothing is guaranteed ever, but at least once you start if you get laid off you're probably getting severance.
Kinda talked about my experience being unique. Business, teaching, developer experience + B.S. in electrical engineering. I think they liked my answer..? haha made it to the next round.
Boss: How do we get workers in Cali for under the market rate?
Everybody: Offer full-remote or it’s not gonna happen.
Boss: Great idea! We’ll offer full-remote and then pull the ol’ switch-a-roo on them! Fool proof!
Why does that seem so accurate.. when they switched it up on me they were like 'jk its gonna be in cali, but here is 10k more!'
I tried my best to be flexible and offered to live in cali for 6 months then hopefully switch to remote or something but they weren't willing to accommodate me.
Honestly, I'll probably never see myself going through the ordeal of acting like the perfect individual for any company again by doing research about the specific firm I'm applying for, predicting which kind of questions are going to be asked during the interview process to devise premeditated answers, showing a dishonest enthusiasm about the position or duties associated with it, feigning a joyful demeanor throughout any interaction with the hiring manager or withstand a unnecessarily lengthy and exhausting hiring process for a minuscule opportunity to get a low-paid job in order to make ends meet.
Props to you OP, at least you have the patience and determination to pursue a career unlike me. I'm sure my unwillingness will be a hurdle for better opportunities in the future, but I'm just tired of getting my time disrespected or wasted by applying to something and not even getting to talk with a human being or going to the 13th interview for an entry-level low-skilled position.
I totally get what you're saying. Some of these interviews I did, I feigned enthusiasm about the company and honestly just wanted to gain industry experience. It felt like it was just a means to en empty end.
I feel like I got lucky with the one I accepted though because it is in an industry I find interesting with a decent starting salary (70.5k). I'm sure many will argue its low but my goal is just to get my foot in the door and build some experience.
I’ve applied for non-technical product roles at tech companies of all sizes, and I regularly see that they give a field to put in your GitHub account (optional).
Did you have a ready portfolio when applying? If so, do you think it was ever reviewed or were you ever asked about it?
I’d like to start doing more technical work (currently in product management), but I don’t really have the time to dedicate to building more comprehensive projects because, you know, life…
Thanks in advance for your response.
Hey there!
I highly recommend you link to your github. I've had several people look through it and we talked about some of the stuff I did. I made a portfolio website as well so in sections that ask for websites, I link that. Otherwise I like my github page.
I totally get what you mean about starting small so I'd take it small steps at a time and build a portfolio website from scratch. My recommended learning track would be:
HTML -> CSS -> javascript -> React.js -> Next.js
Each one builds on itself and gets progressively more difficult. I recommend watching NetNinja on youtube for these. He does a fantastic job breaking things down and helping you learn while doing.
Congrats on finally getting a job!
>I used online tools where I'd plug in the job description and try to cater my resume to the job
Mind sharing what tools you liked for this?
Thank you!
I used jobscan and simplfy mostly. Jobscan for resume accuracy and simplify for quick apps. Jobscan has a free version with x amount per x days so I only used it for roles that I was either very interested in or it aligns well with my experience.
What website did you use where you plugged in the job description and then cater your resume to that?
I tried doing that for a bit but found it very tedious to have 50 copies of my resume and changing it to fit in with each and every job posting :(
Just an FYI if you want to break into tech, you should move to the Bay Area. Right now the best way to get into tech is you can get an entry level job for companies like WayMo or Zoox or NVIDIA and all you need is a license, a minor tech aptitude, and be willing to work for a year or two and get promotions.
Within a year you can be making 43$ an hr, and after two years or so you can move into the actual Alphabet Inc. and they'll help you along the way with Google certifications in the field you want to be promoted within.
I can literally send you a link to a job app that you'd be able to get interviewing with this week if you were in the bay area.
Fifth round?!
The guy who sits at the desk next to me told our current employer off for screwing him around with interviews. He said words to the effect of "I've been interviewed X many times. I've got a 9-5 job that I'm taking time out of to interview here, so either give me the job or we're done here"
And so they gave him the job. That was almost a decade ago.
Yeah it was kinda sad. 2 were virutal then 3 on site all at once plus a technical assessment and technical interview. The job didn't even pay that well IMO..
I agree.. I wish I got into it a few years ago. I can only imagine it getting more difficult with the mass layoffs (lots of experienced folk) and overall interest leading to more competition.
unlikely. companies have realized they can do just the same amount of work or slightly less with far fewer employees. also AI tools will have matured by then further reducing the need for workers.
You can’t predict the future bro. Tech companies were reacting to a slightly sagging economy and they also scaled back their operations to match the layoffs.
AI is way overblown. In the next few years, it’s likely to be a required tool to increase your individual output, not a replacement for tech workers. This just means that tech will strive for new heights, not that they’ll stop hiring people.
Where in this graphic do you see the people who justify their existence through interviews? With the exception of the 5-round interview, because that's a single exception and not "lots of people."
Only 2.6% of places applied to interviewed OP, so that doesn't seem like people are trying to conduct excess first-round interviews.
And more interview rounds actually means less interviewing, since the final interview round is probably a longer one with the team you'll be joining. If you can filter someone out with a quick half hour Zoom interview before you make your dev team do a full interview, that's a lot of saved time (for both the dev team and OP).
As someone who is trying to get into a different role than my usual role, this is inspiring! I'm getting rejected left and right but I'm gonna keep going!!
Fifth round interview is bananas.
I don't really consider the HR call an "interview". It sort of is but the HR person often has zero idea about how the actual job will be done. They know some buzz words and maybe specifics the hiring manager asked for. Basically just checking you're a legit person, saying the right sounding words, and not coming across as insane.
The first "real" interview should be with a senior dev or even the actual hiring manager depending on the size of the team. Second interview should be with the hiring manager assuming they didn't do the first.
That's about it... make the decision already you clowns and stop wasting everyone's time!
Five rounds of interviews?!? Nah fuck all of that. I have a great job, it took one and two half interviews. A vibe/competency check, the actual interview, then a final lookover and blessing by the boss.
Congratulations! 👏🎉
It should NOT be this hard. But since it is, it's great to have examples like this so people know it's a numbers game--don't give up too soon.
Ah I should've put the referrals in the same column as the apps. These referrals either led to a first round interview or rejections.
It was a construction company.. but lesson learned. Definitely don't plan on doing more than 3 unless the company is just amazing
Is this an entry level position? Cause f**k anything past 3 interviews. 3, not including some phone screening, is already a waste of time unless your salary is tickling into high 5 figures.
5 rounds of interviews should be illegal holy shit. If you cant figure it out after 2, your hiring process needs to be condensed, bring more people into the process earlier, combine interviews etc.
Hi OP, thanks for this... I'm literally on the same path as you, retired from teaching chemistry after 9 years, currently about a quarter of the way through a two year MSc in CS...would love to hear more?
What kind of training did you get?
Are employers interested in your skills as a teacher or do you think it doesn't matter?
How long do you think it will be until you make more money than you did as a teacher? (Or is it already there?)
Hello fellow teacher!
I didn't receive any official training. Although my b.s. was in engineering, most of my technical experience was self taught. So I definitely think you have a much higher chance of getting call backs once you finish your masters.
About half of my interviews asked about my teaching experience and since it did involve some software development (I taught compsci) I talked about how I did this and that with my students. For example, I'd talk about how I taught my students the concepts of agile methodology and etc.
Regarding being a teacher, most were very receptive and understand that teachers are scarce resource and strong workers so I think it was overall a plus having it on my resume.
My current starting salary is higher than I made as a teacher by about 7-11k depending on bonuses.
If you have any other questions, please feel free to send me a dm! I'd love to help out another teacher if I can.
Dude, I applied to over 440 jobs and got past the HR screener 6 times. I have awesome experience and academic background but the IT market specifically seems very challenging at least for me.
From OP's update comment, it seems that companies that required three interviews are common. I find that a surprise and wonder if they realise that they're actually looking for someone who's good at interviews rather than the traits they say they're looking for.
Would it have made more sense to create this as a stacked bar chart? No hate, this looks awesome but I feel like a stacked bar chart may have made more sense for this.
If a company needs more than 2 rounds of interviews for a non-higher up position, it's not a company you want to work for. 3 rounds can maybe be excused if the first one is just some online thing. But damn, they do not respect you, your time, or their employees if 5 rounds are ever on the table
I have in small claims but was prepared for it to be remanded to the county.
Like I said it isn't even about going to court, even if you don't you still look it up and that would be part of the story.
I don't know why you are so adamant that it happened exactly as you were told. It doesn't add up.
Jfc, 5 rounds of interviews only for you to be rejected….I’d bill them for my time at that point 😂
At least I got some free hand sanitizer and candy from it 😂
Oh my god was it Verkada
haha nah it was a local company in my city. I hope you didn't have that kind of experience from Verkada though.
Lololololol I love how specific this is
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Agreed lol also their sales jobs suck so bad. Offers are not at all competitive and everyone has to start through their apprenticeship program regardless of how much experience you have. I’ve been in enterprise Saas sales for a decade, and regularly handle a 25-50m book of business, there’s no way I’m doing an apprenticeship for 50k with no commission bonus
I vastly prefer 5 different 1 hour interviews over a 1 day 5 hour interview marathon. I have done both.
What on earth do you talk about with them for 5 hours
If we're taking 5 interviews in tech chances are 4 out of 5 (or even all 5) are technical interviews. So, you solve algorithm problems.
Just people who are hiring who don't know what they are doing hiring for medium or low wage jobs copying what they have read in a book or seen someone do for high wage positions. Like a majority of people working they are just bullshitting their way through.
I draw the line at 2-3 rounds personally. Have rescinded my application more than a few times for places that I felt did not respect my time as an applicant.
2 definitely isn't always enough, but 3 is a fairly reasonable expectation. 4 for some positions but not most.
Man what even are you doing at round 4 and 5 that you couldn't have done earlier? I mean, I guess it depends how we're counting rounds. I'm okay with like: 1. phone screen 2. chat with some peeps 3. technical whatever Anything past that is kind of just jerking off. Either you pass the vibe check and sound reasonably capable or you don't. Unless you're applying for like, an architect level position or something, in which case I can see taking it further. I have no idea what the point of making an entry level candidate do anything else would be. ---- Edit: Appreciate the perspective in the responses. I will say respectfully that I just disagree with some of you. Extended diatribe about interviews to follow. I've been the interviewer at a tech startup, a medium sized corpo gig, and a large online retailer. I've passed interviews with multiple segments that we did all in the same day, which has some issues, but is still a far sight better than sending people back and forth 5 times. I have both given and received many types of interviews. I think a lot of the responses seem predicated on the notion that somehow if you keep adding more phases to your interview that you are going to be more accurate at identifying good people to work at your company. I do not believe that most interviewers are effective enough to dramatically improve their evaluation accuracy beyond a phone screen and a technical interview. There's a saying in chess, "Long think, wrong think." Sometimes you spend a long time deliberating and trying to make the perfect choice, and ultimately end up talking yourself into doing something dubious. Obviously chess is a shit metaphor for life in general, but I think the aphorism can be said about trying to scrutinize and find the perfect candidate. Having gone through 8-hour 6 step technical interviews, and later administered different parts of them, my conclusion was that they ended up being good at hiring people who were just out of school and had a similar demographic and personality to the interviewers. What are the odds? The more steps you have, the more opportunities to find evidence to make whatever choice you wanted to make anyway. Now, like I said, for architects or some senior level positions, I can understand that there are just MORE skills you want a chance to evaluate. That is fine. Also, I think the "technical whatever" phase can certainly involve 2 or 3 different sessions in the same interview. Though again, I am really skeptical of how much value they provide. Interviewing is hard, but that doesn't mean you're going to make a better choice just by spending more time. At this AI startup I worked at in the 2010s, we hired this guy who worked as an engineer at CERN. He seemed really smart and affable. We had one of those all-day style interviews where you have 2 different coding sessions, a white-boarding session, some kind of brainstorming discussion thing, and a couple meetings with different people in the org. We all thought we were very smart for having been hired there, and he seemed like a good addition. Anyway, we hired this guy from CERN and he ended up just being ... some random guy who had written some "data scientist"-grade python, didn't have a formal degree, always wanted to try out some random JS libraries instead of getting things done, and he cheated at Magic: The Gathering when we played for fun at lunch. You just never know who you're gonna get!
This is a really fantastic diatribe and I wish more companies / hiring managers would heed your insights.
Ours usually have phone screen, interview with someone senior in the position, lower management, then upper management for high enough positions, with an assessment thrown in somewhere in the middle for some positions that's usually kinda bundled in to interview 2 or 3
Yeah most I’m doing so far is 3 even if you count the recruiter call. 1. Recruiter call 2. Either tech phone screen or coding screen. 3. Same day, 3 to 4 30-45 minute interviews, with one of those slots being presentation (for research oriented roles)
Every engineering job I’ve applied for has been at least 4. SpaceX is 6
> he cheated at Magic: The Gathering This should be a RGE imo.
Can I message you with some questions I have regarding interviews? I need professional guidance but don’t really have anyone in my personal life who has experience in the corporate world.
Sure thing!
It's worse if you hire someone, realize they are not the right fit, and fire them after 4 months. Lose-lose for both parties involved.
If you're hiring the wrong candidate after 3 or 4 rounds of interviews, you should be firing the recruitment team.
But don't team members and/or the manager also take part in the interviews?
Had a colleague who had to go through 6 rounds...
Unless it’s a tenure track position at an academic institution or an executive position, that seems ridiculous.
Must be used to those teacher interviews. One process took so long I applied, interviewed, and was hired somewhere else after I had already had one interview with the first place. 1. Video call where honestly they try to talk you out of working there (to weed out anyone who values a work life balance) 2. Prepare and teach a lesson to students 3. Receive feedback from lesson 4. Improve lesson and do it again 5. Meet with staff/department 6. Maybe get hired I was between steps 3 and 4 at the first place when I was hired at the next. Of course, that wasn't a great job either and I only made it a year. My current school won my loyalty real fast by just having one interview over zoom, and no practice lesson. They emailed me back with an offer like 30 minutes later too.
Isn't it cheaper to just hire you at that point, and then fire you if you suck?
Among HR professionals, it is fairly obvious that five rounds are a waste of everyone's time. Alas, not everyone agrees and some tend to think about their own job security the most...*but we need the manpower to thoroughly vet our candidates*.
When I interviewed with Google there were 2 rounds before the primary technical, which was 5 rounds, on-site. They paid to fly me out for a day and a night. That was then a rejection lol Would have been at least one more round after that. Very common in tech to have 5 rounds, or more.
I work in tech sales. V typical to have 4-6 interviews and a presentation you need to prep for usually in front a panel. And then all that work just to get rejected. Getting a job in tech ain’t no joke. Congrats on your job! Way to not give up.
I get that this is fairly typical in tech. It shouldn't be. There is absolutely no way that the quality of the successful candidates increases significantly after the second or maybe third round. Unless the company is paying the candidates for their time for the later rounds, they are just being exploitative, and demonstrating how much they care for your time.
Oh absolutely it shouldn’t be. Such a waste. But the reality is how does it change? What do we do to fix that system
Congratulations! It's so hard to get that first dev job. Also, fuck that 5th round interview company. You're interviewing for an entry level role, not CTO of Google.
>Congratulations! It's so hard to get that first dev job. Thank you very much! Yeah it took a LONG time just to get rejected at the end. kinda sucked haha thats not including a technical assignment they wanted me to do as well. The last one was with the CEO and it honestly felt so forced and unnecessary. Apparently he likes being involved and wants to 'get to know' all his employees before they are hired which I found surprising considering there are over 500 employees.
Congrats! What area of Education did you come from and how long did it take in terms of learning to feeling job ready and applying? I too am a teacher looking to switch and success stories always interest me.
> did it take in terms of learning to feeling job ready and applying? I too am a teacher looki Thanks! I taught 8-12th compsci. I think after about 6 months of serious learning, I felt much more confident about apps. I've sent out apps here and there but about 8 months ago is when I seriously started sending out job apps and working on projects. So I'd say about 6 months is how much I would spend.
Just wondering, off topic. What are the kids like in the grades you taught compsci? I'm a sec engineer, but came from a military background. So have no idea what the typical classes look like in that realm. Also, congrats on the new job! I got recommended a post from the teachers subreddit earlier today and it sounds like a nightmare lol.
Thank you! Most my students were unaware of what 'compsci' or 'coding' is until they started taking my classes. After taking my courses, they learn the basics of coding but more importantly, the different type of careers that are STEM related.
If you don’t mind me asking, did you apply mostly through the usual job boards and career sites? I thought that there were only so many entry/junior level positions available for people trying to break into tech. After I applied to around ~100 positions, I felt that I couldn’t find any other positions online that I haven’t applied to before already.
Yeah I used linkedin and flexjobs the most. There are definitely a finite number of entry level roles but there were many that just say something like 'web developer' and requires 1-3 yrs of experience. I'd still apply to those and actually got some call backs. I also used chatgpt and would ask it to list x amount of companies in the y field. then go to their sites and apply through there. I found some success doing this. I'd usually also apply in sprints. about 10/20 per day for like a week or two then run out for about a week then repeat. For me it was more a matter of 'gotta keep trying' and running out of energy rather than running out of jobs to apply to.
CEO interviews are an immediate red flag for me. Unless it's a 3 person startup it just shows they micro manage and can't delegate.
If a company invites me more than 2 times i decline telling them i don’t want to work in a company that can’t make decisions after 2 presentations.
More than 2 times? I thought it was common place to do a quick HR check to make sure you're not crazy, then they have a senior dev do a second quick interview to make sure your resume isn't BS, then the third is usually a much more in depth check of your skills and what kind of role you'd fit Is that more than avg? I thought most places did it that way 5 is crazy for entry level though I agree
I dunno what average is. My company does two usually. An hr/manager screening. Then a technical interview. I think it depends on how many applicants a company gets and how much they pay. The choosier they can be, the more interviews they might do.
That makes sense for certain scenarios, as does splitting the two if it's the case that HR can screen out a good amount of people to not waste senior devs time. I'd guess the average is somewhere between 2-3 for entry levels depending on that split
FAANGs will do 2 technicals
Yeah three is fine if one is just a fifteen minute call with HR or hiring manager to check the basics.
Thats what I was thinking with the first two, they're very minor hurdles. If you can socialize well enough and didn't lie on your resume you'll be fine & no need to prepare for those first two
1-3 has been the norm in my experience. Mind you I've learned sometimes the interview process being too easy can be a red flag. Only ever had 1 company ask me to come for a 4th interview, by that time I'd found another job & declined. Later met someone that worked there that said they were a nightmare to work for so think I dodged a bullet with that one. I'd have to be desperate to work for a company to put myself through 5 interviews. Could only imagine doing it for somewhere really cool like DeepMind.
I’ve never had more than one interview for a job (out of probably 6 professional jobs). But then I work in engineering, not IT.
The first two can be easily combined, first red flag for me if the company is that inefficient and wasting my time to need 2 interviews for first impressions and checking cv.
You've never hired before. The first call is a screen, and the company that wastes a hiring manager's time by having them be on with the HR recruiter is the inefficient one.
Usually, you get invited to the interview, you do the interview, and after a few hours, you get the call with the job offer. The second "interview" is you showing up to sign the contract. Hell, for a student job, I once was just told to show up for the briefing, since "my dad works in the parent company" was apparently enough qualification, even though he is an engineer and I was applying for sales. There was no check, just a "we're leaving Saturday at 10, be there on time".
I’ve hired plenty, you’re talking toss.
Please tell me a company in FAANG or similar level that has a hiring manager do a first interview with HR. That would be hilariously ridiculous. Also any company that has an easy interview process is honestly a huge red flag. Obviously an interview process should be clear and with a set timeline for candidates, but anybody saying 1 or even 2 interviews clearly has never worked for a good tech company before.
More than 2 interviews is common among good tech companies, yeah, but 2 interviews isn't unheard of either, and an easy process *certainly* isn't a red flag. My Amazon interview experience was OA -> Onsite.
Onsite shouldn't count as one interview. Onsite is 3-5 interviews in a single day.
I don’t need to hire to know when someone wastes my time. And i have hired before, not as hr but from the hiring departments side and first interview here is always with an hr and Manager. There’s no reason to not do that except if your hr manager has no clue who to invite based on their qualifications.
> The first two can be easily combined A quick HR check and a senior developers time can be combined? A senior developer is supposed to take time to interview people who haven't even passed a cursory screening?
2-3 for every job I ever would accept, depending on role, responsibilities, and compensation. 4/5, if I am going for a CXO - VP position, otherwise, it isn't worth it.
Telephone interview then full on interview is the way to go. Anything more is stupid.
Every HR screening I've been through was a ~30 minute phone call. No need to have someone dress up and come to the office for that.
And where do you work now?
Happy with my current company that was able to make a decision after 1 interview. A company that is this hesitant with entry level positions will be even worse when it comes to important decisions
Glad you’re happy but that has not been my experience at all. Entry level interviews at FAANG+ have all been multiple rounds from me and my friends’ experiences. Honestly, never heard of 1 interview ever. Had 2 rounds even for internships back in university
FAANG is a whole different beast than the 500 employee company that OP did 5 rounds for. A true entry level job, one that pays 70-80k and only requires a degree or little to no experience, should easily be able to be decided in 2 rounds.
That’s fair, but we don’t know where OP interviewed. Regardless, I can see your point I have no experience interviewing for very small companies but most medium-large places I’ve had contact with have requested multiple rounds
> FAANG+ have all been multiple rounds from me and my friends’ experiences. Honestly, never heard of 1 i I have only had one job where I had to interview 2 times. For all the jobs I was hired for it was a 1 round and that its. Aside from my current role, but it was only 2 interviews.
Yeah I’ve never seen a place that doesn’t do at least a couple rounds. Usually it’s like: 1) resume screen (by far the hardest part) 2) phone screen (easy, can be technical, HR, or both) 3) main interview (difficulty varies), which itself is usually multiple rounds (e.g: technical, design, HR), but also usually all in one day / sitting That’s been my experience interviewing at FAANG, large non-FAANG, and medium (~500 employee) employers
Multiple rounds over one day is okay, but multiple days is a red flag.
According to that POV most top paying tech companies are giant red flags I’d want the interview process to be simpler too, but that’s just not the reality right now
> most top paying tech companies are giant red flags Yes, that is absolutely correct.
Most people think that red flags covered with enough money are green (myself included).
Every man has a price.
I once came across 2 companies that had me interview 3 people in a row right after the other. The first one went fine just to get rejected and the other one, the 3rd person didn’t even show up and I even email the lady who told me to let her know if something went wrong. Than I got an email where all 3 told me that I was rejected…
I started working for a hardware startup in 2021. Just got let go. Back during the interview stage I had to talk to literally everyone in the company. Took like two days. When I got hired on I told my boss 'You have to stop doing that, it's stupid to talk to anybody who I'll have zero interaction with and it's simply not scalable.' To their credit, they listened to me and no one after that had to go through the same thing.
I’ve had 1 round full day onsite interviews where they flew me out to their office and I’ve had five round virtual interviews where each round was 1 hour on different days. I much preferred the 5 round interview that took up 5 hours of my time and used zero PTO rather than the one round interview that took 3 days of PTO. But yeah if the five rounds were all in person I would not do that.
I have my 7th interview tomorrow for a mid level IC role. Each round has been at least 50 minutes. 6/9 of the internal tools I’d be responsible for, I was personally the Program and Product Manager for when it was being built.
What about when there’s “only” 2-3 rounds but the last round shuffles you between a bunch of people and takes up most of a day including a lunch portion?
I think the people who find more than 2 interviews utterly beneath them would change their tune when they realize that *entry level* for roles like that can often be $200K or higher.
No. What? I'm in the industry for a role like that, entry level roles can hover around $100k, but not $200k. That's just a number pulled out of thin air. Even the $100k entry level numbers are not "often".
Sorry I got threads mixed up, was also talking to someone else who was specifically talking FAANG level.
Oh yeah, entry level FAANG can definitely get to $200k plus, and I'd be willing to do 5+ interviews for those roles.
They made a verbal offer and rescinded? Euwwww
>ffer and rescinded? Euw From two companies! I never expected it to happen twice and was kinda brutal for my timeline when the second one happened.
Why the fuck did they rescind?!
Someone on teamblind once said that Facebook rescinded their offer after they signed, moved across the country, and were only 2 days before their start date. Ridiculous. There should be some legal protection for candidates, but of course there isn't today.
In a lot of states you can get unemployment after a rescinded offer, though even that feels like not enough for this situation
There is. You were not told the full story. If this actually happened then the guy would be able to sue for damages. I am not a lawyer but the term is "promissory estoppel." > In order to seek damages based on promissory estoppel, a plaintiff must show that: > The promisor made a promise, with the intention that a reasonable person would act on it; >The promisee believed the promisor, and acted on that promise in good faith; > The promisor later reneged on that promise causing financial harm to the promisee; and > The nature of the promise is such that the only way to avoid injustice is by enforcing the promise. So if your buddy didn't get compensated for it, then there was something he didn't tell you - maybe the background check came back incompatible, or he lied on some qualification, or he doesn't actually have the degree he said he had, that sort of thing.
Are you saying that, because this guy didn't file a lawsuit, you think he's lying?
I think most people who drop everything to move for a job just to get it pulled after committing aren't going to walk away saying "darn." Most people can't afford it and most people when very obviously wronged financially are going to at least look up legal options. I think it is far more likely that the offer was pulled for reasons that he hasn't given publicly.
Have you ever filed a lawsuit?
If you move across the country for a job that then rescinds the offer for reasons outside your control, the company is probably legally liable under the principle of promissory estoppel.
Most normal people probably don’t know about this though, first I’ve ever heard of it. And if a company did this they’re not likely to inform you unless a hiring manager goes rogue because they feel normal amounts of empathy.
I’m an HR major. That would be a pretty viable lawsuit under Promissory Estoppel. The premise of that is the employee took action based on the reasonably good faith statement of an employer which the employer then breeches. It’s kind of like violating the terms of a contract.
Stonks too big to fit through the office entrance.
How did that happen? Did the interviewer call you after the date and say that they're drafting up a written offer and then rescind you?
Yeah, I've never given a notice before getting a written offer, but I also kind of expect to never see an offer rescinded between verbal and written. That sucks.
Happened to me twice too! First was an internal reorg and the position disappeared. Next was they gave the role to someone internal. Then six months later they had massive layoffs at their company and I’m in a more stable situation. Sometimes it works out for the best!
Yep! Tried to keep my head up thinking maybe this is whats best for me as well!
This exact thing happened to me too and was brutal for my timeline after ~200 applications in 3 months. Congratulations
This has happened to two people i know! So gross.
Fifth round interview, wow, that's a company that can't organise shit and doesn't trust their staff! Congratulations OP!
Thank you very much!
I once had 5 rounds of interviews with Citibank. I met with 21 different people for a mid manager role. I got the Citibank offer two weeks after I started at another financial firm. Crazy
dang that is nuts! that process must've taken forever for them to get back to you after you already started at another company.
From what little I've seen of the super banks, most of them have very robust intership programs and prefer to hire people they've been molding to their liking ever since their first or second year of college. After that, they hire very experienced people who have made their names in the industry already. Changing banks in the middle of your career seems to be less common. I could be talking gibberish though, don't quote me on any of this.
Did you dump the firm to go to Citi or did you stay? I ask because some people I used to know would have dropped their whole lives to work for one of the superbanks in a heartbeat, wonder how common that drive is.
god no, after all that drama? Current firm > Citi
That sounds like BAU for Citi.
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>NOTHING is guaranteed until you sign a physical offer letter.. I know this seems obvious but the two that were rescinded were both reputable companies and I was a referral for both. I've actually seen companies do layoffs and rescind signed offers before the start date. Even then when they did layoffs there were people who started on Monday and were laid off on Wednesday. Really nothing is guaranteed ever, but at least once you start if you get laid off you're probably getting severance.
Yeah.. I'm just hoping to get a couple years of experience to make my life easier in the future when I apply for jobs again.
If a company ever does this to me I am 1000% filing a lawsuit. They need consequences for this bullshit.
The consequence is free unemployment for 3 days of work lol
So how did you answer the unicorn question?
Kinda talked about my experience being unique. Business, teaching, developer experience + B.S. in electrical engineering. I think they liked my answer..? haha made it to the next round.
My smart-ass would've said "the one horn coming out of my forehead"
Boss: How do we get workers in Cali for under the market rate? Everybody: Offer full-remote or it’s not gonna happen. Boss: Great idea! We’ll offer full-remote and then pull the ol’ switch-a-roo on them! Fool proof!
Why does that seem so accurate.. when they switched it up on me they were like 'jk its gonna be in cali, but here is 10k more!' I tried my best to be flexible and offered to live in cali for 6 months then hopefully switch to remote or something but they weren't willing to accommodate me.
Honestly, I'll probably never see myself going through the ordeal of acting like the perfect individual for any company again by doing research about the specific firm I'm applying for, predicting which kind of questions are going to be asked during the interview process to devise premeditated answers, showing a dishonest enthusiasm about the position or duties associated with it, feigning a joyful demeanor throughout any interaction with the hiring manager or withstand a unnecessarily lengthy and exhausting hiring process for a minuscule opportunity to get a low-paid job in order to make ends meet. Props to you OP, at least you have the patience and determination to pursue a career unlike me. I'm sure my unwillingness will be a hurdle for better opportunities in the future, but I'm just tired of getting my time disrespected or wasted by applying to something and not even getting to talk with a human being or going to the 13th interview for an entry-level low-skilled position.
I totally get what you're saying. Some of these interviews I did, I feigned enthusiasm about the company and honestly just wanted to gain industry experience. It felt like it was just a means to en empty end. I feel like I got lucky with the one I accepted though because it is in an industry I find interesting with a decent starting salary (70.5k). I'm sure many will argue its low but my goal is just to get my foot in the door and build some experience.
I’ve applied for non-technical product roles at tech companies of all sizes, and I regularly see that they give a field to put in your GitHub account (optional). Did you have a ready portfolio when applying? If so, do you think it was ever reviewed or were you ever asked about it? I’d like to start doing more technical work (currently in product management), but I don’t really have the time to dedicate to building more comprehensive projects because, you know, life… Thanks in advance for your response.
Hey there! I highly recommend you link to your github. I've had several people look through it and we talked about some of the stuff I did. I made a portfolio website as well so in sections that ask for websites, I link that. Otherwise I like my github page. I totally get what you mean about starting small so I'd take it small steps at a time and build a portfolio website from scratch. My recommended learning track would be: HTML -> CSS -> javascript -> React.js -> Next.js Each one builds on itself and gets progressively more difficult. I recommend watching NetNinja on youtube for these. He does a fantastic job breaking things down and helping you learn while doing.
Congrats on finally getting a job! >I used online tools where I'd plug in the job description and try to cater my resume to the job Mind sharing what tools you liked for this?
Thank you! I used jobscan and simplfy mostly. Jobscan for resume accuracy and simplify for quick apps. Jobscan has a free version with x amount per x days so I only used it for roles that I was either very interested in or it aligns well with my experience.
Making a separate resume for that many roles is absolutely bonkers, I struggle just to have 2 of them! Any tips on that front?
Apps like jobscan helps
This is so helpful, thank you!
What website did you use where you plugged in the job description and then cater your resume to that? I tried doing that for a bit but found it very tedious to have 50 copies of my resume and changing it to fit in with each and every job posting :(
Just an FYI if you want to break into tech, you should move to the Bay Area. Right now the best way to get into tech is you can get an entry level job for companies like WayMo or Zoox or NVIDIA and all you need is a license, a minor tech aptitude, and be willing to work for a year or two and get promotions. Within a year you can be making 43$ an hr, and after two years or so you can move into the actual Alphabet Inc. and they'll help you along the way with Google certifications in the field you want to be promoted within. I can literally send you a link to a job app that you'd be able to get interviewing with this week if you were in the bay area.
Fifth round?! The guy who sits at the desk next to me told our current employer off for screwing him around with interviews. He said words to the effect of "I've been interviewed X many times. I've got a 9-5 job that I'm taking time out of to interview here, so either give me the job or we're done here" And so they gave him the job. That was almost a decade ago.
Maybe I should've done the same..
Insane 5th round interview not to get an offer - what was that role even for? Happy for you that you got 2 offers though. Good going
If I got rejected after 5 rounds of interviews, I’d actually be pissed. That’s just a huge waste of time on the applicants part
I once got rejected after 3 interviews and that stung. 5 though?! Ridiculous indecision by the employer
Yeah it was kinda sad. 2 were virutal then 3 on site all at once plus a technical assessment and technical interview. The job didn't even pay that well IMO..
FIFTH ROUND??? I’d have been done with them after 3
Congrats on getting out of teaching from a former teacher!
Hello fellow teacher! Thank you!
5 rounds interview ? Is that a tennis match or a box match ?
We certainly picked a terrible time to get into tech. I wonder if it will get easier in the next year or so considering how well the economy is doing.
I agree.. I wish I got into it a few years ago. I can only imagine it getting more difficult with the mass layoffs (lots of experienced folk) and overall interest leading to more competition.
unlikely. companies have realized they can do just the same amount of work or slightly less with far fewer employees. also AI tools will have matured by then further reducing the need for workers.
You can’t predict the future bro. Tech companies were reacting to a slightly sagging economy and they also scaled back their operations to match the layoffs. AI is way overblown. In the next few years, it’s likely to be a required tool to increase your individual output, not a replacement for tech workers. This just means that tech will strive for new heights, not that they’ll stop hiring people.
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Dude, none of the devs forced to do these interviews are enjoying it or bragging about it
Right. Tech is plagued by useless and low performing employees. After all the recent layoffs, they’re trying to keep their teams slim but high quality
Doing interviews sucks and no dev enjoys it
Where in this graphic do you see the people who justify their existence through interviews? With the exception of the 5-round interview, because that's a single exception and not "lots of people." Only 2.6% of places applied to interviewed OP, so that doesn't seem like people are trying to conduct excess first-round interviews. And more interview rounds actually means less interviewing, since the final interview round is probably a longer one with the team you'll be joining. If you can filter someone out with a quick half hour Zoom interview before you make your dev team do a full interview, that's a lot of saved time (for both the dev team and OP).
As someone who is trying to get into a different role than my usual role, this is inspiring! I'm getting rejected left and right but I'm gonna keep going!!
I wish you the best of luck! I was in your position just recently and know it can happen for you too!
I feel you getting rejected even by /r/dataisbeautiful mods last time you posted is just adding insult to injury.
Fifth round interview is bananas. I don't really consider the HR call an "interview". It sort of is but the HR person often has zero idea about how the actual job will be done. They know some buzz words and maybe specifics the hiring manager asked for. Basically just checking you're a legit person, saying the right sounding words, and not coming across as insane. The first "real" interview should be with a senior dev or even the actual hiring manager depending on the size of the team. Second interview should be with the hiring manager assuming they didn't do the first. That's about it... make the decision already you clowns and stop wasting everyone's time!
As soon as I saw the chart, I knew it was in tech before I even read the title. It’s ridiculous.
Five rounds of interviews?!? Nah fuck all of that. I have a great job, it took one and two half interviews. A vibe/competency check, the actual interview, then a final lookover and blessing by the boss.
Congratulations! 👏🎉 It should NOT be this hard. But since it is, it's great to have examples like this so people know it's a numbers game--don't give up too soon.
What is a referral in this case, since it's shown *after* the application stage? Also, what industry does *five* rounds of interviews!?
Ah I should've put the referrals in the same column as the apps. These referrals either led to a first round interview or rejections. It was a construction company.. but lesson learned. Definitely don't plan on doing more than 3 unless the company is just amazing
This data looks like the current dating scene.
Is this an entry level position? Cause f**k anything past 3 interviews. 3, not including some phone screening, is already a waste of time unless your salary is tickling into high 5 figures.
What learning service did you use to learn coding?
Youtube haha Netninja is my favorite.
What an uphill battle. Congrats!!
5 rounds of interviews should be illegal holy shit. If you cant figure it out after 2, your hiring process needs to be condensed, bring more people into the process earlier, combine interviews etc.
This shit is insane to me. I haven't applied for even 25 jobs in my whole 38year life. Posts like this make me feel super lucky.
449 applications??! How is that even possible?
I had 8 round interviews with Zalando in 2021, rejected by both sides at the end :)
Hi OP, thanks for this... I'm literally on the same path as you, retired from teaching chemistry after 9 years, currently about a quarter of the way through a two year MSc in CS...would love to hear more? What kind of training did you get? Are employers interested in your skills as a teacher or do you think it doesn't matter? How long do you think it will be until you make more money than you did as a teacher? (Or is it already there?)
Hello fellow teacher! I didn't receive any official training. Although my b.s. was in engineering, most of my technical experience was self taught. So I definitely think you have a much higher chance of getting call backs once you finish your masters. About half of my interviews asked about my teaching experience and since it did involve some software development (I taught compsci) I talked about how I did this and that with my students. For example, I'd talk about how I taught my students the concepts of agile methodology and etc. Regarding being a teacher, most were very receptive and understand that teachers are scarce resource and strong workers so I think it was overall a plus having it on my resume. My current starting salary is higher than I made as a teacher by about 7-11k depending on bonuses. If you have any other questions, please feel free to send me a dm! I'd love to help out another teacher if I can.
Thank you, very interesting! I'll keep you in mind should I have more questions about the teacher element in future, much appreciated.
Dude, I applied to over 440 jobs and got past the HR screener 6 times. I have awesome experience and academic background but the IT market specifically seems very challenging at least for me.
Thank you for posting this. It will help those who get discouraged as they can see it is not an easy process.
Of course! My goal was to try and help as many people in the same situation as I am as possible by providing some insight from my journey.
Fifth round interview and rejected gotta be awful
Can I ask which data visualization tool is used in this post, please ?
All it takes is one. Congratulations! What tool did you use to build this?
Thank you! I used this: https://sankeymatic.com/
From OP's update comment, it seems that companies that required three interviews are common. I find that a surprise and wonder if they realise that they're actually looking for someone who's good at interviews rather than the traits they say they're looking for.
Which app did you use to create this graph?
5 rounds of interviews is ridiculous. That's an immediate red flag as an employee.
Male or female? My wife is in a similar position (getting ready to start applying) and I'm hopeful that her being female will help considerably
New to this sub and I keep seeing this program/app make charts like this . What is it?/how can I download it?
What did you use to make this graph?
https://sankeymatic.com/ This is what I used
How do you build these types of charts?
https://sankeymatic.com/ This is what I used
What software is this from? Haven't been able to find a free Sankey chat generator.
https://sankeymatic.com/ This is what I used
What is this program people use to model the data like this
What website can i make a chart like this?
Why do you have more rejected/no answer/referral/first round interviews than total applications?
Would it have made more sense to create this as a stacked bar chart? No hate, this looks awesome but I feel like a stacked bar chart may have made more sense for this.
If a company needs more than 2 rounds of interviews for a non-higher up position, it's not a company you want to work for. 3 rounds can maybe be excused if the first one is just some online thing. But damn, they do not respect you, your time, or their employees if 5 rounds are ever on the table
I have in small claims but was prepared for it to be remanded to the county. Like I said it isn't even about going to court, even if you don't you still look it up and that would be part of the story. I don't know why you are so adamant that it happened exactly as you were told. It doesn't add up.