I applied through a staffing agency. The process took 4 months. I interviewed at C3 AI in Nov 2019
Average interview
Application
I applied through an employee referral. I interviewed at C3 AI in Jan 2020
Interview
Process started with a lunch in the office. Then written exercise (with about two weeks to get it done). After that I had two interviews. First one was really smooth. The second one was not good - we didn't click with an interviewer.
Interview questions [1]
Question 1
Case based question on hypothetical AI solution for the wood processing manufacturing.
The overall interview process was grueling and one-sided. I started in November of 2019 and the process went on through February 2020. I had phone calls with recruiters, with team members, did a take home challenge and presented it to multiple stakeholders via separate sessions (because they couldn't schedule just one). I was rejected from this position and then asked if I wanted to interview for another role, which I agreed to because I had already invested so much time and energy into the process. I was rejected from that role after 2-3 calls.
I feel like C3 should have been able to make their decisions a lot earlier in the process, it's understandable if applicants don't meet the requirements of the role, but they should be rejected much earlier in the process if that's the case. It shouldn't take 8 rounds of interviews to decide someone isn't a fit.
Additionally, there was zero opportunity to ask questions about the company through the whole interview process. I had no chances to ask about the culture or the kind of team I would be working with - C3 was interviewing me but they seemed too arrogant to realize that potential applicants also want to determine if the company is a good fit for them.
My recruiter was helpful, as was one of the junior staff members I was connected with. The senior leadership was 50/50, with some being encouraging during interviews and others being downright rude.
From talking with some of the junior team members, it was a mystery why I wasn't hired since they thought I had the right skillset, but leadership thought otherwise (and that's ok).
Looking at some of the recent reviews of the interview process, it seems like nothing has changed. If you're an AI/ML genius who also happens to have impeccable consulting skills (or a unicorn) I guess you have a shot at passing C3's rigorous interview process.
Interview questions [1]
Question 1
Explain the theories behind AI/ML solution you develop in the case study/take home challenge. Submit 8-10 AI/ML enabled solutions, then pick one to elaborate on as a case study.