I passed the screening interview for the Data Engineer role in Pau, France, which was conducted by a Senior Talent Acquisition Partner from the Oslo, Norway office. However, I couldn’t continue the interview due to the tone and manner of the conversation, which often felt provocative.
I believe it’s important for interviews to respect the scheduled time, avoid unnecessary repetition of questions (especially those related to nationality or ethnicity), and maintain a professional and respectful tone throughout.
Interviewers should also refrain from making personal remarks or offering unsolicited feedback. Candidates can often sense an interviewer’s reactions through expressions and tone, so maintaining neutrality helps create a fair and comfortable environment.
During the interview, I referred to my preparation notes, which I believe is perfectly acceptable. However, the interviewer seemed occasionally distracted, browsing the web and not fully engaged in the discussion. At times, their expressions felt dismissive, which made the experience uncomfortable. I wanted to share these observations as part of my honest feedback on the interview process.
Interview questions [1]
Question 1
Present yourself.
What challenges have you faced as a Data Engineer?
What do you enjoy about being a Data Engineer?
Where are you from?
Where do you live?
How long have you been in France?
What do you know about our company, and why did you apply?
The overall interview process consisted of two rounds – a technical interview followed by an on-site interview. The difficulty level was average, with questions that were fair and aligned with the role expectations.
The technical round primarily focused on assessing problem-solving skills, technical knowledge, and practical application of concepts. The on-site round was more conversational, emphasizing communication, cultural fit, and situational judgment.
Interview questions [1]
Question 1
Data structure and algoritms and concepts of data engineer
I applied online. I interviewed at Cognite in Jun 2024
Interview
Pathetic interview experience. The interviewer Anoop Varadhalli Puttamurthy asked me how much salary I am getting while not ready to share their budget range for a particular position.
Anoop, if you are reading this review, you are the worst interviewer I have ever seen!