I applied online. I interviewed at Reliable Robotics (Mountain View, CA)
Interview
One call with the Hiring Manager, Then a technical interview was scheduled a few days later. Both the HM and the engineer I interviewed with were good communicators. The technical excersize was definitely different from what I was expecting at the time, as I was only used to data structure questions, but they gave me a document several pages long and asked me to code a simulation. Didn't get the job, but the coding excersize was interesting.
Interview questions [1]
Question 1
A physics simulation you must complete in about an hour.
I applied online. I interviewed at Reliable Robotics in Feb 2025
Interview
Interviewed early 2025. Interview steps were:
- 5-10 min online C/C++ coding quiz
- Video call w/ hiring manager
- Live coding exercise, ~1hr to code and ~1hr to discuss afterwards
- Onsite, presenting a project I previously worked on to the team and 4 1-on-1 technical interviews
- Short phone chat with CEO
Overall, the interview process itself was fairly easy. However, I'd give this a negative experience overall. After all of this I only learned in the offer stage that I had been downleveled from senior to mid-level, and the offered compensation was nearly the bottom of the mid-level range. They were not open to negotiation towards the higher end of the range for this role.
Admittedly, I did not perform my best at the onsite, but after discussing with the recruiter, the downlevel was apparently a decision made at the very beginning of the process. It was in no way communicated to me, and I was strung along this process under the assumption I was interviewing for the role I had applied for.
At some point between my interview and now, the company has slightly increased the requirements for the senior position so that a resume like mine no longer meets the listed requirements.