I applied online. The process took 3 weeks. I interviewed at Smartcar (Mountain View, CA) in Nov 2019
Interview
The whole interview process is thoughtfully designed, carefully planned, clearly communicated, and effectively carried out, here are the highlights of some of the stages:
Phone screen
- I received the phone screening invitation the next day I submitted the application through glassdoor
- The invitation email gives a list of useful resources, on top of which is an article that walks through the interview process very clearly
Take-home challenge and video discussion
- The challenge is very interesting and well documented. It also helps me understand more about this role
- All the evaluation criteria are clearly communicated
- I received helpful feedback. They did review my code carefully!
- I got a chance to discuss my solution with the CTO, who gave me even more feedback and suggestions
Onsite
- 5 hours, contains all the hardest ingredients: front-end, algorithm, project, and BQ
- The agenda is very well planned and all the people are very nice, so I actually enjoyed the whole process!
- very nice, spacious office
- got snacks and even cool souvenier
To sum up, it is the best interview experience I've ever had! Every step is two-way communication. I found being respected and my skills being objectively evaluated. I also enjoyed every interaction with this group of highly talented people, and I've learned a lot from them during this interview process.