The Application Development Manager reached out to me via LinkedIn. The next day I had a phone interview with him. This interview didn't contain technical questions and was primarily confirming the information I had on my LinkedIn profile such as education background, job history, and so on. He also asked what I was looking for in a future job. We chatted for about 45 minutes, if I recall correctly.
Following this, I was given a quick code challenge consisting of HTML and CSS only. This challenge was taking an image and converting it to HTML/CSS. It wasn't a full website PSD, just a fragment of a site containing a variety of elements. The day after returning the code challenge, I was invited in for a panel interview.
When I arrived, I was first given a short tour of their office. I actually met the CEO and saw his office. He was very friendly, he asked me about myself and gave his compliments to the team I would be working with if I got hired. Then I saw where the developers and designers work, as well as the kitchen area (they provide their employees free lunch daily), various conference rooms, and so on. I was impressed with the fact that they had a nice-sized room outfitted with a comfortable recliner and mini-fridge. I'm not sure but I think they called this their relaxation room, one of its purposes being to provide a place for new mothers to pump, another being to provide a spot where employees needing a break could get away.
I was somewhat anxious about the panel interview, but the staff was friendly and made me feel comfortable. Within a few minutes, we were conversing easily. They started out with some personality/soft skills questions. I think the intent was to get a feel for who I am, as well as catch me off guard and get an answer that wasn't practiced or prepared.
After, there was some quick Q&A about HTML, CSS, and JS. I wouldn't call these "whiteboard problems" although I was told I could use a whiteboard to work some things out if needed (I did). Although one of the interviewers did write a little bit of code on the whiteboard in order to pose a question to me, I was never asked to write code on a whiteboard.
Some questions were beyond my reach, but the interviewers didn't let me stop at "I don't know" and pushed me a bit, asking how I would attempt to solve the problem. I think I got "partial points" for this for sure. They definitely seemed of the mindset of "code it teachable, personality is not" and I think one of interviewers even said this to me at one point, though I can't remember how he worded it.
They made their decision about me very quickly - and by quickly, I mean I think they knew before I'd even left the building. They got back to me soon after I left the interview with a conditional verbal offer, and I received an offer letter a few days after. I don't know if this is typical, but I really enjoyed this, as there is nothing more nerve-wracking than waiting weeks without hearing anything.
All in all, I think this was the most pleasant interview process I've ever had. I think I would feel this way even if I had not received an offer.
My advice to future interviewees would be to relax and have a sense of humor about things. Be willing to admit you don't know something, but also be willing to give it your best attempt and demonstrate that you can think through a problem even if you don't know the right answer. Take an interest in their product, and ask them questions about their work.
