The interview process started very positively but unfortunately ended on a disappointing note.
I had an excellent introductory call with the Engineering Manager, who came across as very responsive and friendly. I was then given a take-home assignment, which I genuinely enjoyed. The task was to build a smart agent capable of answering queries about a specific game using the provided PDFs. I put significant effort into this, and based on both my own experience and later research, the solution I delivered was strong and well thought-out.
I advanced to the next round, where I was asked to present my solution and answer follow-up questions. At the time, I was handling a critical operation at my current job, but since the Engineering Manager was keen to wrap up the process within the week, I rearranged my schedule, even sacrificing sleep, to prepare thoroughly. The presentation went smoothly—I was confident in my performance, and I felt the interviewers were satisfied with my responses. Honestly, even if I could go back in time knowing every single question in advance, I could not have done much better than I did that day.
That said, I did notice some red flags. One interviewer was vaping during the session, and the questions were relatively very shallow. Despite this, I felt I had delivered my best possible interview. Honestly, even if I could go back in time knowing every single question in advance, I could not have done much better than I did that day.
The following Monday, however, I received a very generic rejection email stating: “Due to the high volume of applications, we are not able to provide individual feedback.” This reasoning felt especially frustrating, because by that stage the process was already narrowed down to just one more round before a decision. At such a late stage, there simply cannot be a “high volume of applications” excuse—it should have been a matter of one or two remaining candidates.
I politely reached out for more detailed feedback, given the significant time and effort I invested. The Engineering Manager, who had been super responsive up until that point, never had the courtesy to reply.
What I don’t know is whether they just wanted to collect new ideas from the assignments (with no intention of hiring), or whether they already had someone else lined up before my interview even happened (in which case they should have been transparent so I didn’t waste more time), or whether the two people who conducted the presentation-based interview gave completely misleading feedback to the Engineering Manager. In neither case can they justify what happened.
Overall, I was initially very excited about the role and impressed with how the process began, but the lack of transparency, professionalism, and closure made the experience feel unfair and deeply disappointing.
Don't waste your time with them!
