The interview process started off positively for me, but turned negative. As others have described, it is a very lengthy and involved interview process (about 5 weeks from when I first applied to when I received a decision). It started with an initial phone call and take home assignment with 3 behavior based questions. I could see how important culture was based on the first conversation and really felt like my values aligned with the company's' so I didn't mind the homework. I was then asked to attend a Codesmith workshop and do an "onsite" interview, including speaking with 3 different staff members (30 min. each), as well as preparing a 15min. presentation to give to the programs team. One of the interviewers rubbed me the wrong way from the start with her tone and line of questions. By the time we got to the presentation, I could tell she was over it and just trying to rush things along. I invested a huge amount of time into the interview process and ultimately felt like the different tasks I did were not really factored in. Based on the feedback I received, it seemed the decision came down to the one interviewer (She was the only one who asked a question that even hinted at what the feedback described). It's always disappointing to not get an offer, but in this case I just felt disrespected.

I made it through many rounds of evaluation and was asked the same questions over and over and over again by new faces. After a while it felt like I wasn't being evaluated for my qualifications, but rather that I was being personally judged for "culture" fit. I was asked questions that I felt uncomfortable responding to, and also expected to work on an unpaid extended take home assignment for what was an entry level role. The people that I talked to believed strongly in the company's mission, but it was disappointing to feel like my time was being wasted. It felt like I found a concerning new red flag every time I talked to someone. The whole experience felt awkward and weird.