I applied through a recruiter. I interviewed at Databricks in Feb 2021
Interview
Databricks interview process is among the longest (in terms of #interviews) that there is out there. Mine was 8 hours, including a final presentation.
that said, it was also one of the most fair and pleasant I had, especially when I compare to the likes of Facebook and Google which feel quite erratic and structured more like an SAT test than an interview.
The recruiter did an outstanding job in keeping contact with me constantly, and really helped with "selling" the company. During the interviews, I was mostly asked questions about my experience, but not without several drill downs in the details of that. The interviewers with their questioning really made sure that I actually had done what I said I had done, but always in a very professional and mentally stimulating way.
There were not prebaked questions or random brain teasers.
Overall, I was very pleased and my interview experience was part of the reasons why I decided to join the company.
Interview questions [1]
Question 1
Lots of questions on my work experience, down to the details.
I was also asked to describe a product I like and to propose improvements to it, explaining the business plan and the market potential that such improvements would realize.
I applied through a recruiter. The process took 4 weeks. I interviewed at Databricks (New York, NY)
Interview
They did not have a job description to share. Out of their own vagueness of the role, they passed their confusion to me. Some of the managers were condescending and in disagreement with each others; one hand not talking to the other it seemed. They continued the arduous process despite dropping signals that they weren't going to hire. I should have stopped but considering they were moving to next steps, I assumed positive intent and my excitement towards the technology kept me going.
There was a presentation round, for which I prepared slides and practiced for 4 days days only to have 3 people out of a panel of 10 show up. I have interviewed at many places in the past and landed offers and roles at some very competitive ones. This, by far was the worst interviewing experience. A learning on what to watch out for. On the positive side, certainly helped me create better boundaries for the future.
Interview questions [1]
Question 1
Product improvement questions. Deep dive into Databricks.
Thank you for sharing your feedback. We appreciate the time that you dedicated to the interview process and are sorry to hear about your experience. Creating a candidate experience that is engaging, well-informed and transparent is one of our top priorities, and would love to hear about any other feedback you may have. If you are open to it, please contact me directly to share any more feedback you might have.