HACKER Q&A
📣 Ancalagon

SDE Interviews getting more difficult?


Hey HN, I’ve been on the interview grind for a couple of months now. Made it to four final rounds, and no offers. This in huge contrast to my last job hunt experience two years ago when I had multiple offers in hand after just three final round interviews.

Has anyone else noticed interviews getting harder? And I don’t just mean leetcode, but most final rounds now are longer (more interviews overall), and require multiple systems design and plenty of leetcode M/H. I just finished (and failed) a set of 8(!) interviews for a senior SDE position.

Maybe this is just because I’m now aiming for a higher tier of pay or experience (senior roles vs. non-senior) and need to seriously up my game, but grinding all of the leetcode and systems design, looking up companies, asking relevant questions, had really started weighing down on my personal time outside of work (~40hrs/wk). Wondering what others feel.


  👤 aynyc Accepted Answer ✓
I tested the water during late Spring and early Summer. I didn't find it to be harder, but the processes got longer. I find the interviewers and companies are far more "arrogant" than the last time I job hunted (2018). I pretty much stop any interview process that requires take home exam, or more than 5 rounds of interviews. I got a couple of offers, but the experiences with them were so bad that I told them no. I can't imagine working with people that behave the way they did.

👤 PaulHoule
You have to rethink the interview process from a social psychology perspective. See

https://job-interview-answers.com/job-interview-tips/about-b...

seriously.