I applied through other source. The process took 6 weeks. I interviewed at DataStax (Manchester, NH) in May 2023
Interview
It was quite a lot of work, but it was all relevant and proved my competence (to myself and the team!). I ended up taking five interviews - initial interview, hands-on practical test, knowledge test, diversity and inclusion interview, support lead interview - but I succeeded. The hands-on interview and the D&I interview were the most interesting; the former was just a study of my problem solving process, and the latter let me learn more about the company and its values to determine if we were a fit. I'm proud to say that we are!
Interview questions [1]
Question 1
They wanted to learn about my experience in various fields, from programming to database design to troubleshooting. It was less about the direct knowledge, and more that I knew how to find solutions if I didn't know the answers.
I applied online. The process took 4 weeks. I interviewed at DataStax (Greenville, SC) in Jun 2024
Interview
DataStax spent a lot of time and energy presenting itself as a transparent remote-first company, with a clear vision, that considers work/life balance and developer focused planning as core values. I found none of these points to hold water.
Unlimitted PTO with no guidance on reasonable minimum time engineers should take off is the exact opposite of work/life balance. I asked more than once about this, and could never get a real answer on how much PTO employees should be expected to take. Hint: in the US it's probably in the range of 3-4 weeks PTO, 2ish weeks sick time.
When I probed for more information about how DataStax supports developers, which is really just a sub-set of their customers, the conversations always went towards how developers generate sales. Nothing was said about focusing on things developers actually care about, which left me feeling like DataStax is either poorly aligned with this value they espouse or they're being disengenuous.
When I asked about all of the pivots, leadership changes, and acqusitions/mergers, which reads to me as a company that does not have a strong idea of their core product(s) and path forward, the message I got was that the only clear vision at this company is they want to position themselves for a good IPO.
Overall, this looks like another tech company doing a ton of virtue signalling in an effort to attract top talent with the hopes that they can get the company bought or have a solid IPO.
The interview steps themselves were 1) Recruiter phone call 2) Hiring manager interview 3) 2 back-to-back 45 minute technical interviews with senior engineers 4) Interview with VP 5) In-person interview. The in-person interview is a requirement for DataStax leadership, which is not aligned with "remote-first."
They have 6 steps in their interview process including multiple assessments and technical interviews. Very unprofessional hiring manager who lead a very strange “functional” interview. They give you info to study on their product then expect you to setup a lab environment with their product and you need to know everything otherwise you won’t be considered.
Interview questions [1]
Question 1
They will throw error codes at you that they see in their product and want your thoughts
I applied online. The process took 4 weeks. I interviewed at DataStax in May 2023
Interview
Overall a very pleasing and quick process compared to other employers. The interviews and assessments were well-tailored to the needs of the position, and the interviewers were well-prepared. It felt more casual and conversational, and less competitive than what I would have expected.
Interview questions [1]
Question 1
Q: DataStax supports both on-premise and cloud deployments. What are some key differences in supporting an on-premise application versus in the cloud?
