I applied online. The process took 3 weeks. I interviewed at Ercot (Taylor, TX) in Mar 2024
Interview
I recently had an interview experience with this company that was quite unusual. There was no initial screen interview; instead, I was directly invited to a technical interview via email. The job description covered an extensive range of skills across computer science, computer engineering, and even electrical engineering, which I found to be quite broad.
During the interview, which lasted over an hour, I was asked a wide array of technical questions encompassing Java, C#, C++, data structures, algorithms, JavaScript, CSS, HTML, MATLAB, the CPLEX library, optimization techniques, Git, as well as topics in electrical engineering like grid management and even marketing. The breadth and depth of the questions were astonishing and seemed to require expertise in multiple specialized fields.
While I appreciated the focus on technical questions over generic ones, it felt overwhelming and somewhat impractical. It appears unlikely that a single candidate would possess such a diverse set of skills and knowledge. This approach seemed to not only waste my time but also theirs. On a positive note, the direct dive into technicalities did save time typically spent on standard interview questions.
Interview questions [1]
Question 1
During the interview process, be prepared to navigate a wide-ranging and intensive array of questions that span across computer science, computer engineering, and electrical engineering disciplines. The interview delves deep into both coding and fundamental concepts, encompassing an extensive variety of topics. This approach ensures a comprehensive assessment of candidates' technical proficiencies.