The interview experience itself left a very strong and positive impression.
The process started with an HR screening, where the recruiter clearly explained the overall hiring process and what to expect next. Everything was transparent, structured, and well communicated.
The technical interview was conducted by an engineer, who first introduced himself, talked about the team, and explained how hiring decisions are made depending on skill profiles. What truly impressed me was the interview style: during the introduction, the interviewer briefly shared not only his professional background but also a few personal interests outside of work. This immediately created a friendly, human atmosphere and made the interview feel more like a conversation than an interrogation — something I had never experienced before.
When the interview started, I was visibly nervous. I had placed too much mental pressure on myself due to the importance of the opportunity, even though the questions themselves were not overly difficult. This experience was a strong reminder that technical knowledge alone is not always enough - calmness, confidence, and mental preparation matter just as much. The interviewer noticed my nervousness and suggested taking a short pause, even recommending having a glass of water nearby - a small but very thoughtful gesture that helped me reset and continue more calmly.
The technical part included practical application security tasks, which should not be challenging for an AppSec engineer with hands-on experience. There were also questions related to infrastructure penetration testing, where my experience is more limited. Later, it became clear that the role was broader than pure application security, which explained this focus.
The final task involved writing a small script or algorithm live. Due to stress, I made a mistake, and while trying to correct it, I became confused and made another one. At that point, the interviewer stopped the exercise.
After the interview, I had a closing conversation with the recruiting coordinator. This discussion was exceptionally warm and supportive. I received clear feedback on both my strengths and areas for improvement, along with concrete recommendations on what to work on. The tone was respectful, friendly, and genuinely caring.
Overall, despite not passing the interview, this was one of the most humane, transparent, and respectful interview experiences I’ve ever had. It strongly reinforced my respect for Google’s interview culture.
