Draper interview questions

Incredibly straightforward, asked about relevant experience in research and industry, talked about potential projects and fits, lots of time for questions. Projects were also described beforehand and you are matched to the one the better suits your skillset. Interviewers were very friendly and open to tangents.

I saw the company at a career fair and they said they were really impressed with my resume, and told me contact them about setting up an interview. I had a one hour technical interview with two group leads who asked hypothetical questions, which I answered well. I was told the team was mostly hardware security focused with an emphasis on “systems of systems” work. I was then flown out to Cambridge, MA for an onsite, all day technical interview. I had 4, 1 hour long technical interviews with small groups and had to give a 45 minute technical presentation. I arrived early and waited patiently for my first interview; the panel arrived 35 minutes late to my 10 am interview. During my technical presentation, nobody asked any insightful questions. Turns out that of the 10-15 people I spoke to the entire day, only one was actually hardware focused and the rest were software. Also, the interviews ignored my attempts to bring up my multi disciplinary projects which they emphasized was a majority of their work. I answered all technical questions to the best of my ability but acknowledged that I still had a lot to learn because they previously mentioned they were just looking for someone that was motivated and curious, no specific skillset required. Overall, I left the interview confused but hopeful. Got an email a week later saying I didn’t have enough work experience for the entry level position that the group leads completely misrepresented.