It was a multi-level process starting with HR then on with the teams. I met with my soon to be manager/VP. Great process with him, as he went into a wonderful demo of the capabilities of the offerings. I then met with core Customer Success team members for "fitment". I was given a project, use the system with a supplied dataset. I was asked questions about how I got this answer or that result. There was no right or wrong, it seemed. It was about, how could I pick up the use of the product with little to no guidance. The decision took 6 months, and that's a very long time, I know, I started looking elsewhere. What I didn't know, the VP of Federal/IC was making a case for me with the board. In the end, though long, it was a good process. I'd highly recommend working for Falkonry.
I applied online. I interviewed at Falkonry in Dec 2021
Interview
I spoke with Glen Lipka, the Head of UX. It was quite an unconventional interview, but also a meaningful experience from which I learned a lot. Glen was very kind in his rejection and did not treat the meeting as a waste of time though I was not a suitable candidate. He instead viewed it as an opportunity for mentoring since he gains joy in helping others. He gave me helpful advice on breaking down common misconceptions of applicants on what hiring managers look for in portfolios, as well as advice on personal development. The interview pretty much turned into a mentoring session, and I'm thankful to Glen for his time and sincerity. I will remember what he taught me for future opportunities.
Some main points I learned from Glen that will be helpful for other fellow product designers as well:
✨ differentiate your portfolio from other candidates; show your uniqueness
✨ be authentic; it's a disservice to both sides if one party is inauthentic
✨ as a designer, always be looking for ways to improve everything and anything
The interview was based on resume and many technical questions were asked. The interview was somewhat tough. I was asked to write a code for four problems which were of moderate to high level.
Interview questions [1]
Question 1
I was given an array of five elements which were the prices of stocks on five week days. I was asked to write a code for finding on what day I should buy and sell the stock in the same week.