I applied through a recruiter. I interviewed at Orbital (London, England) in May 2026
Interview
The process was straightforward and well organised. Recruiter screen, then a hiring manager conversation, followed by a panel round with cross-functional stakeholders. Communication was prompt throughout. The only unusual element was an AI-driven HR step early in the funnel, which felt a little impersonal
Interview questions [1]
Question 1
We’re particularly interested in:
Whether there was a “light bulb” moment for you
How your worldview has shifted over the last couple of years
Any changes in behaviour, habits, ambition, workflows, side projects, learning, or career direction that came from that shift
We’ll also spend time discussing:
An exceptional achievement you’re proud of (inside or outside of work) where you genuinely set a very high bar
Examples of a generalist mindset, stepping outside your defined role, fixing problems proactively, building things that didn’t exist yet, or taking ownership beyond your remit
I applied online. I interviewed at Orbital in May 2026
Interview
30-minute interview consisting of three structured questions, followed by a brief overview of the company, team and role, with a short Q&A window at the end for my own questions.
Interview questions [1]
Question 1
One particular question asked whether I demonstrated a sufficiently transformative shift in worldview due to AI, requiring me to articulate how my beliefs about software had fundamentally changed.
Framing felt more aligned with philosophical belief than practical leadership. For this role, I would have expected greater emphasis on delivery and governance.
I applied through a recruiter. I interviewed at Orbital (London, England) in Apr 2026
Interview
Standard HR screening call first, which was professional and mostly focused on background, experience, and general fit.
After that, I was asked to complete a take-home task. The task was fairly large in scope and closely tied to the company’s live product, requiring substantial product thinking around workflow, AI interaction, and product direction. Because of that, it felt closer to free product consultation than a typical design exercise.
The final stage was an on-site panel interview. While the conversations themselves were thoughtful, some panel members joined remotely despite the requirement to come into the office, which made the in-person setup feel harder to justify.
What made the process feel misaligned was that the team gave positive feedback on my solution, product thinking, and design work, but the final decision still came down to “fit” and an abstract alignment on AI trajectory.
Overall, the process was well organised from an HR perspective, but the evaluation criteria felt somewhat misaligned with the scale of the take-home.
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