Rejected 6 On-sites

Jul 3, 2019 40 Comments

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Pretty much every time recruiter calls with feedback, “it was really close but...”.

Is this normal? 100% of phone screens have gone to onsite thus far.

Thoughts... Feedback...Suggestions?

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TOP 40 Comments
  • Flagged by the community.

  • Yo, I feel you. I did a job search in December, passed 4/5 phone screens, then didn't get any offer. I did another job search in June, and went 3/4 for on-sites. Part of it is just chance: the average interview pass rate is <50%, so you'll hit a run of bad luck. Interviewing is also a skill, so you should be much better prepared for the next set.

    One thing I did was to be organized about improving responses to questions. E.g., if I got a behavioral question I wasn't prepared for, I would write down an answer in a doc, so I would be fine next time.

    Good luck!
    Jul 3, 2019 1
  • Microsoft / Eng
    cholical

    Go to company page Microsoft Eng

    cholical
    Are you struggling with the technical questions? If not, it might be communication and confidence. When I failed the onsite of one of my top choice companies despite getting all the technical portions right, I realized I wasn't communicating as well as I could be largely due to nerves.
    Jul 3, 2019 0
  • Amazon
    Tryin2Help

    Go to company page Amazon

    Tryin2Help
    Maybe just in your head, you are getting nervous. Performance anxiety.

    I suggest, keep a bottle of water handy in those onsite interviews and take a sip of water before answering. Water always calms your nerves and will help you focus. If that is the problem.
    Jul 3, 2019 3
    • Goldman Sachs / Eng
      BePostive

      Go to company page Goldman Sachs Eng

      BePostive
      Good point! And also, don’t dive into the solution right away. Clarify as many doubts and try to figure out a few edge cases by having a Q/A with the interview! It won’t only give you time to calm your nerves down but also give you a clearer picture of how you want to structure your code! You don’t want to start writing a solution and discover 10 edge cases etc. That will not only break your flow but also make your thought process messy!
      Jul 3, 2019
    • Goldman Sachs / Eng
      BePostive

      Go to company page Goldman Sachs Eng

      BePostive
      Before starting to write any solution, maintain a roughy list of assumptions/edge cases, etc on one corner of the white board, for reference. That gives a great clarity of though!
      Jul 3, 2019
  • It usually the technical piece but I’m really close - like I have to right approach (I check afterwards) but I don’t quite get it perfect. I’ve even had the interviews comment that I was on the right track.
    Jul 3, 2019 3
    • Goldman Sachs / Eng
      BePostive

      Go to company page Goldman Sachs Eng

      BePostive
      I feel you man. I got rejected at 3 on-sites before I ended up cracking Amazon and Google!

      I think you need to practice a bit more before going for more on-sites. Since, you are able to figure out the approach, your basics might be on the stronger side, but you need to practice as much as possible, on an actual compiler. Don’t look at the solution and then start typing. Infact, spend more time on each problem, and try to get to the actual solution, even if takes an hour. Overtime, you will start solving problems quicker!
      Jul 3, 2019
    • Goldman Sachs / Data
      otoh

      Go to company page Goldman Sachs Data

      PRE
      JPMorgan Chase & Co.
      otoh
      Also do you feel you were a good fit for the role? One thing I have noticed is even if you are stellar in the interviews, if hiring manager is risk averse he would try to hire someone who would fit his mould. Confirmation bias that if I need somebody for this job, I need someone like me with similar background as mine or has spent years in job req field.
      I am saying this based on my experience being on both sides of an interview .
      I feel most of the companies you have listed have that bias. You need to have SM background or ads background. There are very few managers who oils risk it and try some new perspective.

      Hang in there! Something will work out.
      Jul 3, 2019