Now that I’m on the other side of my job search, and very happy with where things landed, I wanted to share some of what I experienced along the way.
I want to preface this by saying I know hiring teams are under a lot of pressure. The job market has shifted significantly and that affects everyone involved in the process. But there are companies out there who have things figured out, and I think it’s worth talking about what that actually looks like.
I’ll share a couple of the harder experiences without naming names, and then highlight the ones that stood out for the right reasons.
The Frustrating Ones
Company A
This was the first role I applied to, a Senior Frontend Software Engineer position through a reference, almost a year ago.
I made it to the technical interview, which had two parts: a live coding challenge and a system design interview. The live coding portion didn’t go great, and some of that was on me. It was my first live coding test in an interview setting, my editor wasn’t set up the way I liked, and I was genuinely nervous. I was told I could use AI, so I did, especially for React boilerplate and refactoring as we talked through the problem.
The feedback I got afterward was that there was nothing impressive and that AI had written most of the code. Both fair observations. But the code worked, and I demonstrated that I knew how to use AI tools and could review and understand what was produced.
The system design interview was the other issue. It was a full-stack design challenge for a role I had applied to as a frontend engineer. It went about as well as you’d expect.
After a period of silence, I was eventually able to get some feedback. The conversation seemed positive even though I was told the tech interviewers didn’t feel I was at a senior level, but that there might be a way around that, or possibly a path to bring me in at a lower level, which I was open to. Then I was ghosted again. Multiple follow-up emails went unanswered. The process dragged from first interview April to final interview in July where things were left open. I never heard back after that until January.
Company B
This was for a Technical Support Engineer role. The process required completing a take-home assignment before you ever spoke to a person, which I don’t mind in principle.
I completed the assignment and was told submissions were reviewed twice a week and that I’d hear back soon. A week passed and I hadn’t heard anything, so I followed up and never received a response. A couple of days after that, I got a separate email asking to schedule an initial screening call. If you give someone a timeline, stick to it.
The screening call seemed to go well. The interviewer mentioned a framework their team was using as they built out the support organization, and I asked a few questions about it. A second interview was then scheduled with the same person and framed as a conversation covering a few topics including that framework.
I did some additional reading, but based on how the first interview had gone and the way this one was described, I assumed we’d be discussing how they envisioned using it at their company, not that I’d be expected to come in as an expert.
I was ghosted again after that interview. Nearly two weeks later I received a rejection. The feedback was that they had no doubt about my technical and customer skills, but that I hadn’t prepared thoroughly enough on the framework and that was a dealbreaker.
If something is a requirement, say so explicitly. Listing it as a conversation topic is not the same thing.
The Good Ones
I applied for a software engineer role here and the process was fast, clear, and honestly refreshing.
It had three stages. There was a live coding session, this time with AI turned off, which I actually appreciated for the transparency. The challenge wasn’t overly complex, but I still didn’t perform at my best. Nerves were a factor, and honestly, having relied on AI-assisted coding for so long meant I was a bit rusty coding solo under pressure.
What stood out was what happened after. The interviewer clearly looked past the code itself and focused on the experience I brought and the conversation we had throughout the session. I was convinced I hadn’t made it through. They moved me forward anyway.
This was for a Support Engineer role, and again the process moved quickly, about two weeks from start to finish.
There was a take-home assignment after an initial screening call that was straightforward and directly relevant to the role. From there it moved through a hiring manager interview, a team interview, a CEO interview, and reference checks. Every stage felt intentional.
In the end, the result wasn’t what I’d hoped for. But the way they delivered the news was. They asked if a phone call was okay, then called to let me know and explain in person. That’s a small thing that made a real difference.
I’ll acknowledge some bias here since this is where I ended up, but I genuinely enjoyed this process from the beginning.
After submitting my application, there was an optional take-home, not required, but I chose to do it. It was engaging in a way most aren’t. One part was built like a capture-the-flag challenge where you had to use real technical skills to work through a series of steps and submit codes to progress. Another part was a realistic customer question I’d need to troubleshoot and respond to as I would on the job.
In the technical interview we talked through the take-home. I’d made some mistakes, but the conversation focused on my experience and track record, and they were confident I could apply that here and grow into anything I was missing. That felt like a mature and honest way to evaluate someone.
One other thing worth mentioning: one of the interviews was with a company executive, and there was also a short conversation with the CEO. That level of involvement from leadership signals something real about how seriously a company takes hiring.
And logistically, I could choose from available interview slots directly. It sounds like a small thing, but compared to the back-and-forth of “send us your availability and we’ll find a time,” it made the whole experience feel more organized and respectful of my time.
Honorable Mention
The process here was really well done as well. But the highlight for me was the paid SuperDay trial. It is genuinely challenging, but it accurately reflects what the job would involve, which makes it easier to assess whether you’d actually be a good fit. Turns out I wasn’t as prepared as I thought I was. The pay for participating is also generous. It’s one of the more thoughtful approaches to a technical evaluation I came across.
Final thoughts
After going through this job search, I noticed the ones that stood out weren’t necessarily the ones where I performed my best. They were the ones where I felt like a human being throughout, clear expectations, fast timelines, real conversations. That’s it.
I ended up at a company that checked all of those boxes, and I couldn’t be more excited about what comes next. If you’re still in the search, they’re out there. Keep going.
Sandy McFadden 