I applied online. I interviewed at Axon (Scottsdale, AZ) in Feb 2023
Interview
Was contacted by an HR rep for the first interview which was done by phone.
Prior to this interview, I researched the company extensively for about two weeks as it is recommended on their own website (everything from researching their products to researching the interviewers via LinkedIn). Plus, considering how 'hard' Axon interviews are said to be, I wanted to be prepared. I really wanted this job as both the position and the company excited me. On the day of the interview, it was clear the HR rep just wanted to get through the process as quickly as possible. The interviewer seemed annoyed and didn't answer my questions (she just kind of skipped ahead). All those hours of Axon research were apparently wasted because the interviewer asked me nothing about what I knew of the company and just wanted to know about prior work history. This all just kind of rushed to them informing me that there would be a second interview.
The second interview was a 1:1 video call with the hiring manager about a week later. Ok talk. Way less concentrated on technical skills and focused more so on the creative level (lots of talk about storytelling--which is important for any editor worth their cutting).
About a week later, an overly positive sounding voicemail was left on my phone by the HR rep who had conducted the first interview. She informed me that she had talked with the hiring manager and---and I quote---"would love to connect with [me] at [my] earliest convenience." As anybody in their right mind would, I thought this was going to be something great. I quickly called back but the punchline wasn't the expected one: the rep informed me they had gone with somebody else. Emotionally, it was a gut punch.
If anyone from Axon is reading this, HIGHLY beg that your HR team get some better skills. It's not at a good look for an HR person who would "love to connect" with an interviewee just to inform them that they didn't get the gig they were really excited about and really praying for. I'm sure many (like myself) would appreciate you skipping the setup and just deliver the bad news directly (whether in an email, voicemail, or otherwise).
Interview questions [1]
Question 1
Past job experience and what software I was familiar with.
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