I applied to the combined Backend Software Engineer I/II posting with the intention of being a Level I engineer as a new grad. I received a technical screen through I believe Hackerrank. The screening itself felt to be a poor assessment of my abilities.
Through the job posting, I was under the impression I could utilize C/C++, Python, or Java. Instead of having the choice in this matter, I was forcede to utilize Java. I did notice this before I started the assessment so I took the time to brush up since it had been ~8 years since I touched Java.
When I started the test, it became clear that it was going to be a challenge for me. They had two questions that involved working with semi-completed boilerplate files for two frameworks that are escaping my mind right now. I was tasked with finishing the unimplemented sections to ensure that all given tests passed. Now the amount of work that was needed to be done wasn't a large amount, but it required the knowledge of the frameworks which I did not possess. I would venture to say that the majority of new grads would not possess the knowledge to complete the tasks. If I were given access to basic documentation, I feel confident that I would have finished the tasks in the allotted time or at least most of the test cases. However, applicants were not allowed to utilize external resources.
These kind of tasks felt more appropriate for a person who has a year or two of experience with backend Java development such as those going for the Level 2 roles. It seemed that the assessment was designed to weed out those without prior experience or without the specific knowledge of the frameworks used. I find this to be a bit frustrating as I felt that a posting that is inclusive of those with no full-time experience as a developer would have a more generalized programming assessment (in the style of leetcode question) in addition to the more specific tasks as given to me.
As anticipated, I received the notification of my rejection from continuing forward with the application process.