I applied through a recruiter. The process took 2 weeks. I interviewed at Datadog in Nov 2023
Interview
A recruiter reached out via LinkedIn and had an initial 30 minute phone screen. Then setup two 30 minute interviews: (1) Software Engineering and (2) Security Engineering. The Software Engineering interview consisted of a basic coding challenge (probably ranked Easy on LeetCode) - it went basically as you'd expect where you worked through the problem and talked about approaches. The Security Engineering interview was a quiz where the interviewer asked questions from an apparent worksheet (not visible to me but obvious he/she was reading from a worksheet). It didn't appear the interviewer was interested in my background, only interested in knowing whether I could answer those questions. The topics covered were from all security domains: from software dev security to risk management; IR and digital forensics to identity management. You need to be proactive about showing your background, given the questions, because it didn't appear the interviewer looked at my resume.
Strangely standoff-ish recruiter who conveyed that there's poor fit between my background and what they're looking for after they reached out to me. Would not interview again with them if given the chance
I applied through a recruiter. The process took 2 weeks. I interviewed at Datadog (Paris) in Sep 2025
Interview
Recruiter call (remote): Introduction to my background, the role, and the company’s culture. The recruiter explained the upcoming steps in a clear and transparent way.
Coding interview (remote, 1h): Two easy/medium challenges on CoderPad, similar to LeetCode or HackerRank problems. The focus was on problem-solving approach, code structure, and explaining the thought process.
System design interview (remote, 1h): Scenario-based discussion using Excalidraw to design the architecture of a secure system. Evaluation covered system components, trust boundaries, security controls. Clear communication was as important as technical knowledge.
Next steps (planned but not reached): The process normally continues with two additional on-site interviews at Datadog offices.
Overall impression:
The process was challenging but fair, well-structured, and professional. The recruiter support was excellent and made the overall experience positive.
Interview questions [1]
Question 1
Tell me about a recent technical challenge you faced and how you solved it.
Manager's interview was unbelievable. The guy was impolite : holding face, bored, not reactive, not asking questions or leading the conversation. Might be a technique but that still would be a shame
Interview questions [1]
Question 1
Past experiences but not so many questions as the guy seemed bored.