My interview process was comprised of: 1. Phone screen with Technical Recruiter. 2. Video interview with hiring manager. 3. Three-part technical/editing assessment. (Open ended, but 2-5 days should get it done). 4. Four separate team interviews at 45 minutes each. 5. Follow-up interview with hiring manager. 6. Paid day on the job. 7. Final decision. The tech recruiter was sloppy, condescending, and unprofessional. I applied to this job on a Wednesday. Thursday they scheduled an interview for the following Monday. I had my initial phone screen. It went great. Wednesday I had a video interview with the hiring manager. It went great. Thursday afternoon they sent me the homework assignment. The instructions were poorly written--awkward sentences and contradictory instructions. It seemed more like a test for telepathy than an actual skills assessment. I knew I provided too much information--but I was left with a choice--either guess how much they wanted or prove how much I know. Every company, every team has a style guide and best practices. It's easier to teach someone to subtract detail than add competence. Part of the task included testing/correcting code on a Linux server. They provide a coupon to use their platform, but charged me up front. I've never paid a company during an interview before, but I wanted to make a good impression by using their platform. I created a Droplet, set up a Linux server and Python test environment. The assignment took about 12 hours. I poured myself into the task. It was fun--not really difficult--I do this sort of work in multiple programming/foreign languages every day, but their tasks were involved and had nebulous contradictory instructions. It was the equivalent of sticking someone in a silo and telling them to find the corner. The submission instructions were also contradictory and incomplete. It was a 3-part assignment. The assignment was sent to me in multiple zips. Part 3 included two different instructions for submission and included a link to upload a single file, but would not accept zips. There were no instructions for Parts 1 and 2. I emailed the recruiter on Monday morning for clarification (zips, email, separate files--what?). No reply. He replies on Tuesday. The response was condescending. He didn't understand the issue or my questions. I was not going to ask again. So, I submitted my assignments by lunch on the same day--separate files via their upload page and zip files via email. No follow up. Not even a thank you. I emailed the recruiter on Friday. No reply. Monday morning he replied that they were really busy. The reviewing team was at a conference the previous week. They made the decision not to move forward. Okay, that's fine, it happens. I was disappointed--with a little onboarding to learn their style/preferences, this could have been a glass-slipper job. But I can't read minds. At least I enjoyed the challenge and learned something new. And my code worked. His email included, "We care about feedback being developmentally oriented so if you're interested in some I'm willing and able to provide it." So, I asked for it--why not? What could be so wrong with the materials I provided? My skills in editing and engineering are proven in my paychecks. I'm not unqualified by a long shot. But maybe my Spidey-sense was totally off with this assessment. Maybe the feedback could help me with my other ongoing interviews. The recruiter didn't have any feedback. I imagine he extended the offer without any expectation that I would actually ask for it. He replied, "I will certainly follow up with some feedback this week." I contacted him later in the week. He replied, " Still coming. Got a lot going on and it will happen.." That week came and went. At this point, I began to wonder why he offered it in the first place. So I asked again the following week. He replied, "I admire your persistence." It was pretty insulting, but I replied politely. ....and I'm still waiting for their feedback... This was the most pointless interview experience ever. I'm fine with lengthy vetting processes and hoops--but most high-end companies exercise a much greater level of maturity and professionalism than DigitalOcean. At least I've felt respected other places. DigitalOcean should be embarrassed. Who charges candidates to complete their interview assignment, feels entitled to days of assessment homework, hours of interviews, and a full day on the job before making a decision, but does not extend the most basic common courtesy in their communications to an applicant? It was unreal. A company that demands so much effort from applicants while making so little effort in return is a huge red flag.

There was the usual recruiter screen, followed by a 45 minute hiring manager screen. There was an editing assignment. Then the panel round, which was 2 interviews with team members. And finally an overall fit interview with a VP.