Some interview experiences help you grow. Others help you develop patience. This one helped me question reality.
It began like any other opportunity — a call from HR for the Computer Scientist 1 role. She outlined a standard process: 4–5 technical rounds, including interactions with a Manager and a Director.
I was optimistic.
I shouldn’t have been.
Round 1: DSA + C++ Fundamentals
The interview was rescheduled by an hour.
It began with some classic C++ theory:
Difference between pointer and reference
What is a stack overflow? Can it happen without recursion?
What is heap memory?
**DSA Problems:
- House Robber – Leetcode**
2) A string-to-integer conversion problem with edge-case handling:
Ignore leading/trailing spaces
Only valid if all characters are digits or a leading '-'
Handle overflows (return INT_MAX if invalid)
Cannot assume fixed integer size (compilor-dependent, some use 2 Bytes some use 4 Bytes of integer)
I solved both, clean and clear.
And then came the plot twist:
“Can you please click on your Chrome search bar and show me your recent search history?”
Yes, really.
Apparently, cracking DSA problems live isn't enough. The real test is whether you've Googled too much lately.
I half-expected a pop quiz on my Amazon order history next.
Round 2: A Masterclass in Mismanagement
This round would’ve been funny — if it wasn’t real.
It was rescheduled four times, each for a different reason:
-
Interviewer had a health issue , rescheduled.
-
I joined on time, waited 30 minutes, no one showed ,HR was unreachable via call or email
Hours later: “It’s rescheduled again.” -
Interviewer was “busy” , rescheduled again
-
HR wasn’t sure whether the interviewer was busy or not , rescheduled again 🤯
It felt like I was part of a mockumentary on corporate disarray.
After all that chaos, the actual round started.
Quick experience chat, then two DSA problems:
1) Count of Smaller Numbers After Self — solved via stack
2) https://leetcode.com/problems/container-with-most-water/description/ — I used the optimal two-pointer approach
What happened next made me question if I was being tested on code — or on my ability to deal with intellectual stubbornness.
The interviewer seemed dead set on a stack-based solution . I explained my approach using multiple test cases, walked through logic, and offered alternate examples. Still, the same questions came again — not with curiosity, but resistance.
It was clear: I hadn’t misunderstood the problem — I had outpaced her expectations. And maybe, unintentionally, her ego.
She closed with a lecture on how "interviewers know all approaches" and that "candidates should just listen."
I waited to ask follow-up questions, but she cut the call with a cold “bye” and muted herself.
I was left speaking into silence — and then, the screen.
Post-Interview: The Final Vanish
Days later, a rejection email quietly landed.
I reached out for feedback — the HR literally cut my calls everytime(called multiple HRs).
I emailed again. No response. Just… silence.
No clarity. No closure. Just a strange emptiness — the kind only a truly broken process can leave behind.
Final Advice — Read This Before You Apply
Some interviews sharpen your skills.
Some challenge your thinking.
And then there are interviews like this —
Where the only thing you gain is the realization that your time, talent, and dignity are far too valuable to be wasted.
If a company can't respect you during the hiring process, don’t expect it to value you afterward.
Ghosting, ego-driven conversations, disorganized chaos — these are not just red flags.
They are screaming sirens telling you to walk away.
You’re not just applying for a job.
You’re investing your energy, your preparation, your mental peace.
Choose companies that earn that.
This one? Didn't even come close.