I recently went through the interview process for a Senior Staff Software Engineer role at Zscaler. I had read a few similar interview experiences beforehand, and unfortunately, my experience ended in a disappointing way.
Here’s how the process went:
- Initial Recruiter Call
The recruiter reached out for an initial discussion. It was a standard conversation covering:
My interest in the role
Current experience
Compensation expectations
General availability
- Round 1 — Coding
The first technical round was conducted by a Senior Staff Engineer.
The round focused on a LeetCode medium-level coding problem. The discussion was primarily around problem-solving and coding.
- Round 2 — Architect
The second round was with an Architect.
We discussed:
One LeetCode medium-level coding problem
Some details about my current project
A high-level system design (HLD) discussion during the last 30 minutes
- Round 3 — Principal Engineer
The third round was with a Principal Engineer and lasted about an hour.
This was a detailed HLD/system design discussion. Interestingly, the problem was closely related to something the team was currently working on.
The discussion went fairly deep into architecture and design decisions.
- Round 4 — Director / Hiring Manager
The final round was with a Director. Since this role would report directly to the Director.
This round again included:
An HLD/system design discussion, again around a problem similar to what the team was working on
Questions about my previous work
Architecture and design-related discussions
The conversation went well. Toward the end, the Director asked when I could join. Since I was already serving my notice period, I said I could join within a week.
What Happened After the Interviews
After completing all the rounds, the recruiter contacted me and said that the feedback from all the interview rounds was positive.
The recruiter also asked me to arrange a list of documents and indicated that the process was moving forward.
However, after that, communication completely stopped.
I tried reaching out to the recruiter several times through both email and phone, but I didn't receive any response.
After about a month, I finally received an automated rejection email, without any explanation or feedback.
Overall Experience
The interview process itself was technically interesting, with multiple rounds covering coding, system design, architecture, and previous work.
However, the communication after the interviews was disappointing. Being told that the feedback was positive, being asked to prepare documents, and then receiving no communication for a month before an automated rejection was frustrating.
The biggest issue for me wasn't the rejection itself. Companies obviously have the right to make hiring decisions based on their internal requirements. What I found disappointing was the lack of communication and closure after investing significant time in the interview process.
If the decision had changed internally or the position was put on hold, a simple update would have been enough.
Hopefully, sharing this experience helps other candidates understand what the process may look like and set their expectations accordingly.
