Four candidates describe Carta (Eshares) software engineer interviews: recruiter screens, hiring manager conversations, a timed take-home, and in one case a six-interview loop. All four report no offer.
$206K
Avg. Base Comp
$289K
Avg. Total Comp
2-6 rounds
Typical Rounds
Not reported
Process Length
Candidates who interviewed for software engineering roles at Carta (Eshares) describe a process that begins with a recruiter or HR phone screen and then moves to a hiring manager conversation. The four reports cover different roles, including Senior Software Engineer, Software Engineer II in Fund Administration and general Software Engineer, so treat the details as individual experiences rather than a fixed format.
The hiring manager round is where two candidates report the most substance. One described a full hour built around walking through a challenging project and how you overcame obstacles. Another described behavioral questions about a conflict with a colleague and a walkthrough of experience, along with heavy probing of the resume. Prepare one or two detailed project stories that show technical judgment, and be ready to explain how your background fits the role's balance of frontend and backend work. One candidate who flagged a frontend-leaning background felt that mismatch lingered.
Two candidates mention take-home work. One was told it was a two-hour exercise focused on clean code and documentation, and spent longer than stated. The other had a four-hour limit and submitted when time ran out, believing two more hours would have produced a stronger answer. That candidate also felt the evaluation looked for an absence of red flags in design decisions, so state your trade-offs explicitly. Confirm up front whether a take-home, live coding, or both are required.
Scheduling was uneven. One candidate praised a recruiter who responded within hours and explained the virtual onsite beforehand, while others reported unanswered follow-ups, and one waited for a call that never started. Confirm the format, attendees and meeting link in writing.
Synthesized from 4 candidate reports by our editorial team.
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Real interview reports from people who went through the Eshares, Inc. process.
The recruiter phone screen was on a Thursday and went well. It focused on my resume and background, and at the end I was told I'd be set up for a call with the hiring manager and a tech lead. The confirmation came through for a Tuesday slot.
That's where things fell apart. I messaged the recruiter asking about the format and what to expect, and I never got a reply. On Tuesday I showed up at the scheduled time and nobody else joined. I waited about 30 minutes, then emailed the recruiter, who only sent back an out-of-office auto-reply. On Wednesday she wrote to say the role had been filled.
I spent the whole weekend preparing for that call, so the silence stung more than the rejection. I never got to talk with the hiring manager or tech lead, so I can't speak to the technical bar. The process felt disorganized on their end, and I'd treat any scheduled call with the team as unconfirmed until someone from the team actually shows up.
Prep tip from this candidate
Before the day of any interview, get the format, the names of everyone you'll meet, and the meeting link confirmed in writing, and keep a second contact in case the recruiter goes silent. This candidate prepared all weekend for a call that never happened.
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Sourced from candidate reports and verified by our team.
Topics based on recent interview experiences.
Featured question at Eshares, Inc.
Describing a data project and its challenges
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Synthesized from candidate reports. Individual experiences may vary.
Candidates report an initial call with a recruiter or HR focused on resume and background. One screen lasted about 30 minutes, and another candidate raised a frontend-leaning background and was still moved forward. Expect to explain your experience and how it fits the role.
Two candidates report a hiring manager round. One described a one-hour discussion of a challenging project and how obstacles were overcome. Another described behavioral questions, such as a conflict with a colleague, plus close probing of the resume. Prepare detailed project narratives.
Two candidates mention a take-home. One was told to expect two hours, emphasizing clean code and documentation, and spent longer. Another had a four-hour limit and ran out of time. Clarify scope and timing, and explain your design trade-offs explicitly in the submission.
One Software Engineer II candidate reports six interviews in total, four in a virtual onsite mixing behavioral and technical material, with friendly engineers. Another was told a live coding round would be scheduled but was rejected before reaching it. Not every candidate reached this stage.
All four candidates report no offer. One received a phone rejection with feedback, one was rejected without much signal, one heard nothing after repeated follow-ups, and one was told the role had been filled. Confirm each stage, its format and attendees in writing.
