Two candidates describe a First Citizens Bank data engineer interview that starts with an online technical round, then moves to in-office conversations on Snowflake, dbt, SQL, Airflow and past projects.
$116K
Avg. Base Comp
$136K
Avg. Total Comp
3-4 rounds
Typical Rounds
Not reported
Process Length
Reports for the First Citizens Bank data engineer interview point to a stack-focused process built around Snowflake, dbt, SQL and Airflow. Both candidates were asked about tools they had actually used, so expect to explain not just how a tool works but why you chose it on a past project.
One candidate describes four rounds including an HR screening. The first technical round was virtual and covered Snowflake, SQL, AWS features and dbt. A second, in-person round with a senior manager went deeper on the same topics, and the last conversation was with a director who walked through the role and its requirements. Questions included common production failures and how they were resolved, normalization versus de-normalization, slowly changing dimension handling in dbt, Airflow orchestration on AWS, and CTEs and SQL performance tuning.
The other candidate was told to expect three rounds: an online technical round, then two at the office, one technical and one techno-managerial. They discussed their projects and tech stack, answered scenario-based questions, such as which Snowflake table to use for a given situation and why dbt was used in their project, and went on to receive an offer.
Their advice is simple: know your projects thoroughly, and be ready to revise an answer when the interviewer gives you new information. Reported round counts differ (three and four), so confirm the schedule with your recruiter.
Synthesized from 3 candidate reports by our editorial team.
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Real interview reports from people who went through the First citizens bank process.
The interview was good. I was asked about my projects and tech stack, like Snowflake, dbt, and Airflow. We spoke about a project I have worked on, along with a few scenario-based questions, which I was able to answer. I was told I would have 3 rounds: the 1st technical round online, and the next 2 offline at the office. The 2nd round would be a technical round, and the 3rd a techno-managerial round.
Questions asked: Prepare your projects - know very well what you have worked on. Be ready to change your answer with new information you receive.
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Synthesized from candidate reports. Individual experiences may vary.
One candidate counted an HR screening as the first of four rounds. The other did not mention a separate screen and was told to expect three rounds, starting with a technical one. If you get a screening call, use it to confirm the number of rounds and the format of each.
Both candidates describe a first technical round held online. One says it centered on Snowflake, SQL, AWS features and dbt. The other was asked about their projects and tech stack, including Snowflake, dbt and Airflow, plus a few scenario-based questions. Be ready to explain why you picked each tool.
The next round was in person. One candidate met a senior manager who went deeper into Snowflake, SQL, AWS and dbt. Reported questions covered production failures and fixes, normalization versus de-normalization, slowly changing dimensions in dbt, Airflow orchestration on AWS, and CTEs and SQL performance tuning.
One candidate finished with a director who explained the role and requirements in detail. The other was told the last round would be techno-managerial, held at the office. Prepare to discuss your project decisions and trade-offs, and to adjust your answers when the interviewer adds new information.
