The process kicked off with an HR screening call where there was no coding or technical content—just a conversation in English about the role, the team structure, and what day-to-day work would look like. My recruiter explained that the position involves regular contact with international customers, so they wanted to confirm my comfort with that upfront. The call was straightforward and short, no aggressive questioning. After that, they sent over a detailed case study via email for the next phase.
Then things shifted into the technical rounds. I went through multiple DSA-focused interviews spread over a couple of weeks—each one about 30 minutes—where I was solving algorithm and data structure problems under time pressure. The bar here is real; they're not looking for someone who can memorize solutions, but someone who can think through a problem step by step and communicate clearly. Alongside the coding rounds, there were behavioral interviews that felt less scripted than I expected. They want to see evidence that you've taken on leadership or owned something, that you have an entrepreneurial mindset. One interviewer asked me to explain a cloud or database concept as if they were five years old—less about showing off jargon and more about whether I truly understood the fundamentals.
What surprised me was how much they lean on behavioral signal. It's not just "tell me about a time you failed"—they're genuinely interested in how you've driven initiatives or taken responsibility. The whole thing was well-structured, with clear communication about what each round was evaluating. That said, my application ended up without an offer, and I never got explicit feedback on why. They went quiet after the final round, so I had to reach out to ask for status. If you're going through this, don't assume silence means anything definitive—ask for clarity if you want it.
Prep tip from this candidate
Prepare to discuss past initiatives where you owned something or showed leadership—McKinsey weights this heavily in behavioral rounds. Also practice explaining technical concepts clearly and simply; the 'explain like I'm five' style question tests genuine understanding, not memorization.
