If you’re preparing for an engineering manager interview (at Uber or any company), you’re in the right place. I’m Tatiana Maluf, and I joined Uber 3 months ago as an Engineering Manager on our Grocery team. Having just been through the experience, I can tell you everything you need to know to feel comfortable and rock your interviews. Ready? Let’s go!
Choosing to apply was a no-brainer.
First, you’re probably interested in why I joined Uber in the first place, right? I have a Quality Assurance background and have always used Uber as an example of what state-of-the-art quality should look like. I admired the disruptive profile of the company and how it has positively changed the lives of so many people both locally in Brazil and across the globe. I can’t imagine the world today without Uber! I also knew working at Uber would expose me to incredible engineering minds and new technology. So, choosing to apply was a no-brainer.
The team’s technical knowledge set them apart.
Once I applied on Uber’s career site, my recruitment process consisted of a call with the recruiting team, then the business, and finally a multi-panel business interview. It was the best recruiting experience I’ve ever had––and I really mean that. From the start, I was impressed by the depth of everyone’s technical knowledge, including my recruiter.
After an initial interview, I was invited to the first round of interviews with the business. This stage consisted of a System Design and Architecture discussion with a Senior Staff Engineer, where I was assessed on drawing an end-to-end design for a large-scale system. Due to Uber’s scalability challenges, this is a very important step to assess the performance inside our tech environment. The other interview was a general leadership focus with the Director of Engineering in Brazil. I learned quite a few things about what to do, and what not to do.
Use these tips for your design and architecture interview:
- Absorb the materials your recruiter provides. Everything you need to know is there. Watch prep sessions/interview simulations on YouTube and the Uber Careers Blog.
- Have a brief 2-3 minute introduction prepared about yourself.
- When a problem is presented to you, don’t start drawing the solution immediately. First, ask questions to clarify all the details you need.
- While drawing a solution, walk the interviewer through your thought process. Uber is not just interested in your answer, but your thought process and how you build a solution. Consider trade-offs and explain them.
- Prepare meaningful questions to ask at the end. I am always exhausted after interviews, so having thoughtful questions prepared based on the interviewer’s experience is always helpful.
After completing this stage, my recruiter walked me through the final panel: a set of 3 different interviews covering different aspects of leadership, including team building, vision, and execution and delivery.
“At this point, something that caught my attention at Uber was the fact that two women engineering directors interviewed me. I have never previously seen a woman tech director in a recruiting process, and I was interviewed by TWO!”
Use these tips for your leadership interview:
- Relay all significant events that have happened in your career. Call people who you have worked with in the past, they can remind you of your best stories and achievements.
- Ask questions to yourself like: What are the main positive points? Where was your contribution relevant? When did you make a difference in someone’s life? Write down the stories you want the company to know about you. Think about risks, when to take them, and what to do to avoid them.
- Write down all of your successful metrics/KPIs. How do you measure the success of your team?
- Then think about times that you failed. What have you learned from these situations? When the questions arise you’ll have the situations fresh in your mind.
- Most importantly, be yourself! And of course…enjoy the ride!
My recruiter and I were in constant communication throughout the process. Even when a few changes were made and I was introduced to a new hiring team, the two extra conversations helped me learn even more about the company’s culture and values. When I left the last interview, I was proud because I knew I stayed true to myself and gave the best of myself in this process. At Uber, change is constant. You have to be prepared and enjoy the ride!
Posted by Uber
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