I applied through a recruiter. The process took 2 months. I interviewed at EPAM Systems (Bogotá, Bogota) in Dec 2024
Interview
Riguroso pero nada que un ingeniero bien formado no pueda resolver, preguntas en todos los frentes más relevantes del desarrollo y la ingeniería de software, prueba de código en vivo sencilla.
Interview questions [1]
Question 1
Java collections
Patrones de diseño
Principios de desarrollo de software
Buenas prácticas
Arquitectura de software
Nociones de ciencias de la computación.
Estructuras de datos
Principios de bases de datos
Estrategias de diseño de bases de datos
It was tough and you need to be prepared with python skills too.
Python coding , pyspark coding , optimization skills are required
You will have to appear a coding test first post that interview with commence.
Interview questions [1]
Question 1
Python code using loop of medium difficulty
Pyspark code
I applied through a recruiter. The process took 3 months. I interviewed at EPAM Systems in Apr 2025
Interview
HR communication was inconsistent and careless. My first interview was rescheduled twice, and the recruiter failed to inform the interviewer of the final agreed time — the interviewer had to reach out to me directly. Responses from HR were slow, and key details were often missing.
Misleading expectations: I was told the final round would be managerial, yet it turned out to be another full technical interview with less than 24 hours' notice. This caught me completely off guard and impacted my ability to perform as I normally would.
The hiring manager was disrespectful and dismissive throughout the interview. He:
Frequently interrupted me and talked over my answers.
Responded rudely when I asked for a moment to think (“Don’t waste our time”).
Ignored technical accuracy — for instance, insisting I said “SQL” when I clearly said “MySQL.”
Dismissed my qualifications and told me I was “100% not a senior,” despite my experience leading full-scale projects used nationwide.
The salary discussion was degrading. I was offered a lower salary than my current one, and when I stated that, the response was simply that “EPAM is better regardless,” which came across as dismissive and tone-deaf.
Overall, the experience was demoralizing and disrespectful, especially given the time and preparation I invested in the process over the past two months.
Advice to Management: Align your internal communication across recruitment and hiring teams. Respect your candidates’ time and experience. Transparency about interview format and salary expectations is essential. If you want to attract strong talent, your interview process needs to reflect the same professionalism and respect that you expect from candidates.