interviewed for an AI Engineer position at Futurice, and despite the process being described as a “fun experience,” it turned out to be one of the most disappointing and unprofessional interview experiences I’ve ever had.
From the very beginning, the process felt disorganized. Even the initial phone call with the recruiter, while quite friendly, lacked a coherent structure and clarity, giving the impression that things were being improvised rather than thoughtfully planned.
The technical interview further reinforced this impression. Both interviewers arrived late (by 4 and 7 minutes) without any prior notice, leaving me uncertain whether I had joined at the correct time. When they did join, the interaction started awkwardly one interviewer gave only a minimal introduction, while the other initially refused to introduce themselves, suggesting it was unnecessary. This set a tone that felt unfortunately quite dismissive and unwelcoming from the start.
Throughout the interview, the atmosphere felt tense and unfriendly. It was also unclear what level of technical expertise the interviewers brought, despite holding a technical title, which made the discussion feel inconsistent and, at times, a bit superficial. A real conversation was hence not brought forward nor really possible. The questions covered various AI-related topics but remained vague and surface-level, with more emphasis on the sales potential of the candidate than on real technical depth.
The follow-up stage introduced additional concerns. I was asked to present a technical project, yet no clear guidance was provided in advance regarding expectations of the project or time frame. It was left open ended. Given the limited timeframe of just a couple of days, preparing something new from scratch was hence unrealistic, and sharing proprietary or company-based work is not always possible. Despite presenting a highly technical, cutting-edge, real-world focused GenAI application, the feedback I received was that the project was “too academic,” which felt contradictory to the role’s description and expectations.
Overall, the process seemed to prioritise presentation and sales skills over actual technical expertise, which was surprising for a role focused on AI engineering. Most concerning, however, was the tone of the final feedback, which came across as unnecessarily harsh and, at times, personally disrespectful. The entire experience left the impression of a process lacking professionalism and respect for candidates.
In summary, the experience felt unstructured, inconsistent, and lacking in basic professionalism and respect for the candidate’s time and effort. Based on this experience, I would not consider applying again. I highly value politeness and kindness which wasn’t given.