I interviewed with Samantha on the phone and was invited to their coding Challenge.
They have a challenge set on Github, invlolving learning languages like Haskell, Rust, Go, Lolcode (Seriously...), in Fizzbuzz and Palendrome tests. Its Lord of the Rings themed, like a sort of kitchy attempt and seeming interesting.
After completing the challenge, I was contacted for an interview almost immediately. A Skype interview was setup. I was also informed of a second challenge, more to do with the actual skills supposedly used for the job. I was told multiple times that absolutely no job offer would be made until that challenge was complete, and in no way would I be flown into Vegas for an in-person interview.
The Skype interview was a somewhat typical Skype interview, except given by a bunch of Bro-coders that were very obviously exhausted and overworked. A brash culture was very evident. A thick skin would be required for this job. I tried to ask questions about my challenge but they refused to answer them, almost as if they didn't actually look at the code.
This is where things got REALLY strange. I was again told it would be a few days, and I needed to complete the 2nd challenge. 10 minutes after my interview I got a call from Samantha offering me a job and if I were to accept they could go as high as $30k a year. There is no way a recent college grad would take $30k a year in a place with a somewhat high cost of living. She then insisted I get on a plane ASAP and come meet the team and interview in person.
Red flags everywhere. They were going against everything they had told me would be in the process. They were pushing me hard, as if I was being sold something, trying to pressuring me into accepting their insulting offer. How could they be so desperate to hire me, a fresh Junior College grad with an AAS and NO professional experience, and if they were so desperate why offer me such a low, insulting salary?
Everything about the desperation made me decline the offer. If they are so desperate to hire someone with no experience, that tells me they can't hold onto talent. So either I would have way more work than I could handle, or the culture was so draining that turnover was astronomical. I saw management problems with the dumping of cash on nonsense like personal chefs, brand new development environments, a ritzy downtown office space, etc, all meant to distract you from the fact you are worked to death and paid absolute garbage.