I recently interviewed with Radar for a Sales Engineer position. The process began with an initial interview with the VP of Sales Engineering, followed by a second-round team interview that included a collaboration session with the VP and a Sales Engineer, as well as a âbar raiserâ interview with the Senior Director of Sales. After passing both rounds, I was invited onsite for a final round in NYC. This included a presentation to the VP, a Sales Engineer, and the COO, two executive interviews with each Co-Founder, and a recruiter check-in.
Throughout the process, I received consistent positive feedback from every person I met with. I was told I had a polished delivery, was articulate, demonstrated correct and well-structured technical knowledge, and came across as confident, open to feedback, and coachable. I worked tirelesslyâdespite never having held a Sales role beforeâby studying SE principles, practicing for countless hours, and learning Radarâs product in depth.
In the end, I was rejectedânot due to my performance, but because the team decided at the last minute to change the roleâs qualifications and focus on hiring an âenterprise-readyâ candidate with 2â5 years of enterprise experience. When I applied, the listed qualification was â1+ years of Sales Engineering OR Software Engineering,â explicitly noting that Software Engineers had successfully transitioned into SE roles. With over two years of SWE experience, I believed I was a strong fit.
I understand that startups can pivot quickly, but it was frustrating to spend over a month preparing, receive only positive feedback, and then be told the role requirements had changed behind the scenes. I would have appreciated more transparency, especially since I had another job offer pending and chose to prioritize Radar as my top choice.
There were also some organizational issues during the process:
- I was told there was a possibility of a hotel stay for the onsite interview, but didnât get a final answer until the afternoon before, leaving me to scramble for transportation.
- After my final interview on a Thursday, I was told Iâd hear back Friday to avoid leaving me wondering over the weekendâyet Friday came and went without a word. I had to follow up Monday morning, still hearing nothing back, and I ultimately received my rejection on Tuesday.
While Radarâs people were kind, the office was great, and the culture seemed positive, the last-minute changes, delayed communication, and lack of transparency left a negative impression. I wish the team the best, but I do not envision myself wanting to go through an interview process like this again.
