I applied online. The process took 2 weeks. I interviewed at Trala in Aug 2023
Interview
Introduction conversation with questions about work experience. This part was good, the interviewer was great. The second part of the process is a takehome coding test where they want you to setup a new repository on GitHub and then create a pull request and add the interviewer to review the code. They state they have a preference for JavaScript or TypeScript and there is no starting code provided at all. It is a poor process, they would have done better to use a canned project from HackerRank or LeetCode. Zero feedback and zero way to check for collaboration skills with this takehome coding method.
Interview questions [1]
Question 1
implement the code and unit tests for hotshot, a basketball game variant and calculate the score of the game rounds
I applied through a staffing agency. I interviewed at Trala (Chicago, IL) in Oct 2023
Interview
1. Screened via third party recruiter
2. Interview One - 30 minute intro conversation with one of the engineers who manages the interview process
3. Hard Skills Test - 3 hours to complete involving. The test is self-created and Trala does not use a third-party system like HackerRank or Codility
4. Second Interview - Meet with other team members, the hiring manager, etc.
I didn't progress beyond the hard skills test. From my experience, the level of effort was difficult to achieve in the timeframe, I estimate I needed another 4 hours to complete the number of requirements with the appropriate tests. I did lose some time building my solution as I had to configure a workspace for the demo project, if I had to do it over again, I would have set up that workspace ahead of time.
I also wish these kinds of tests provided feedback so I could understand how to improve my skills.
Interview questions [1]
Question 1
They will inquire about your background and drill into it as the conversation progresses.