Possibly the most challenging, yet rewarding interview process I've ever undertaken. I stumbled across Palantir during an informal chat with a recruiter. It sounded interesting and I thought I'd give it a go - it quickly became clear to me that it's a really involved process and candidates work long and hard for a chance to get their foot in the door. I’ll set out the stages I went through below:
1. Submitted CV, covering letter, and two writing samples (one was for a complex, infrastructure bid and the other was a creative piece) for initial screening
2. Phone interview with a BD person lasting about 45 minutes—general experience/behavioural based questions followed by some ‘blue sky thinking’ type questions (included in the questions bit below)
3. Writing challenge sent via Hacker Rank to be completed within 4 days of receiving, and 24 hours of opening—they advise the challenge will take about 2 hours but if you aren’t well versed in big data software and Palantir’s products (like me), then you’ll need to allow yourself more time for research
4. Onsite interview in the London office—4 interviews (one was an informal lunch interview) sandwiched between 2 writing tests. The writing tests were tough, and again I faltered because I didn’t study their products enough. The interviews dove deep into my experience, working style, and thought processes. The team is an intimidating bunch, they are clearly very intelligent and really passionate about their work. Everyone I spoke to was incredibly friendly so it made the day (5 hours total) enjoyable.
5. Onsite interview at HQ in Palo Alto—I was flown out two days before the interview, all expenses paid, and put up in a beautiful hotel. Met with 3 team members, one of which was very senior and had been with the company since its beginning. Similar to previous onsite interviews but with more of a focus on analytical thinking and applying that thinking to ‘real world problems’. One in particular felt really out of left field, which I was not prepared for. I fumbled through these which I think ultimately landed me the rejection.
The process moves like a speeding train. It’s well coordinated and decisions seem to be made quickly. This means you’ve got to put as much time as you can in between stages to study the products and understand what they do. You need to show a real passion for their work and mission, which I probably came across weak on—they are not looking for people who just want a job, they are after people who will live and breathe their values and show commitment to their mission. Your writing skills and experience come second to your capacity to think and ‘be curious’.
Don’t expect any feedback between stages, or even at the end (generic rejection letter), they really don’t give anything away, adding to the allure I suppose. All of this might turn some people off, but personally I found it really worthwhile—I learned a lot and know now what I should focus on to get into an organisation like this. Will definitely re-apply next year if I have the opportunity to do so.