This interview was the most unprofessional and unorganized interaction I have ever had. The interviewer's poor communication skills, technical incompetence, and refusal to follow proper architectural practices were mind-boggling.
My interviewer entered the room with a large MacBook and told me to sit while he continued configuring something on his machine. I sat there for 4 to 5 minutes in silence without any introduction. He eventually introduced himself and quickly asked me to do the same. Next, he informed me that this was a live coding round and that he wanted me to complete a few tasks using a sample app they had on GitHub.
He then showed me the project on his MacBook, but Android Studio was barely responding, and the emulator he was running was lagging and freezing heavily. I suggested he check the Activity Monitor to close any high-memory background tasks. When that didn't help, I eventually asked him to email me the project link so I could build the entire project on my personal laptop, which took around 20 minutes. All of this setup time was deducted from the allotted time for the task, even before I had started looking at the code.
I reviewed the app's code, which was a "To-Do" application displaying a list of tasks on the home screen with an associated details screen. Before I could even dig into the complete architecture, he asked me to display the description of each to-do item within the home screen list. This was a simple task, so I completed it.
Next, he asked me to change the color of that description based on keywords sent by the backend for each to-do item. I explained that we would need to update the network response, then the database entity, and finally the business object. He refused to accept the database change. I emphasized that the database is the single source of truth and that we needed to update the schema. His reply was essentially, "Why do we need to migrate the whole database entity for a simple text color change in the task?" By this time, I realized how he wanted the task done: via a hack, likely relying on AI. He even asked me if I could do it using AI. The implication was that eBay relies heavily on AI for its work, and that I should ignore my own knowledge and just do what he was asking.
At that point, I gave up and just hoped to get out of the interview as soon as possible. I got a clear impression of how toxic my work life would be if I had to work under or with someone like him. I did my best to answer his remaining questions and left the room with a smile. Later, I found out I was not selected, and I was actually quite relieved. I grabbed a snack at the counter and happily went home. This experience served as another important lesson: observing your interviewer is crucial, as it gives you a glimpse into what your work life will be like if you join the organization.
