I applied for Data Engineer role and had one of the most unusual technical interview experiences of my career. The SQL assessment consisted of a recruiter sending a SQL problem through Microsoft Teams chat and asking to type my query back into the message window. There was no SQL editor, no database, no coding platform, and no opportunity to execute, validate, or iterate on the solution. The recruiter was not technical and could not discuss the problem or evaluate my approach; they simply collected my responses to forward to the hiring manager. The feedback stated that I demonstrated only “surface-level SQL understanding” and lacked fundamental data engineering patterns. The feedback appears to be based on a very narrow snapshot of performance, making the conclusion difficult to accept, given the assessment format. SQL development in the real world is inherently iterative. Engineers write queries, run them, inspect results, refine joins and aggregations, validate edge cases, and improve performance. Production-ready SQL is rarely written perfectly in a text message on the first attempt. It is entirely reasonable to say that submitted query did not fully satisfy the requirements. However, using a single untested query typed into a Teams message as evidence of “surface-level SQL understanding” is a stretch. The interview process measures ability to compose SQL in a chat window without feedback or validation, not our ability to solve data engineering problems in an actual SQL environment. Also the role proudly highlights adoption of AI-assisted workflows, but candidates are forbidden from using AI during the assessment. It’s refreshing to see a company so committed to evaluating applicants for a version of the job that no longer exists. I would strongly recommend that future candidates be evaluated using a proper coding platform and by someone with sufficient technical knowledge to discuss the solution and assess problem-solving ability rather than relying solely on a query pasted into a messaging application and recorded response.

I spoke with recruiter, completed technical assessment, and met with hiring manager. Then they decided they were going to reduce the pay of the role by 1/3. What a waste of my time.