The TLDR; this interview process is a *huge* time commitment and the hiring manager seems to be fishing for talent without really knowing what he wants. Interview process started off with a recruiter phone screen. Next was a technical phone screen. After this, I received the "homework" assignment-- a subset of Thumbtack data and 2 questions to answer. I spent about 10 hours analyzing the data and putting together a presentation in Tableau. The feedback to my submission was positive and I was invited to an onsite interview to present my data analysis. The onsite interview was a gauntlet. I started by presenting my data analysis to the hiring manager. We discussed some ideas I had for pricing, data warehousing, etc. I was also asked some questions I couldn't answer-- I would have needed to spend a lot more time analyzing the data and researching the company to answer them. I feel like the manager had already decided I wasn't what he was looking for but I then spent another 2+ hours interviewing with other team members and a surprise SQL exam at the end. At the conclusion of the interview process, I was tired, hungry, really needed to use the bathroom, and couldn't wait to get out of there. The only redeeming part of this experience is the recruiter-- he was truly a professional and I appreciate his clear communication throughout the process. The office itself is beautiful and the cafeteria is impressive. It's an open-seating office and was on the noisy side. The interview itself took place in a glass-conference room adjacent to where the data team sits. This is some honest feedback on what would have made the process a better experience. I hope Thumbtack seriously considers it: 1. Clarify with the hiring manager what he is *actually* looking for. I left with the impression that they were looking for a management-level data scientist. If so, update the job description accordingly. 2. Likewise, I felt like my presentation would have been better-received if I had completed it in R instead of Tableau. If this is what you want, just tell candidates. 3. Ask candidates to pick *one* question to answer for the assignment. This is a much more realistic time commitment and will still provide plenty of insight into a candidate's proficiency in data analysis. 4. Restructure the interview process. A much better process would be Recruiter phone screen --> Short online SQL exam --> 30 minute phone screen with hiring manager or 1 hour onsite with team --> Homework assignment --> Final 1 hour onsite to present assignment.

After seeing an open Data Analyst position posted for several months in Draper, I decided to apply. Initial phone interview was pleasant. Next, I was asked to complete an assessment. I thought the assessment was way too much work for what is typical for an interview process and for someone who was not on the payroll. It started to make sense why the role was open for so long. I completed the assessment and did my best. I received an email full of typos a few days later that said, “after reviewing it...we are going to move forward with other candidates.” I got the strong impression that no matter how I completed the assessment the hiring manager just wasn’t going to like it and was looking for the impossible.