Tell HN: Frustrating Interview Process at VMware
I would like to share my experience as a candidate for the position of Solutions Architect at VMware Tanzu.

In early April, I applied for the position and received a response from a recruiter after a week. The recruiter found my CV quite interesting and explained the hiring process, which consisted of three stages: an interview with the hiring manager, a technical interview, and a panel interview.

During the interview with the technical manager, who had a strong technical background, I was given a clear understanding of the role of a Day 2 Operations Solutions Architect for Kubernetes Tanzu. I was also asked about technical problems I had encountered in my career and how I approached solving them. The questions were well-thought-out, and I was able to answer them confidently. The technical manager seemed impressed and gave me the green light for the next stage of the interview process.

In the second stage, I was interviewed by a solutions architect and was asked to write a Terraform module for AWS. We also discussed various topics related to Kubernetes, and my experience was well-received by the interviewer.

After nearly three weeks, I was invited for the panel interview. I received an email requesting that I deliver a presentation to a panel on a "technical topic of your choice," keeping in mind that there would be a non-technical member on the panel. As someone with previous experience working with customers, this was not particularly challenging for me. I delivered the following presentation on Kubernetes admission controller and made sure to provide numerous real-life examples.

Following the presentation, the panel asked me several questions, including:

How would I explain the importance of policy engines in Kubernetes to a customer?
Would I recommend Kyverno or Gatekeeper, and why?
What would be the initial steps to take with customers?
How could I explain the significance of certain technologies from a business perspective?

They also asked some other questions related to pre-sales, which confused me about the scope of the role. To clarify, I inquired about whether the role focused solely on after-sales day 2 operations or if it also involved sales responsibilities.

Two days later, the recruiter contacted me and informed me that the panel had decided to pursue other options for the position at that time. They offered me the opportunity to have a feedback meeting with someone from the panel, which I gladly accepted. Today, I had a Zoom meeting with one of the panel interviewers.

During the meeting, I explained what a Solutions Architect role entails and shared what I had learned about the role from the hiring manager. I also addressed my confusion regarding the sales-related questions. The interviewer acknowledged that I had chosen a good topic and presented it pretty well. However, the panel was dissatisfied with my question about the role's scope, as how i am still unaware of the scope of the role. He admins it was probably a misunderstanding, but "the decision was taken and can't be reversed". They also felt that my explanation regarding the business perspective was not sufficiently detailed. Interestingly, I was the only candidate who reached the panel interview stage.

I was a bit frustrated because I believe these reasons are not sufficient for declining a candidate who is well-suited for the position. Also i think the hiring manager and the team weren't really involved by the decision. The recruiter had actually informed me a week prior that the hiring manager was more than happy with my experience and would be inclined to hire me.

What do you think about it?

About me, i am a cloud engineer and solutions architect with solid networking and Kuberenetes background with around 7 years of experience.