We want you to do your best when applying to Oxylabs, so we spoke with a bunch of our teammates, from developers themselves to tech recruiters, to help you nail the interviews and live coding.
Demonstrate bigger-picture thinking and don’t overdo it
Arnas Juškys, Senior Go Developer
Since I participate in both technical interviews and live coding, here are some genuine tips from me.
We’re looking for developers who are able to see the bigger picture of the product architecture and infrastructure, not solely focus on the service itself, so our goal during the application process is to find out your problem-solving approaches and how broad your technical knowledge background is.
Do you keep up with the latest versions of the tech stack? Do you actively seek the news in the technology field? Do you have any tech-related hobbies or personal projects? These are some of the questions we’ll be asking during the technical interview.
When it comes to the live coding task, you can choose to do it at home or come over to our office. If you think you’ll be calmer and more focused at home — go for it. But I recommend coming to our office to meet us in person — at the end of the day, we’re a friendly bunch.
The task itself will be a simplified version of what we do every day. You can use good old Google and ask us questions, whether you’re online or in person. After you complete the task, we’ll discuss it with you.
My top tip for the live coding task is to approach it as simply as you can — just do what’s required. We’ve noticed that some candidates try to show off their knowledge and, as the end result, slow down the code, cause memory leaks, or edge cases. So, just go straight to the point and don’t overcomplicate it!
And ask questions — we’re all team players here at Oxylabs, so communicating when you need help will be a part of your everyday work. Don’t be afraid to show that you don’t know everything — there’s always something new to learn and discover, and we’ll be happy to answer your questions and share our knowledge.
Know your programming theory
Aliaksandr Liavonchyk, Senior Python Developer
My advice, especially for Junior-Mid developers, is to build strong theoretical knowledge alongside practical code writing skills.
During technical interviews, I’ve noticed that some candidates can write solid code but can’t discuss it with commonly used terms and descriptions. This makes it difficult for us to evaluate your knowledge — you might know the answer, you just don’t have the right words for it.
So, I genuinely recommend reading programming theory as it will give you a strong foundation for high-quality code writing. And expect us to ask theoretical questions during the interview, for example, about object-oriented programming and SOLID principles, and etc.
Expect a warm welcome and valuable feedback
Kornelija Paulauskaitė, PHP Developer
I remember my application process to Oxylabs very well, and I hope that by sharing my experience, I will ease your mind a bit!
The live coding task was actually very engaging. As I showed my problem-solving skills, I got valuable feedback in real-time. So, from the live coding task alone, I’ve gained quite a bit of new knowledge.
Also, the developers who met me for the live coding — today, my teammates — were very welcoming and friendly, which helped me calm down my nerves and concentrate on doing my best at the task.
When I got stuck or just wanted to discuss different approaches to a problem, the team was supportive and offered constructive feedback that helped me improve as a developer. So, the live coding won’t be as intimidating as you think — it’s fun meeting your future teammates, and you get meaningful insights on your code, too.
Be honest and curious
Karina Lukaševič, Senior Talent Acquisition Partner
I talk to candidates during the screening process, and here are a few insights and reminders for a smooth first conversation with the Oxylabs team.
Use role description to prepare for talking about your work experience so that you focus on the most relevant responsibilities and skills and get your message across to us. And, well, honesty is the best policy — be open and reflect on areas where you miss the requirements. Transparency is the only way to see if we could actually be a good match.
To feel more relaxed before the interviews, try looking at the entire application process this way: this is also your opportunity to find out more about us as a workplace and a team. Be curious and prepare some questions in advance — we’ll be happy to answer all of them!
Our team is hoping this blog was useful, and they can’t wait to meet you — so apply, and let’s chat!
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