Hey everyone, today I wanna share something I’ve been through recently – the interview process for a data scientist role at Netflix. It’s been quite a ride, so I figured, why not jot it down and share it with you all? Hopefully, it might help some of you who are looking at a similar path.
So, first off, I applied for the job. You know, the usual stuff – polished up my resume, wrote a cover letter, and hit “submit”. Then came the waiting game. After a while, I got an email inviting me for an initial phone screen. I was so pumped! I spent the next few days brushing up on my statistics, machine learning basics, and practicing some SQL and Python coding. The phone screen was pretty chill – mostly behavioral questions, like “Tell me about yourself” and “Why Netflix?”. They also threw in a few basic technical questions to gauge my understanding of data science concepts.
I must have done something right because a week later, I got another email asking me to come in for an onsite interview. This was the real deal. I knew I had to step up my game. I dove deeper into studying product sense, A/B testing, and experimental design. I also practiced explaining my past projects, focusing on how I approached problems and the impact of my work. I even reached out to a few people I know in the industry for some mock interviews – super helpful, by the way.
The onsite interview day finally arrived. It was a full day of back-to-back interviews with different team members. I met with data scientists, engineers, and product managers. Each interview focused on a different aspect. Some were heavy on coding, where I had to write SQL queries or Python code to solve problems. Others were more focused on product sense and experimental design, where I had to explain how I would design an A/B test for a new feature or how I would analyze data to answer a specific business question. They also wanted to see how I handled myself, so there were a lot of situational questions like, “Tell me about a time you failed” or “How do you handle conflict?”.
Man, it was intense! But I felt pretty good afterward. I made sure to send thank-you notes to everyone I met, because, you know, it’s always good to be polite and show appreciation.
Then came the wait again, which, let me tell you, was the hardest part. Every day felt like an eternity. I kept replaying the interviews in my head, wondering if I did well enough. Finally, after a couple of weeks, I got the call. I didn’t get the job. It stung, but I knew the competition was tough. This field is full of the very best, after all.
Even though I didn’t make it, I learned a ton from the whole experience. I got a clearer picture of what companies like Netflix look for in data scientists, and I got to practice my skills under pressure. Plus, I got to meet some really smart people and expand my network. I tried to find a mentor to help me prepare, and I did, but I think I should have done this much earlier.
- My advice for anyone going through this process?
- Prepare, prepare, prepare.
- Know your stuff, especially statistics, machine learning, and coding.
- Practice talking about your projects and how you approach problems.
- Get comfortable with A/B testing and experimental design.
- Don’t be afraid to reach out to people for advice and mock interviews.
- And most importantly, don’t give up if you don’t make it the first time. Every interview is a learning opportunity.
So yeah, that’s my Netflix data scientist interview story. It was a challenging but rewarding experience. I’m still on the job hunt, but I feel more prepared than ever. Just gotta keep learning and keep trying! And hopefully, write about it more to help everyone else out, too!
