The interview process had too many rounds for a new graduate role. First, there was a 30-minute recruiter screening about my resume and basic fit. Then there was a 30-minute technical interview with the hiring manager.
After that, there were two long panel rounds. Each panel had around four panelists plus the hiring manager. These rounds were very time-consuming and extremely technical. The panelists had around 15 years of experience on the same team, so the questions went way too deep for a new grad position.
Honestly, the interview felt more like a senior Tapeout Engineer interview than a new graduate interview. They asked very detailed technical questions about resume projects, implementation choices, technical decisions, challenges, and how my experience connected to the role. It felt like they expected candidates to already know the level of knowledge someone would gain only after working in the exact tapeout engineering role for several years.
If that is the level of knowledge expected, then the role should probably be posted as a senior Tapeout Engineer position instead of a new graduate role. I answered the questions, but the feedback I received by email said there was a lack of technical depth in my answers and that I needed to improve my ability to tell a compelling story about what was on my resume and connect it to my answers.
Overall, the process felt excessive, time-consuming, and not aligned with the level of the role.