I was thrilled to interview with Intercom, especially after receiving a referral and thoroughly preparing for each round based on what I expected. However, the reality turned out to be quite different. While Glassdoor provided helpful insights into potential questions, the first-round coding challenge was unlike anything I had studied for. The problems were incredibly complex, likely influenced by the growing prevalence of AI in solving advanced coding tasks. The wording of the challenge was particularly confusing, and it felt more suited for a mid- to senior-level developer rather than someone at my stage. Unfortunately, I didn’t make it past this round, so I didn’t get to experience the more engaging parts of the interview process. It was a humbling experience, to say the least. The bar for internships and junior roles has been raised to that of senior devs. Frustrating and scared for the future