Welcome to the Eye Security technical candidate preparation hub!
This is your guide to acing our technical interviews and showcasing your skills!
Here is what to expect during Eye Security's technical interviews
We’ve designed our process to highlight your problem-solving abilities and collaborative mindset. Here's what you can expect:
- Take-home coding assessment.
Submit your solution, then dive into a live code review to discuss your approach.
OR - Pair-programming session.
Collaborate on a real-world problem during a live session.
Tips for success
- It’s about how you think. We’re more interested in understanding your thought process than just getting to the “right” answer.
- Your tools, your rules. Choose the programming language you're most comfortable with—we care about your problem-solving skills and how you communicate your ideas.
- We value learners over specialists. Whether it’s mastering a new framework or learning a new programming language, we love working with generalists who adapt and grow.
A glimpse into our tech stack
While we primarily work with Golang, Python, and TypeScript, we appreciate engineers who focus on fundamentals and can easily learn new technologies when needed.
A geographically distributed, dynamic team
Eye Security is a distributed team spread across Berlin, The Hague, and London, with plans to expand further across Europe. Join us as we tackle exciting challenges in cybersecurity, no matter where you’re based.
Get some tips from Bert, VP Product & Engineering
Barbara (Director, Talent Management): What is your favorite interview question that you have been asked as a candidate during a technical Interview?
Bert (VP Product & Engineering): I've been asked many insightful questions throughout my career, but the ones that resonate most aren't about specific technologies or past projects. Instead, I find the most valuable question is simply: 'What do you find great about your current role?'
This question might seem disarming at first, but it serves several crucial purposes. It allows me to understand what truly motivates a candidate, what aspects of their work environment bring them satisfaction, and what aligns with their values. It's not about catching them off guard or trying to find hidden dissatisfaction; it's about understanding their perspective and motivations.
Moreover, this question challenges the conventional notion that candidates are always seeking an escape from a negative situation. In many cases, talented individuals are open to new opportunities not because they're unhappy, but because they're driven by growth, new challenges, or a desire to contribute to something bigger. By focusing on the positive aspects of their current role, I can better assess whether our company can offer an environment that aligns with their aspirations.
Ultimately, interviewing is not a competition between employers. It's a mutual exploration to determine if there's a strong fit between the candidate's skills and aspirations and our company's needs and culture. By understanding what candidates value most, we can make informed decisions that benefit both parties.
Barbara: What piece of advice do you have for talent that wants to join a fast-growing scaleup but is coming from a bigger, more mature organisation?
Bert: Making the jump from a big, established company to a fast-growing scale-up is like switching from a cruise ship to a speedboat. On the cruise ship, everything is planned, there’s a set itinerary, and your role is very specialised – you might oversee the towels for the pool deck.
But on a speedboat, things are much more dynamic. The direction can change quickly depending on the waves and the conditions, and you might find yourself navigating, checking the engine, and even helping with the fishing lines – you're wearing multiple hats and contributing to the entire journey. That’s the mindset shift required for a scale-up. It’s not about following a fixed plan; it’s about navigating a rapidly evolving landscape where you have a direct impact on the course we chart.
Plus, on the speedboat, you get to explore hidden coves and discover amazing things you’d never see from the cruise ship – think cooler projects and more challenging, impactful work. In a scale-up, you're not just a small cog in a giant machine; you're a key part of a dynamic team, and your high agency and ownership are not just appreciated but expected.
If you’re someone who wants to grow faster, contribute more, and have a real impact, then jumping on board a scale-up speedboat is an incredibly exciting adventure.
Barbara: Where do you see candidates struggling most with technical interviews?
Bert: One area where I often see candidates face challenges, particularly in timed assessments, is managing time and pressure effectively. This is especially relevant in our process because we intentionally allow candidates to use any language or framework, they're comfortable with. We do this because we believe that software engineering is fundamentally a craft of mindset and problem-solving.
Programming languages and frameworks are simply tools; a skilled craftsperson can adapt to different tools. Of course, we appreciate candidates who already have experience with our specific stack, but we prioritise hiring strong engineers with the potential to make a long-term impact.
Therefore, our assessments aren’t solely about finding the 'correct' solution. It's more about how you approach the problem. How do you break it down? What's your thought process? How do you address challenges or roadblocks you encounter along the way? And crucially, how do you communicate your thinking to the interviewer? We're looking for clear communication, logical reasoning, and the ability to articulate trade-offs. These are skills that transcend any specific language or framework.
So, in the context of time and pressure, it's not about rushing to find the perfect answer. It's about demonstrating a structured, methodical approach even under time constraints. How do you prioritise? How do you manage your time effectively? How do you handle the pressure of the interview setting? These are the insights we're looking for, because these are the qualities that make a successful engineer in the long run.
Frequently Asked Questions
Dress code: casual
Which (natural) language will be used during the technical interview: English. We have a diverse team that speaks many languages, but we all work in English.
How will I know if I passed the interview: The Talent Partner will get in touch after the interview with feedback and next steps.
Where is the product & engineering team based: our tech teams sit across the Netherlands, UK and Germany.
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Good luck!
We’re looking forward to seeing how you build, debug, and deploy your skills in our interview process.
