Me postulé a través de un reclutador. Acudí a una entrevista en Polarsteps (Ámsterdam) en sept 2025
Entrevista
I had a great experience interviewing for the Senior Android Developer position at Polarsteps, and honestly, this is by far one of the finest companies I’ve ever interviewed with.
Usually, people are attracted to a company because of its LinkedIn presence, salary, or benefits. But what I truly admired about Polarsteps is how they genuinely showcased their work culture throughout the interview process. From the recruiter to the developers and their Android Technical Lead, Florian, everyone was incredibly humble and supportive.
As a developer, one thing I really appreciated is that their process focuses on real Android development skills it’s not just a “bookish” or theoretical test. You actually get a day to demonstrate your practical skills, which I found really interesting.
And another amazing thing is they respect your time by giving a €100 gift voucher (Amazon, etc.) for giving your day to assignment interview.
Preguntas de entrevista [1]
Pregunta 1
The first tech round focused on topics like the Android Framework, Reactive Programming, and Jetpack Compose core concepts along with discussions around your thought process and problem-solving approach.
The second tech round wasn’t just about Android skills; it also evaluated how you approach problems, manage your time, and present your work. Their evaluation criteria felt real and fair not a robotic or overly theoretical process.
Me postulé en línea. Acudí a una entrevista en Polarsteps
Entrevista
I applied 3 times to Polarsteps. On the first occasion, I never got an answer. On the second time, I got a phone screening interview as a first step and I was rejected because salary expectations from my end were too high (or that's what I understood?) although I said I wouldn't mind going down on salary to join. On the third time, I was rejected automatically with a generic message. I was sad to see they never gave me any chance and it's so difficult to actually get interviewed for the position.
Preguntas de entrevista [1]
Pregunta 1
The only time I had a talk with the recruiter was a long time ago, but I was asked basic recruitment screening questions like:
- What is your previous experience? What is my current role?
- Salary expectations.
Me postulé en línea. El proceso tomó 1 semana. Acudí a una entrevista en Polarsteps (Ámsterdam) en oct 2024
Entrevista
First 30 min screening call with HR
Next, 75 min interview with a team lead and senior engineer
Next, take home assessment to complete in a day
Final Round, culture fit and salary discussion
Preguntas de entrevista [1]
Pregunta 1
How Recyclerview works internally
Drawing custom views and their process
How garbage collector works internally
A lot of questions on Dependency injection, Kotlin Coroutines
Proguard and obfuscation
I found the interview structure somewhat inconsistent, with questions that seemed to lack a clear focus or pattern. It would be more effective to streamline the process with well-prepared, relevant questions rather than delving into unrelated or outdated topics.
For example, questions regarding RecyclerView felt a bit disconnected from the current Android development landscape. Given that Jetpack Compose has become the preferred UI framework for Android, it would be more beneficial to focus on modern technologies that reflect today’s best practices.
Additionally, I believe interviews should assess how a candidate’s expertise can enhance the team and tech stack, rather than focusing too heavily on areas that may not be as applicable to the current environment, such as deep knowledge of custom views.
I also observed that when I inquired about the use of Mapbox APK in certain screens and the company's upcoming feature plans, the interviewers were unable to provide clear answers. This raised some concerns regarding the company's strategic planning and its vision for the future. (quarterly and yearly plans)
In summary, my experience was very mixed. I appreciated the opportunity to interview, but I believe there’s heavy room for improvement in terms of interview clarity and relevance to modern Android development practices.
