How it went
The candidate found the OpenAI interview process to be rigorous, with a helpful recruiter providing accurate guidance. The system design round focused on a payment processing system, emphasizing real-world operational concerns and failure modes. The coding interview, while not algorithmically complex, required careful attention to edge cases and correctness, aiming for a production-quality solution. The candidate felt the interviewers were knowledgeable and collaborative, but ultimately underestimated the expected depth in handling correctness and edge cases.
What came up
Data ModelingMachine LearningConceptStatistics & ExperimentationData AnalysisCodingSQLData Structures & AlgorithmsPeople ManagementProject ManagementProgram SenseCross FunctionalSystem DesignProduct DesignEstimationProduct StrategyAnalyticalTechnicalExecutionBehavioralCustomer InteractionApp CritiqueData Pipeline DesignArtificial IntelligencePresentationPortfolio ReviewDebuggingCode ReviewProject Discussion
A candidate-reported account, lightly edited. Interview processes change by team and date.