Simpl PayLater | DevOps Engineer | Remote [Accepted]

What I Went Through

My journey through Simpl PayLater's interview process for a DevOps Engineer role was quite thorough and engaging. It consisted of four distinct rounds:

Round 1: General DevOps

This round was an hour-long interview focused on assessing my overall skillset and knowledge in DevOps. The interviewer covered various domains including AWS, networking, security, and Linux concepts. We also briefly reviewed my resume, and I provided an overview of the projects I had spearheaded in my previous organizations. I found that having a solid grasp of more than just the basics across all these areas was sufficient to successfully navigate this round.

Round 2: Programming

I was informed beforehand that my programming skills, particularly in Python, would be tested, as the role demanded fluency in the language for daily tasks. For this round, they presented a module from their open-source Python utility, Cloudlift. My objective was to get the module working, which involved understanding each file's purpose, filling in missing parts, and removing bugs. I focused on adding well-structured function calls and meaningful comments. Crucially, I made sure to think out loud, keeping the interviewer engaged and allowing them to guide me if I started going in a vague direction.

Round 3: Hiring Manager

This round proved to be the most challenging. It began with a seemingly simple scenario: helping a freelance blogger friend set up an online presence. However, over the course of the hour, the discussion escalated into complex topics, including designing a disaster recovery solution and delving deep into network security. While some questions were mind-boggling, the interviewer consistently pushed me to think beyond my regular day-to-day experiences, especially concerning network security. I honestly left this round convinced it would be my last interaction with them.

I particularly appreciated that almost every question in the process involved a discussion with the panelist and revolved around real-world problems. Furthermore, the questions were consistently aligned with the job description pointers, which I found very reassuring.

Round 4: HR Discussion

Following a brief discussion about company policies, my role, and location, I received an offer approximately 10 days later. The offer included a CTC of 35LPA.

Additional Points:

• They inquired about a buyout option without a specific cap, as I had a 60-day notice period.
• Calls were scheduled bi-weekly with multiple members of the team I would be joining.
• The HR team was consistently accessible via text or call for any doubts or requested changes.
• Simpl is a remote-friendly company and also organizes all-expenses-paid work-from-office weeks.