Our software engineers are not just skilled professionals; they are passionate visionaries who craft solutions that leave a lasting impact on the digital landscape. Whether it's crafting scalable architectures, designing elegant, clean algorithms, or creating seamless user experiences, at 8th Light you'll have the chance to leave your mark on projects that transform industries.
The success of our software consulting practice hinges on the exceptional abilities of our team. As we assess candidates, we are not just looking for employees; we are searching for dedicated partners who will share in our mission to deliver transformative solutions that leave a lasting impact on our clients' businesses.
Learn more about software development, data, DevOps, and design solutions at 8th Light.
What to Expect from Our Engineering Interview Process
Our goal is to have candidates complete the interview process within one week, however, we can accelerate (or decelerate) based on your availability.
- Video Screening with the Talent Acquisition Team (30 minutes)
- Skills Assessment: Take Home Technical Coding Challenge (60 minute limit)
- Face to Face Interviews:
- Pair Programming & Code Review (90 minutes)
- Architecture & System Design (90 minutes)
- Consulting & Culture Interview (60 minutes)
Video Screening
Our Talent Acquisition team will be eager to learn more about your experience, perspectives, and ambitions in software development and consulting. We’ll want to understand how you approach testing, system design, and other aspects of client delivery. We are even more excited to answer your questions, so feel free to ask away.
Skills Assessment: Take Home Technical Coding Challenge
We understand that technical assessments can be overwhelming, so we aim to make this challenge clear and realistic. We encourage you to choose the language and tools you feel most comfortable with. This brief assessment evaluates:
Adherence to overall specifications
Tests that describe the requirements and protect against regressions
Design and structure of your code
Code that is well documented and works as described
Your thoughts on scalability
You should spend no more than an hour on the challenge, and submit the assignment within 36 hours of receipt.
Pair Programming Interview
The 90-minute virtual pair programming interview allows you to “bring your own environment” to work alongside two 8th Light senior or principal developers. Come prepared to code in the editor or IDE of your choice by sharing your screen and solve various problems presented.
The interview features a 55-minute pair programming session where you work in a command-line app, driven by unit tests. The goal is to complete the exercise, while incorporating test-driven design (TDD) practices and working collaboratively with the interviewers. Candidates can choose from the following languages:
JavaScript/TypeScript
Ruby
Python
Java
Elixir
C#
Scala
Clojure
Swift or Kotlin
In the remaining 25 minutes, you’ll review code of a small web-based application, providing feedback and commentary along the way to the team. You’ll explain issues and identify aspects that prevent the code from being production-ready or overly buggy. Choose from the following languages:
Ruby
Python
TypeScript
You must choose two different languages for these two segments, and you will be allotted time to ask questions to the interview team.
Architecture & System Design
As consultants, clients often look to us for answers on how their systems should be built. Sometimes we make decisions unilaterally, sometimes we need to convince clients, and sometimes we need to work within their constraints.
In the 90-minute architecture and system design interview, you’ll role-play with two experienced 8th Light developers in a hypothetical client conversation. You’ll demonstrate your ability to be adaptable and to apply concepts and knowledge to help a hypothetical client identify the right approach. Expect to discuss the following:
Technology choices and trade-offs
Distributed Systems
Security
Scalability
Maintainability
Consulting & Culture Interview
During the final 60-minute consulting interview, you’ll showcase how you approach managing clients and team dynamics. A team of two senior leaders from 8th Light will focus on your project management ability and interpersonal skills to observe how you manage working with clients and teammates. We will be specifically interested in how you collaborate, include, mentor, and extend empathy to the people with whom you work.
Resources to Perfect the Craft of Technical Interviewing
How to Use the STAR Interview Method to Land a Job by BuiltIn
Ping-Pong Pair Programming by Martin Fowler
The Situation-Behavior-Impact Feedback Tool by MindTools
Making the Most of 8th Light’s Interview Process by Camille Shrouder-Henry, 8th Light Director of Talent Acquisition
Level Up Your Software Development Career with These 4 In-Demand Skills by Juan Santana, 8th Light Talent Acquisition Specialist
Questions? Require an Accommodation?
Reach out directly to our recruiting team with questions or accommodations with your application by emailing recruiting@8thlight.com.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are your core values as an organization?
Education. Humanity. Ownership. Our values are the compass that inspires the work that we do. Empowering growth, fostering compassion, and embracing accountability.
I work outside of the United States, should I still apply?
Our global software team currently works across the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom. Unfortunately, we are unable to consider candidates residing outside of these regions at this current time.
8th Light is remote-first now, will that change in the future?
Although we don’t know what the future holds, we do know that remote work is the best way to support our people and their needs. We have no plans to require any employee to report to an office. We will continue listening to the feedback of our people to determine the best way for us to work together.
If I want to work from an office from time to time, is that possible?
Yes! 8th Light’s Global HQ in Chicago is available for all employees. For employees outside of Chicago, 8th Light has partnered with Desana to provide our team with access to thousands of modern, luxurious coworking spaces worldwide.
Can you sponsor my visa?
Unfortunately, we do not sponsor visas for prospective candidates. We ask that candidates have legal eligibility to work in the United States of America or the United Kingdom.
If I have applied previously, can I reapply?
Yes! Take some time, perfect your skills, then reach back out. We ask that candidates wait at least six months before reapplying.
What is the salary range for this position?
Salary details by market are included in most job postings. We also encourage you to request the salary expectations in the first interview and phone call with the Talent Acquisition team.
What is the salary range for this position?
Salary details by market are included in most job postings. We also encourage you to request the salary expectations in the first interview and phone call with the Talent Acquisition team.
How long does this interview process typically take?
For roles we are actively hiring, we are able to fully evaluate a candidate to make a decision within 1-2 weeks. We are often flexible in timing, so please feel free to communicate your preferences to your recruiter.
What perks and benefits do you offer?
We take pride in offering competitive perks and benefits that empower our team to do their best work while finding a comfortable and sustainable work-life balance. Learn more about our benefits including remote work policy, our annual development budget, annual leave/PTO policy, home office stipend, and more.
Do I need any special degrees or certifications to be considered for this position?
No. At 8th Light, we do not correlate credentials with a person’s likelihood for success in the role. We are more interested in the passion, perspective, and expertise that you bring to the role — whether it was learned in the classroom or you are self-taught.
What kind of languages do you use?
We're "language agnostic", which means we are generalists and polyglots who are comfortable jumping in and delivering idiomatic solutions in any tech stack. We work on Macs (or occasionally Linux) and typically deploy to the cloud, browser, or mobile devices. The top languages in use by our teams and clients are: JavaScript/TypeScript, Ruby, Java, Python, Elixir, C#, Swift, Kotlin, Clojure, and Scala.
How does project assignment work?
We have a staffing specialist who works to match skills and client needs. Prior to your start with the team, our staffing specialist will meet with you to learn more about your interests and goals to align them with the best opportunities in our roster.
Will I ever work on more than one project during a single period?
It is not common for our developers to work on more than one project at any given time.
If I am not staffed on a project (e.g. “On the Bench”) will my pay or benefits stop?
No. Team members not staffed on a client project will have the opportunity to participate in internal initiatives/projects, or invest time in their learning & development leveraging 8th Light’s L&D time allotment.
