FAQ

What CodersFirst actually do?

We help programmers find great tech companies in Berlin to work at. If you work with us, we’ll go through a technical interview process with you and provide feedback on what we think your strengths and weaknesses are. We’ll match you with companies that are looking for people with your specific skill sets and meet your requirements, and then fast track you to final interviews with your fav companies. No CV screenings, no phone screenings, no take-home coding challenges with each company, you go directly to final interviews.



Why shouldn’t I just apply to companies directly?

We save your time. Though you’re making an initial time investment by going through our interview process, afterwards we can fast track you through to final interviews at the companies you are interested in. Most candidates save hours that otherwise would be spent on all steps in between final interviews like phone screening, take-home coding challenges and whiteboardings. We connect you to companies which specifically looks for your skills. Companies differ significantly in what skills they look for in software engineers. For example, some companies really value academic programmers, while others think that your academic experience is a sign you won’t be productive. We explored all those patterns and will match you with companies where you have the biggest chance for employment and where you can add the most value. We can connect you early to the most exciting companies out there. Everyone knows GetYourGuide, N26, and HelloFresh, but there is much more on the market. We can connect you also with other interesting companies that you have never heard of or may not have considered before. We want to let you choose the company that is the most interesting for you. We put you in front of the decision makers. Applying through a company website is easy to get to the black hole with no response for weeks or even months. We help you to land directly in front of the decision - makers: hiring managers or founders for a fast turnaround. We can vouch for your technical skills. Maybe your resume isn’t perfect. With us, that doesn’t matter. The companies we work with trust our ability to find hidden talent that other recruiters can’t.



What type of programmers are you looking for?

At the moment we work with Full-stack, Back-end and General Software Engineers of all kinds who want to work full-time, on-site and remote positions.



How much does it cost?

0 (zero). It is and will always be free for Software Engineers. At any time you can take the test, even just to check your capabilities.



What things are you looking for in software engineers?

We work with software engineers from all different backgrounds. We don't care where you went to school - or if you went at all. We work with practical programmers who know how to get a job done. We also work with hard-core CS theorists - and everything in between.



Is any data from my quiz or interview shared with companies without my knowledge?

No. We will not share any information about you without your consent. We will also ask you to point us the companies we should hide your data from in case your current or past employers are working with us.



How does CodersFirst process look like?

Our recruitment process consist of 2 steps: quiz and technical interview. It’s credentials - blind and skills - focused. We don’t look at your CV while screening your skills. If you want to work with us we will ask you to take our quiz. This step takes around 30 minutes to complete. If the first step goes well we will invite you for an online technical interview with our senior software developer. The interview usually takes 2 hours. After the technical interview stage you will receive a detailed feedback on what we think your engineering strength and weaknesses are. Those who will pass the interview we start match with tech companies that are looking for their skills and meet their preferences.



What can I expect in the quiz?

Our multiple choice quiz is adaptive and covers software engineering topics (ex. system architecture, debugging, data structures). You can find there mostly questions with lines of code. The adaptive approach means that questions are updating in real-time based on yours previous answer and selecting by taking into account your current skill level.



What if I don’t find any company I’d like to work at?

That’s ok! We would love to help you search for the opportunity you like the most or we can freeze the process of matching you with the companies for a while - as you prefer.



Do I need a work visa?

You need to have active work permit in Europe (especially in Germany) if you want to work with us.



Do you work with specific types of companies?

We work with tech companies. We don't represent any specific company. We're working for good Software Engineers and we find companies they will love to working at. If you don't know in which company you would like to work - it's fine. We're here to help.



Do I need to speak German to go through CodersFirst?

The whole process is in English. This is the main language used in tech industry, so that's why we're using this one. At the moment we do not support other languages.



Can I restart the quiz once I've opened it?

Once you've started the test, you can leave and come back where you left off. You can repeat this test 3 times. We know that our format is new so let's try and find out!



But I only know X language - why is the quiz in different languages?

The quiz is in different languages because we are looking at a lot of different skill sets. The questions use logic that is similar from one language to another, and also give us a chance to see how you work in a slightly unfamiliar environment. We expect that the programmers who take our quiz will NOT be familiar with all of the languages on our quiz, and you do NOT need to know all the languages in order to do well on the quiz.



Where do you place engineers?

Currently we place engineers in Berlin.



Do you have remote opportunities?

Yes! Most companies we work with are hiring full-time in-office and full-time remote engineers.



What is the process for signing up?

The first step is to create your account within your email and full name. Make sure this is an email you check the most frequently, because we will send feedback on it. Then we’ll ask you to take short quiz which usually takes 30 minutes to complete.



What can I expect in the online interview?

You and our trained Senior Software Engineer will meet on Google Hangouts and jump right into technical questions. The interview has always structured format and applied multidimensional scoring. During the session we are verifying your ability to write clean and correct code, checking your knowledge from the entire cross-section of software engineering understanding



How are your interviews better than the industry standard?

We apply all principles from our Manifesto.



What happens if I fail the interview? Does it mean I can apply to companies on my own?

No. Our interview is confidential. We will NOT tell any companies that you did not pass our interview, and it will NOT affect your ability to apply to or get a job at any company. Furthermore we encourage you to practice in a few areas, and re-apply to us in 4 months.



Do I still have to do interviews with companies I get introduced to?

We’ll skip you over typical recruitment steps like CV screening, phone screening, take home coding challenges and take straight to each companies final interview. You'll still do the final interview with each company. This is a time-saving over several hours at each company.



What about salary/equity?

Our initial offers always goes with salary range and equity range if applied. Your Talent Manager will help you negotiate if you want to and will give you an overview on market standard.



FAQ for employers

Fast-track to your next job

At CodersFirst, we are creating a new process that removes all typical recruitment steps that don't work, focuses on your strengths, and gets you offers that best match your skills and needs.

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Final Interview

Final Interview

Final Interview

Final Interview

STEP 1: Discover your engineering strengths

STEP 2: Get offers that match your strengths and preferences

TAKE THE QUIZ