Application Process & Interviews at Dolby Australia

There were some cursory online checks for coding proficiency and knowledge of audio, followed by a set of long-form interviews with various team members and managers

I had one directly technical programming assessment followed by a few rounds of phone interviews that assessed personality fit and problem solving skills.

The technical hiring process was straight forward. I would say it was less intense than others I have experienced and also successfully passed. I'm not sure if there is a standard to how technical interviews are done, i.e. more than one engineer, engineer from unrelated team as 3rd opinion. But there could be room for improvement. For the HR interview, I would say it was very lacking compared to others I have done. Dolby should assess candidates on their values and ask for examples where the candidates have shown their attributes. My HR interview felt wishy washy and as over before I could talk about myself that much. This could be much more vigorous and again standardised across teams etc.

The interview process included an online application, an online coding/technical assessment, phone screening with two engineers and the final interview.

Resume/cover letter screening, followed by a coding assessment, followed by a phone interview then a final interview.

The most common questions were to describe research projects I had worked on, questions about machine learning concepts, and hypothetical design/experiment design problems

What is a problem I have come across before and how did I solve it.

I was asked a coding question, a system design question and an API question. I don't remember what I was asked in the HR interview.

I was asked general behavioural questions, about any past work experience, a coding question and a technical problem solving question.

Questions on coding, testing and normal behavioural questions.

Relax and give it your best shot. The interviewers are very friendly.

For the Technical interview, just reinforce and consolidate what you already know. Common technical interview guides out there are also helpful.

Research what Dolby does as we love to see people who are interested in what we do. Let us know about any hobbies technical or otherwise. Be prepared to have to think on the spot and talk through your thought process (this can be a little challenging/daunting if you have never done it before). Most of all, even if you are unsure still apply as you might find out Dolby aligns better with what you want throughout the application process.

Reviewing the basics of DSP would be a good start. Be prepared to explain your reasoning/thoughts. It is also better to admit you don't know something than to try to formulate an answer out of thin air - be honest and the interviewer is more than likely to ask probing questions to guide you through the interview.