Confluent Solutions Engineer interview: cloud and data management focus

My biggest issue started before the technical work. The role requirements felt misrepresented. I spent time with the recruiter and hiring manager discussing my background in detail, and they explicitly told me that specialized knowledge of their products or data streaming wasn't required.

When the one-hour technical interview came, the focus didn't match what I had been led to expect. The conversation centered on cloud technologies and data management, with only a small amount of discussion related to Kafka. I later learned that they weren't moving forward because they were actually looking for someone with data streaming experience. That mismatch made the process feel like a significant waste of time, both for me and for them.

I was rejected without an offer. What stayed with me was how much friction the lack of upfront alignment created. The earlier conversations had sounded clear, but the final decision was based on something different.

Location: Dallas, TX. Overall feedback: Negative. Offer status: No offer.