IBM Software Engineer interview: coffee chat, pitch, and technical-behavioral session

I started with a more casual conversation than expected: a coffee chat about my background, resume projects, and prior work. There was no real coding pressure, just friendly questions and a sense of getting to know the role and team.

The next step was more structured. I received an email with questions about my location and background, then had one 30-minute technical and behavioral session. It stayed focused on experience and communication. One part included a mock speaking task where I gave a short pitch for software chosen by the interviewer, along with some data-structures-and-algorithms and behavioral prompts.

Communication and scheduling became the main variable later. After the final conversations, I received an offer. The process felt respectful and clear. My takeaway was that the early low-stakes tone did not match the later seriousness, though it still felt fair.

Location: Poughkeepsie, NY. Overall feedback: positive. Offer status: got offer.