I applied through an employee referral. The process took 3 months. I interviewed at OpenAI in Mar 2026
Interview
Applied through employee referral. After a couple months I received an email saying they would like to move forward and set up a phone interview. I scheduled it, then on the day of the recruiter never showed up to the interview, and never responded to my follow-up email. Five weeks later I receive an automated email thanking me for the "enriching discussion" and informing me that they aren't moving forward. Extremely unprofessional and I get the sense that things are very disorganized at the company. I may have dodged a bullet with this one.
Other Solutions Engineer interview reviews for OpenAI
Very impersonal and one sided. You’ll sign an NDA and do a task and later a demo. It’s pretty standard SE stuff but you don’t meet any colleagues, you won’t get the hiring managers email, you won’t know the whole process and don’t even ask about pay or anything- it’s super one sided. You’ll feel a bit crap at the end if you don’t get it. And if you get it get ready to work 12+ hour days from what I heard
I recently interviewed for a role at OpenAI, and while the process was generally well-organized, I had a mixed experience with the hiring manager. Unfortunately, they seemed quite busy and disinterested, arriving late to their own interview, which gave a negative first impression. However, I did appreciate the transparency they offered during the conversation once it started.
On a more positive note, the recruiter was excellent. They were clear in explaining the process, supportive, and responsive throughout.