Ask a Recruiter: Landing a Job as a Software Engineer at Noom
Carolina (Caro-lee-nah) Lopez is a Senior Tech Recruiter focused on building out the Backend, Fullstack, and Frontend engineering teams here at Noom. Read on to get the scoop on interview tips, how you can stand out as a candidate, and more. And don’t forget to check out all of our open Engineering roles here.
Tell us about yourself!
I’m Caro, a first generation Latina living in Brooklyn, NY. I have worked in Tech Recruiting for almost 7 years and love it. I have had the chance to build out high performing Engineering teams for different tech companies and work alongside some incredibly talented individuals. Here at Noom, I help build out our Core Software Engineering teams (“SWE”) and co-lead our Latino/Hispanic Affinity Group, Noomilia. I am also a Certified Yoga Teacher and am often traveling the world, 30+ countries in counting.
What roles are you focused on hiring for now?
I am currently a Sr. Recruiter on our Core Software Engineering Pod. I focus more on the bottom of the funnel, which mostly means getting offers approved and delivering them to candidates. I currently focus on hiring for our Backend, Fullstack and Frontend pipelines, but occasionally get to help out other teams. Lately we have been focused on Senior talent.
What behaviors would add value to the Core SWE teams?
Someone with a strong growth mindset would really add value. The Engineering team is always experimenting and trying new things. If you have the ability to recognize gaps both in your own performance and in the work you are doing, you will have a major impact! So speak up, as we are always growing and hoping you have that mindset as well.
As we grow, it is important for our Senior Engineers to be able to mentor others who are just learning our product or focused on acquiring new skills. If you possess solid mentorship skills and have that experience, it would be a huge value-add to the team.
Noom is very mission-driven – that is what brings many of us here.
What would you recommend for senior engineers to make themselves more competitive?
Prepare for your interview! Brush up on CS fundamentals to start, think about what questions you may be asked, and if you have to share your screen for a technical interview, make sure all irrelevant tabs are closed out. For example, if you have an end to end system design question, get some practice in diagramming and explaining things both independently and how they work together. If you have a white boarding tool you love to use, let your interviewer know you would like to use that when the interview starts. And most importantly – communicate! Ask clarifying questions before jumping into problem-solving.
I would also recommend looking into our mission and values and highlighting why you align with them. Apart from having a high bar for hiring, Noom is very mission-driven – that is what brings many of us here. So, what about our mission and values stands out to you?
As a recruiter, what do you look for when you evaluate candidates?
When I evaluate candidates, I am always interested in their “Why.” Why are you seeking a new opportunity? Why now? And Why Noom? It is easy to give a generic answer, so I often look for something genuine and meaningful. Feel free to be authentic here. It is great to see candidates who have put thought into this.
How can someone best prepare for their first interview with you?
I always recommend doing some homework before an interview. Check out your interviewers’ LinkedIn profiles, and see if there are any key points that stand out in which you could build a connection through. I also highly suggest you have 2-3 questions ready and written down somewhere close. This kind of time is valuable and a great way for you to also learn more about whatever is important to you. It is easy to forget by the end of an interview what you were dying to ask, so having it written down and close by helps.
