Preparation at Act Digital should focus on articulating your technical problem-solving process rather than just stating facts. You are expected to demonstrate how your technical decisions impact the broader business objectives.

Technical Proficiency – You must demonstrate deep knowledge of MS SQL Server internals, including indexing, execution plans, and locking mechanisms. Interviewers want to see that you can diagnose issues systematically and implement solutions that prioritize long-term stability.

Problem-Solving Methodology – Your ability to break down ambiguous, high-pressure technical problems is critical. When answering, walk the interviewer through your logic: how you gather data, how you isolate variables, and how you validate your solution.

Communication and Collaboration – Since you will work closely with cross-functional teams, your ability to explain technical constraints to non-technical stakeholders is vital. Focus on how you communicate risks, timelines, and technical debt.

The interview process at Act Digital is characterized by its transparency and consistent communication. You can expect a structured journey where the recruiting team prioritizes keeping you informed at every milestone. The culture is one of mutual respect, designed to ensure that you feel comfortable and valued, even during rigorous technical assessments.

This timeline provides a high-level view of the progression from initial screening to technical deep dives and final interviews. Use this to pace your preparation, ensuring you have enough time to review both technical documentation and your personal project history before moving into more intensive rounds.

Database Performance and Optimization

This is the heart of the Systems Engineer role. You will be evaluated on your ability to tune databases for maximum throughput and low latency. Strong candidates move beyond basic configuration to demonstrate an understanding of how hardware, storage, and software configurations interact.

Be ready to go over:

• Query Tuning – Techniques for identifying and fixing inefficient code.
• Index Management – Strategies for balancing read/write performance.
• Wait Statistics – How to interpret system wait types to identify bottlenecks.

Example questions or scenarios:

• "Walk me through how you identify a memory-bound SQL instance."
• "How do you handle a scenario where a stored procedure causes blocking in the production database?"

Incident Response and Troubleshooting

Act Digital values engineers who remain calm and methodical under pressure. You will be tested on your ability to handle production outages and your incident post-mortem practices.

Be ready to go over:

• Root Cause Analysis – How you get to the 'why' behind an incident.
• Communication during outages – How you keep stakeholders informed while fixing the issue.
• Automation – How you use scripts to prevent recurring issues.

Example questions or scenarios:

• "Describe a time you had to resolve a production outage under a tight deadline."
• "What steps do you take to ensure a critical database backup is actually restorable?"

As a Systems Engineer (specifically focused on MS SQL), your daily life revolves around the health and performance of the data layer. You are responsible for the routine maintenance, patching, and configuration of database servers, ensuring they comply with company security policies.

You will frequently collaborate with developers to review schema changes and optimize query patterns before they reach production. Furthermore, you will lead efforts to automate administrative tasks, such as database health checks and performance reporting, allowing the team to shift from reactive firefighting to proactive system management.

To be a competitive candidate, you should demonstrate a clear history of managing enterprise-level database environments.

• Must-have skills:
  • Proficiency in MS SQL Server administration (2016-2022 versions).
  • Experience with high availability (HA) and disaster recovery (DR) technologies, such as Always On Availability Groups.
  • Strong proficiency in T-SQL and scripting languages like PowerShell.
• Nice-to-have skills:
  • Cloud-based database management (Azure SQL or AWS RDS).
  • Exposure to infrastructure-as-code tools.
  • Experience in performance monitoring tools.

Q: How long does the interview process typically take? The process is designed to be efficient, but the timeline can vary based on the specific team's needs. You can expect consistent communication from HR regarding your status, which helps in planning your schedule.

Q: What differentiates a successful candidate? Successful candidates at Act Digital combine deep technical rigor with a strong sense of ownership. They don't just fix bugs; they look for ways to improve the underlying system architecture to prevent future issues.

Q: Is the role fully remote? Location requirements vary by position, as seen in the Poland-based roles. Always clarify the specific location and hybrid/remote expectations with your recruiter during the initial screening.

• Structure your answers: Use the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) to keep your responses focused and impactful.
• Show your work: When answering technical questions, explain the "why" behind your choice of technology or strategy.
• Prepare for ambiguity: Sometimes, questions may be open-ended. Ask clarifying questions to demonstrate that you consider requirements and constraints before acting.

The Systems Engineer position at Act Digital is a high-impact role that serves as the backbone for the company’s technical operations. By mastering the core MS SQL competencies and preparing clear examples of your past technical successes, you will be well-positioned to succeed in your interviews.

Take the time to review your experience in performance tuning and incident management, as these are critical areas of focus. With a structured approach and a focus on proactive problem solving, you are ready to demonstrate the value you bring to Act Digital. Keep your preparation focused, stay confident, and good luck with your interview process.