Real, anonymous reports from people who interviewed for Software Engineer at The Federal National Mortgage Association - Fannie Mae, newest first and distilled into what to expect across the loop.
My process leaned heavily technical right away. After the application, I moved into a stage with a tech manager and then into engineer-led interviews where the questions were grounded in what I claimed I’d done. There weren’t any fancy leetcode screens, but I still had to show I could reason through practical development topics.
After I applied, I went through a quick recruiter stage where the conversation was mostly about my background and my fit. A few days later I had a short call with a technical manager. It was pretty light technically—no real coding—and instead focused on walking through my experience while also spending a lot of time on behavioral questions.
The interview process typically begins with a recruiter screening that focuses on the candidate's background and fit for the role, often leading to a light technical conversation with a manager. This stage is generally conversational and serves as a checkpoint rather than a rigorous test.
Candidates can expect multiple technical interviews that emphasize core programming concepts, particularly in Java, OOP, and cloud technologies like AWS. The questions often focus on practical development topics rather than algorithmic puzzles, with a mix of hands-on exercises and conceptual discussions.
Behavioral questions are a significant part of the interview process, aimed at understanding how candidates approach work situations and fit within the team. These questions are typically framed in a conversational manner, allowing candidates to share their experiences and thought processes.
The interview process is generally well-structured, often consisting of a sequence of back-to-back interviews that cover both technical and behavioral aspects. While the pacing is usually straightforward, some candidates experienced delays or cancellations that affected their overall impression of the process.
Candidates reported mixed experiences regarding feedback and follow-through from the recruiting team, with some feeling ghosted or experiencing delays in communication. The overall tone of the interviews was described as friendly, but inconsistencies in follow-up left some candidates feeling frustrated.
In the final stages, candidates may face pressure regarding offer negotiations, with some reporting uncomfortable interactions with recruiters. While the technical evaluations can be positive, the human aspect of the final decision-making process can significantly impact the candidate's perception of the experience.