I just had an assessment for a Lead Data Engineer position at a big enterprise, and I’m still reeling from the experience. They asked me 22 questions in 39 minutes, covering topics like data warehousing concepts, cloud architecture and security, Snowflake concepts, Databricks concepts, and even threw in a Python code and SQL query for good measure.
As someone with 13 years of experience as a Solution Architect, specializing in data warehousing and MDM solutions, I thought I was prepared. But the sheer breadth of topics and the level of expertise expected was daunting. I’m still learning Python, and the OOPS-style code they gave me was way too long for me to complete in the given time.
It got me thinking – are there really engineers out there who can master all these topics? Or is this just an unrealistic expectation of what a Lead Data Engineer should be able to do? I’m curious to know if others have had similar experiences.
As someone who’s looking to transition into Data Engineering, I’m aware that I need to upskill in areas like Python and Databricks. But it’s hard not to feel overwhelmed by the sheer amount of knowledge required. Maybe it’s time for a reality check – what can we reasonably expect from a Lead Data Engineer, and how can we support them in their roles?