IPG Mediabrands is an innovative global media and marketing solutions provider known for creating unique and impactful strategies for their clients. As one of the leading companies in the industry, IPG Mediabrands is dedicated to leveraging advanced data techniques to drive business success.

The Data Engineer position at IPG Mediabrands is designed for an experienced, motivated, and open-minded professional skilled in Python and SQL. This role entails developing and maintaining end-to-end data pipelines, handling data collection, consumption, and processing, and working extensively in AWS environments on multiple projects.

If you're ready to join a dynamic team and handle the complexities of data engineering, this guide from Interview Query will walk you through the interview process, commonly asked questions, and provide valuable tips to help you prepare. Let's get started!

Submitting Your Application

The first step is to submit a compelling application that reflects your technical skills and interest in joining IPG as a Data Engineer. Whether you were contacted by an IPG recruiter or have taken the initiative yourself, carefully review the job description and tailor your CV according to the prerequisites.

Tailoring your CV may include identifying specific keywords that the hiring manager might use to filter resumes and crafting a targeted cover letter. Furthermore, don’t forget to highlight relevant skills and mention your work experiences.

Recruiter/Hiring Manager Call Screening

If your CV happens to be among the shortlisted few, a recruiter from the IPG Talent Acquisition Team will make contact and verify key details like your experiences and skill level. Behavioral questions may also be a part of the screening process.

In some cases, the IPG data engineer hiring manager stays present during the screening round to answer your queries about the role and the company itself. They may also indulge in surface-level technical and behavioral discussions.

The whole recruiter call should take about 30 minutes.

Technical Virtual Interview

Successfully navigating the recruiter round will present you with an invitation for the technical screening round. Technical screening for the IPG Data Engineer role usually is conducted through virtual means, including video conference and screen sharing. Questions in this 1-hour long interview stage may revolve around IPG's data systems, ETL pipelines, and SQL queries.

Candidates may receive take-home assignments focused on designing and implementing data pipelines, analyzing large databases, and building scalable processes. Apart from these, your proficiency with Python, SQL, and AWS environments may also be assessed during the round.

Depending on the seniority of the position, case studies and similar real-scenario problems may also be assigned.

Onsite Interview Rounds

Followed by a second recruiter call outlining the next stage, you’ll be invited to attend the onsite interview loop. Multiple interview rounds, varying with the role, will be conducted during your day at the IPG office or virtually. Your technical prowess, including programming and data engineering capabilities, will be evaluated against the finalized candidates throughout these interviews.

If you were assigned take-home exercises, a presentation round may also await you during the onsite interview for the Data Engineer role at IPG.

Quick Tips For IPG Data Engineer Interviews

• Brush Up on AWS and Python Skills: Ensure you are well-versed in AWS cloud services, Python programming, and SQL as these are core requirements for the role.
• Understand Data Pipelines and ETLs: Be prepared to discuss and demonstrate your experience in developing end-to-end data pipelines and ETL processes.
• Adaptability to UK Shift: Highlight your readiness to work in the UK shift (01:30 PM to 10:30PM) to show you are a perfect fit for the team's schedule.

Typically, interviews at Ipg vary by role and team, but commonly Data Engineer interviews follow a fairly standardized process across these question topics.

• Write a function digit_accumulator to return the sum of every digit in a floating-point number string. You are given a string that represents some floating-point number. Write a function, digit_accumulator, that returns the sum of every digit in the string.

Example:

Input: python s = "123.0045" Output: ```python def digit_accumulator(s) -> 15

Since 1 + 2 + 3 + 0 + 0 + 4 + 5 = 15 ```

• How would you set up an A/B test for multiple changes in a sign-up funnel? A team wants to A/B test various changes in a sign-up funnel. For instance, on a page, a button is red and at the top. They want to see if changing the button’s color to blue and/or moving it to the bottom will increase click-through rates. How would you set up this test?

• How would you verify that a user is a high school student attending the school represented by their sticker? Instagram is releasing a new feature for high schoolers that allows users to identify their school and receive an associated sticker for their profile. How would you verify that a user is actually a high school student attending the school represented by their sticker?

• What is the probability that a red marble was pulled from Bucket #1? You have two buckets with different distributions of red and black marbles. Your friend pulls a red marble from one of the buckets. Calculate the probability that it was pulled from Bucket #1.

• What is the probability that two red marbles were pulled from Bucket #1? Your friend puts the red marble back and then draws two marbles sequentially, both of which are red. Calculate the probability that both red marbles were pulled from Bucket #1.

• What are time series models and why are they needed over simpler regression models? Explain what time series models are and discuss why they are necessary when simpler regression models are available.

• How would you determine if the difference between this month and the previous month is significant? You have a time series dataset grouped monthly for the past five years. Describe how you would find out if the difference between this month and the previous month is statistically significant.

• How would you analyze noisy and volatile asset price data to ensure accuracy? You are analyzing the price of a particular asset over time in a noisy and volatile dataset. Explain how you would analyze this data to ensure there are no discrepancies.

• How would you analyze noisy and volatile asset price data to ensure accuracy? You are working at a global trading company analyzing the price of a particular asset over time. The dataset is noisy, volatile, and not guaranteed to be completely accurate. How would you analyze this data to ensure there aren't any discrepancies?

What is the average salary for a Data Engineer at Ipg?

Q: What does the role of a Data Engineer at IPG Mediabrands entail? The Data Engineer at IPG Mediabrands is responsible for creating and structuring end-to-end Python data pipelines/ETLs, managing scalable processes from different data sources, analyzing large databases, and working in AWS environments on multiple simultaneous projects.

Q: What key skills and experiences are required for this position? Candidates should have at least 4 years of hands-on development experience in Python and SQL, and 2+ years working with Linux. Experience with relational and data warehouse distributed databases, ETL technologies (e.g., AWS Glue), developing cloud-based applications (preferably over AWS), and big data architecture is also required.

Q: What are some of the key responsibilities of a Data Engineer at IPG Mediabrands? Key responsibilities include building data pipelines/ETLs, writing and monitoring scalable processes from various data sources, managing high standards of monitoring and reliability, and working on multiple simultaneous projects in AWS environments.

Q: What should candidates expect regarding the work environment and shift timings? Candidates should be comfortable working in the UK shift, which runs from 01:30 PM to 10:30 PM. The role demands a high level of cooperation with team members and clients to deliver optimal data solutions.

Q: How can I best prepare for an interview with IPG Mediabrands for a Data Engineer position? To prepare, research IPG Mediabrands, review your Python, SQL, and AWS skills, and practice common interview questions related to data engineering. Utilize Interview Query to practice and refine your interview skills.

Are you ready to leverage your Python and SQL skills to create impactful data solutions at IPG Mediabrands? As a Python Data Engineer, you'll play a crucial role in defining and developing robust data flows from source to analysis, enabling smart, data-driven decisions. This position offers you the chance to work with cutting-edge technologies, manage scalable processes, and dive deep into big data architecture within AWS environments. For more insights and preparation tips, make sure to check out our IPG Interview Guide on Interview Query, where you'll find a comprehensive overview of potential interview questions and detailed interview guides for various roles. At Interview Query, we provide the tools and strategies you need to master your interviews and land your dream role. Good luck with your interview!