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02 / Hiring process
Three stages, and one of them decides it
3 stages from application to offer. Onsite interviews is reported to be the one that decides it.
3stages
01
Phone interview one or two rounds, personalized to the role
Palantir's own page says everyone starts with one or two phone interviews, with the exact number and format personalized to your skillset and the role.
02
Onsite interviews in-person or virtual, meeting the team
If the phone interviews go well, a round of onsite interviews, in person or virtual, covers real accomplishments, judgment calls, and where you've failed, alongside open-ended and technical problems built around six named engineering competencies.
03
Decision then an offer
The team reviews the full interview loop and follows up with a decision, with Palantir's own page emphasizing candidates should bring their real selves throughout rather than a rehearsed version.
Ask before the interview: what will this round cover, who will I meet, and is there anything I should prepare?The question almost nobody asks
03 / Question library
Interview question practice library
The onsite loop and the three named cultural traits apply broadly across departments, so the core set below covers that ground. Each department then adds the depth specific to it.
61questions
Asked in every interviewAsked in every Palantir interview
01 Why Palantir, and why this team specifically, Echo, Delta or Dev? Why Palantir Open guide
Find your angle. Checks whether a candidate understands Palantir's own Echo, Delta, Dev structure well enough to pick one deliberately, not just apply generally.
Build your answer
- Name the specific team, not just Palantir generally. Echo, Delta, or Dev, by name.
- Tie it to something concrete you've done. A real experience matching that team's actual work.
- State what you'd want to own there specifically. Concrete, not vague ambition.
Bring the evidence
Name one specific reason the team you picked, not Palantir generally, fits something you've actually done.
What weakens it
Palantir works on important problems and I want to be part of that mission.
Likely follow upWhat would your first month in this specific team realistically involve?
Pro
Build this answer out of your own experience
The guide for this question: what the stage is scoring, three steps to structure the response, the evidence worth bringing, what weakens it, and the follow up. Then Pro drafts your version of it against your CV, so you walk in with your own answer rather than someone else's script.
Subscribe to Pro Unlimited preparation, every question, every company.02 Tell me about a time you held a genuinely contrarian view at work or school, one most people around you disagreed with. Conviction Open guide
Find your angle. Directly probes Palantir's own named trait Free Thinkers, testing whether a candidate has actually held an unpopular position, not just described open-mindedness.
Build your answer
- State the contrarian view plainly. Specific, not softened.
- Explain why most people around you disagreed. Concrete, real pushback.
- Say whether you turned out to be right. Honest either way.
Bring the evidence
State the actual contrarian position in one sentence, and whether it held up once tested.
What weakens it
I always keep an open mind and consider other perspectives.
Likely follow upWhat would you have done if the majority view had turned out to be right instead?
Pro
Build this answer out of your own experience
The guide for this question: what the stage is scoring, three steps to structure the response, the evidence worth bringing, what weakens it, and the follow up. Then Pro drafts your version of it against your CV, so you walk in with your own answer rather than someone else's script.
Subscribe to Pro Unlimited preparation, every question, every company.03 Describe a time you saw a problem nobody had assigned you to fix, and simply took it on. Ownership Open guide
Find your angle. Directly probes Palantir's own named trait Catalysts, testing initiative taken without waiting for top-down instruction, the exact language on Palantir's own page.
Build your answer
- Describe the problem and confirm nobody assigned it to you. Explicit, not implied.
- Explain what you actually did. Concrete action, not just noticing.
- State the outcome. Honest.
Bring the evidence
Name the specific problem nobody assigned you, and the concrete first action you took on it.
What weakens it
I always take initiative when I see something that needs doing.
Likely follow upWhat would you have done if taking it on had stepped on someone else's responsibility?
Pro
Build this answer out of your own experience
The guide for this question: what the stage is scoring, three steps to structure the response, the evidence worth bringing, what weakens it, and the follow up. Then Pro drafts your version of it against your CV, so you walk in with your own answer rather than someone else's script.
Subscribe to Pro Unlimited preparation, every question, every company.04 Tell me about a time nobody was directly overseeing your work, and the results had to stand on their own. Authenticity Open guide
Find your angle. Directly probes Palantir's own named trait Independents, testing whether a candidate has actually operated without close oversight, judged purely by outcome.
Build your answer
- Describe the absence of direct oversight. Concrete, not vague.
- Explain what you actually produced. Specific outcome.
- State how it was judged, and by what standard. Honest.
Bring the evidence
Describe the specific outcome that had to justify itself with no one overseeing the work directly.
What weakens it
I always perform well whether or not someone's watching.
Likely follow upWhat would you have done if the result had turned out poorly with no one there to catch it early?
Pro
Build this answer out of your own experience
The guide for this question: what the stage is scoring, three steps to structure the response, the evidence worth bringing, what weakens it, and the follow up. Then Pro drafts your version of it against your CV, so you walk in with your own answer rather than someone else's script.
Subscribe to Pro Unlimited preparation, every question, every company.05 Describe a time you failed at something that mattered, told plainly, not softened into a disguised success. Learning from failure Open guide
Find your angle. Palantir's own hiring page states interviewers will ask directly about failures, not only accomplishments, testing whether a candidate can discuss a real, uncomfortable failure.
Build your answer
- State what you attempted and what failing actually looked like. Concrete, not vague.
- Explain what specifically caused it. Honest, not deflected onto others.
- Say what you did differently afterward. Concrete change, not a platitude.
Bring the evidence
State the actual failure in one sentence, without reframing it as a hidden success.
What weakens it
My biggest failure was probably being too dedicated to my work.
Likely follow upWhat would you have done if the same situation came up again right now?
Pro
Build this answer out of your own experience
The guide for this question: what the stage is scoring, three steps to structure the response, the evidence worth bringing, what weakens it, and the follow up. Then Pro drafts your version of it against your CV, so you walk in with your own answer rather than someone else's script.
Subscribe to Pro Unlimited preparation, every question, every company.06 Tell me about a time you had to work through a genuinely open-ended problem with no clear right answer, in front of someone else. Problem-solving Open guide
Find your angle. Palantir's own page names navigating open-ended questions as a specific competency, and its interview advice explicitly encourages talking through your approach rather than solving silently.
Build your answer
- Describe the genuinely open-ended problem. Concrete, not a puzzle with a known answer.
- Explain how you narrated your reasoning to the other person. Specific, not just 'I explained it'.
- State where you landed. Honest, even if uncertain.
Bring the evidence
Describe the specific open-ended problem and one moment where narrating your reasoning out loud changed the direction you took.
What weakens it
I usually work through open-ended problems quietly before sharing my conclusion.
Likely follow upWhat would you have done if the other person had disagreed with your reasoning partway through?
Pro
Build this answer out of your own experience
The guide for this question: what the stage is scoring, three steps to structure the response, the evidence worth bringing, what weakens it, and the follow up. Then Pro drafts your version of it against your CV, so you walk in with your own answer rather than someone else's script.
Subscribe to Pro Unlimited preparation, every question, every company.07 Describe a time you had to make a meaningful change inside an existing system someone else had built, without a clean rewrite. Legacy systems Open guide
Find your angle. Palantir's own page names working inside existing systems as a specific engineering competency, distinct from greenfield building.
Build your answer
- Describe the existing system and why a rewrite wasn't an option. Concrete.
- Explain the constraint that shaped your change. Specific, not vague.
- State whether the change held up. Honest.
Bring the evidence
Name the specific constraint from the existing system that shaped how you made your change.
What weakens it
I prefer rebuilding things cleanly rather than working inside an existing system.
Likely follow upWhat would you have done if the existing system had turned out to be even more fragile than expected?
Pro
Build this answer out of your own experience
The guide for this question: what the stage is scoring, three steps to structure the response, the evidence worth bringing, what weakens it, and the follow up. Then Pro drafts your version of it against your CV, so you walk in with your own answer rather than someone else's script.
Subscribe to Pro Unlimited preparation, every question, every company.08 Tell me about a time you designed a solution by starting from how the actual end user worked, rather than from the technology available. Problem-solving Open guide
Find your angle. Palantir's own page describes Echos as 'solving backwards from a user's workflow,' testing whether a candidate genuinely starts design from real usage rather than available tooling.
Build your answer
- Describe the actual end user's real workflow. Concrete, specific person or role.
- Explain how that workflow, not the available tools, shaped the solution. Specific.
- State whether the result actually fit how they worked. Honest.
Bring the evidence
Describe the one detail of the real workflow that changed what you built, compared to what you'd have built starting from the tools instead.
What weakens it
I usually start with the best available technology and adapt the workflow to it.
Likely follow upWhat would you have done if the real workflow had been impossible to support with the tools you had?
Pro
Build this answer out of your own experience
The guide for this question: what the stage is scoring, three steps to structure the response, the evidence worth bringing, what weakens it, and the follow up. Then Pro drafts your version of it against your CV, so you walk in with your own answer rather than someone else's script.
Subscribe to Pro Unlimited preparation, every question, every company.09 Describe a time you had to align people with genuinely different priorities, from someone very senior to someone doing the hands-on work. Coordination Open guide
Find your angle. Palantir's own page describes Echos aligning stakeholders 'from the CIO to the nurse,' testing real experience bridging a genuine seniority and priority gap.
Build your answer
- Describe the senior person's priority and the hands-on person's priority. Concrete, real difference.
- Explain how you aligned them, not just informed both. Specific.
- State the outcome. Honest.
Bring the evidence
Name the specific point where the senior person's priority and the hands-on person's priority actually conflicted, and how you resolved it.
What weakens it
I make sure to communicate clearly with everyone involved.
Likely follow upWhat would you have done if the two priorities had turned out to be genuinely irreconcilable?
Pro
Build this answer out of your own experience
The guide for this question: what the stage is scoring, three steps to structure the response, the evidence worth bringing, what weakens it, and the follow up. Then Pro drafts your version of it against your CV, so you walk in with your own answer rather than someone else's script.
Subscribe to Pro Unlimited preparation, every question, every company.10 Tell me about a time you had access to information that mattered a great deal if handled carelessly. Discretion Open guide
Find your angle. Palantir's heavy footprint in defense, intelligence and government work is reported to require genuine discretion with sensitive information across nearly every department.
Build your answer
- Describe the nature of the sensitive access, generically but concretely. Real, not exaggerated.
- Explain a moment your discretion was actually tested. A real request or temptation.
- State the specific choice you made. Concrete.
Bring the evidence
Describe the specific moment your access to sensitive information was actually tested, and the exact choice you made.
What weakens it
Careful handling of sensitive information is second nature to me.
Likely follow upWhat would you have done if mishandling it would have gone completely unnoticed?
Pro
Build this answer out of your own experience
The guide for this question: what the stage is scoring, three steps to structure the response, the evidence worth bringing, what weakens it, and the follow up. Then Pro drafts your version of it against your CV, so you walk in with your own answer rather than someone else's script.
Subscribe to Pro Unlimited preparation, every question, every company.11 Describe a time the best idea in the room came from someone whose credentials didn't suggest it, or from you despite lacking the expected background. Learning Open guide
Find your angle. Palantir's own page states it values deep thinking 'whether you have a PhD or GED,' testing whether a candidate has actually seen or been that person, not just endorsed the principle.
Build your answer
- Describe the credential mismatch. Concrete, real.
- Explain the actual idea and why it was good. Specific, not vague praise.
- State whether it was taken seriously. Honest, including if it wasn't at first.
Bring the evidence
Name the specific idea, and describe exactly how the credential mismatch nearly caused it to be dismissed.
What weakens it
I judge ideas on their merits regardless of who they come from.
Likely follow upWhat would you have done if the good idea had been dismissed because of who suggested it?
Pro
Build this answer out of your own experience
The guide for this question: what the stage is scoring, three steps to structure the response, the evidence worth bringing, what weakens it, and the follow up. Then Pro drafts your version of it against your CV, so you walk in with your own answer rather than someone else's script.
Subscribe to Pro Unlimited preparation, every question, every company.12 Tell me about a time you had to make sure something actually worked in practice, not just in a polished demonstration. Delivery Open guide
Find your angle. Palantir's own page describes Deltas as delivering 'tangible outcomes' in a world of 'demo-ware,' testing whether a candidate distinguishes real robustness from a convincing show.
Build your answer
- Describe what would have made a good demo but a weak real result. Concrete.
- Explain what you specifically did to make it actually work, not just look like it worked. Specific.
- State whether it held up under real conditions. Honest.
Bring the evidence
Name the specific real-world condition your solution had to survive that a polished demo would never have tested.
What weakens it
I make sure everything I build works properly before showing it.
Likely follow upWhat would you have done if it had worked in the demo but failed under real conditions?
Pro
Build this answer out of your own experience
The guide for this question: what the stage is scoring, three steps to structure the response, the evidence worth bringing, what weakens it, and the follow up. Then Pro drafts your version of it against your CV, so you walk in with your own answer rather than someone else's script.
Subscribe to Pro Unlimited preparation, every question, every company.13 Describe a time you didn't get an outcome you wanted and asked directly for feedback on why. Resilience Open guide
Find your angle. Tests genuine reflection and directness in seeking feedback after setback, consistent with Palantir's own emphasis on candor and real accomplishment over polish.
Build your answer
- Describe the outcome you didn't get. Concrete, honest.
- Explain how you asked for feedback. Direct, not passive.
- State what you actually did with the feedback. Concrete, not just acknowledged.
Bring the evidence
Name the one specific piece of feedback you got, and the concrete thing you changed because of it.
What weakens it
I always try to learn from setbacks.
Likely follow upWhat would you have done if the feedback you received wasn't useful or specific?
Pro
Build this answer out of your own experience
The guide for this question: what the stage is scoring, three steps to structure the response, the evidence worth bringing, what weakens it, and the follow up. Then Pro drafts your version of it against your CV, so you walk in with your own answer rather than someone else's script.
Subscribe to Pro Unlimited preparation, every question, every company.Information Security6 to practise
6 questions
The questions this role actually gets asked
The core set above is asked whatever you applied for. These 6 are specific to Information Security, and they are usually what the decision turns on.
Create a free account14 Tell me about a time you noticed a genuine security or access gap before it was actually exploited. Security Open guide
Find your angle. Information Security roles are reported to require proactively catching real vulnerabilities, tested by concrete, verified findings rather than general vigilance claims.
Build your answer
- Describe the specific gap. Concrete, not vague.
- Explain how you found it. Specific method, not luck.
- State what you did once you found it. Concrete action.
Bring the evidence
Name the specific gap you found and the concrete action you took once you confirmed it was real.
What weakens it
I'm always alert to potential security issues.
Likely follow upWhat would you have done if the gap had already been exploited by the time you found it?
Pro
Build this answer out of your own experience
The guide for this question: what the stage is scoring, three steps to structure the response, the evidence worth bringing, what weakens it, and the follow up. Then Pro drafts your version of it against your CV, so you walk in with your own answer rather than someone else's script.
Subscribe to Pro Unlimited preparation, every question, every company.15 Describe a time a security measure meant to prevent a real risk was also making legitimate use genuinely harder. Tradeoffs Open guide
Find your angle. Information security work is reported to require balancing real risk reduction against genuine usability cost, not defaulting to maximum restriction.
Build your answer
- Describe the security measure and the real risk it addressed. Concrete.
- Explain the genuine usability cost it created. Specific, not exaggerated.
- State how you adjusted the balance. Concrete.
Bring the evidence
Name the specific usability cost the security measure created, and the concrete adjustment you made.
What weakens it
I prioritize security over convenience every time.
Likely follow upWhat would you have done if loosening the control had let the original risk back in?
Pro
Build this answer out of your own experience
The guide for this question: what the stage is scoring, three steps to structure the response, the evidence worth bringing, what weakens it, and the follow up. Then Pro drafts your version of it against your CV, so you walk in with your own answer rather than someone else's script.
Subscribe to Pro Unlimited preparation, every question, every company.16 Tell me about a time you had to respond to a security or access incident while it was actively unfolding. Incident response Open guide
Find your angle. Incident response is reported to require real-time judgment under active, unfolding conditions, not after-the-fact analysis alone.
Build your answer
- Describe the incident as it was actively unfolding. Concrete.
- Explain your immediate response. Specific, direct action.
- State the outcome. Honest.
Bring the evidence
Describe the specific first action you took while the incident was still actively unfolding, before it was resolved.
What weakens it
I stay calm and follow the process methodically.
Likely follow upWhat would you have done if the immediate response had made things worse?
Pro
Build this answer out of your own experience
The guide for this question: what the stage is scoring, three steps to structure the response, the evidence worth bringing, what weakens it, and the follow up. Then Pro drafts your version of it against your CV, so you walk in with your own answer rather than someone else's script.
Subscribe to Pro Unlimited preparation, every question, every company.17 Describe a time you had to hold a security line that a team genuinely didn't want to accept. Security Open guide
Find your angle. Security roles are reported to require holding real constraints against genuine internal resistance, not just documenting policy.
Build your answer
- Describe the team's specific frustration. Concrete.
- Explain how you held the line while addressing their real concern. Specific, not dismissive.
- State the outcome. Honest.
Bring the evidence
Name the specific concession or accommodation you offered while still holding the actual security requirement.
What weakens it
I explain security requirements clearly and people usually accept them.
Likely follow upWhat would you have done if the team had simply ignored the requirement?
Pro
Build this answer out of your own experience
The guide for this question: what the stage is scoring, three steps to structure the response, the evidence worth bringing, what weakens it, and the follow up. Then Pro drafts your version of it against your CV, so you walk in with your own answer rather than someone else's script.
Subscribe to Pro Unlimited preparation, every question, every company.18 Tell me about a time you had to confirm something was actually true before acting on it, rather than trusting a report at face value. Verification Open guide
Find your angle. Security-adjacent work is reported to require independent verification before acting, not trusting reports without confirmation.
Build your answer
- Describe the claim or report. Concrete.
- Explain how you independently verified it. Specific method, not just asking again.
- State whether the claim held up. Honest either way.
Bring the evidence
Describe the specific independent check you ran before acting on the original claim, and whether it held up.
What weakens it
I generally trust reports from people I work with.
Likely follow upWhat would you have done if verifying had taken longer than the situation allowed?
Pro
Build this answer out of your own experience
The guide for this question: what the stage is scoring, three steps to structure the response, the evidence worth bringing, what weakens it, and the follow up. Then Pro drafts your version of it against your CV, so you walk in with your own answer rather than someone else's script.
Subscribe to Pro Unlimited preparation, every question, every company.19 Describe a time you identified more than one real security risk at once and had to decide which to address first. Prioritization Open guide
Find your angle. Security work is reported to require real triage among multiple genuine risks, not addressing them in the order discovered.
Build your answer
- Describe the multiple risks. Concrete, not vague.
- Explain the criteria you used to prioritize. Specific, defensible reasoning.
- State the outcome for the one addressed second. Honest.
Bring the evidence
Name the specific criterion that decided which risk came first, and what happened to the second one in the meantime.
What weakens it
I address risks in the order I discover them.
Likely follow upWhat would you have done if the deprioritized risk had actually been exploited while waiting?
Pro
Build this answer out of your own experience
The guide for this question: what the stage is scoring, three steps to structure the response, the evidence worth bringing, what weakens it, and the follow up. Then Pro drafts your version of it against your CV, so you walk in with your own answer rather than someone else's script.
Subscribe to Pro Unlimited preparation, every question, every company.What you get
Less than the cost of one lunch, for a great deal more confidence.- Unlimited tailored interview preparation
- A massive database of actual questions and answer guides
Role specific
Pick your role and the list narrows to what that role tends to get asked.
A guide for every answer
What the question is testing, three steps to build your answer, and the evidence to bring.
Prepared, not guessing
You walk in knowing the shape of the round and which of your own stories fits it.
04 / In the news
Worth mentioning in the room
The strongest answer to why this company is something that happened last month.
4stories
Free account
What happened at this employer this month
Stories screened from everything published about this employer, chosen because they can be used in the room rather than because they are recent.
- Each one carries a line on how to use it in the answer
- Crime, recalls, litigation and share price moves are excluded outright
- Refreshed daily, so it is different the week of your interview
Recent, and usable
Stories to 18 Sept 2026How to use itShows where Palantir is putting its money. Tie it to the part of the job that actually touches it.
How to use itNew leadership changes priorities. This is the raw material for a sharp question at the end.
How to use itDirectly relevant to you. Shows you researched Palantir as an employer, not only as a familiar name.
How to use itNumbers you can quote. Name the direction, not the decimal, and say what it means for the team you would join.
05 / The three values
What is actually being scored
Palantir names three cultural traits directly on its own careers page rather than a conventional values list. Bring one real story for each rather than a general answer about wanting to work on important problems.
3stories
Free Thinkers
A time you held a strong, contrarian conviction on something and kept an open mind about it at the same time.
Catalysts
A time you saw a solution to a problem and simply took ownership of it, without waiting for a top-down instruction to do so.
Independents
A time your work had to speak for itself because there was no one directly overseeing you to vouch for it.
06 / Before you apply
Where candidates lose it
Pro
Where candidates lose this before anyone meets them
The part of the process that eliminates most people is not the interview. It is what happens around it, and almost none of it is written down anywhere.
- The assessment answers that read as dishonest rather than confident
- What the availability question is really deciding
- The application detail that cannot be edited once submitted
!
Four ways this goes wrong before anyone meets you
Roles are literally named Echo, Delta and Dev in the ATS
These aren't just descriptive labels on the culture page. A live sample of Palantir's own job listings shows Echo, Delta and Dev as real team categories candidates are hired directly into.
The process is explicitly not standardized
Palantir's own hiring page states plainly that the number and format of interviews is personalized to the candidate's skillset and the role, so a fixed round-by-round script from another candidate's experience may not match yours.
Six named engineering competencies anchor the technical interviews
Palantir's own page names writing good code, analyzing code efficiency, navigating open-ended questions, solving technical problems, and working inside existing systems as the specific competencies its process is built around, alongside the phone interview itself.
Interviewers are told to ask about failure directly
Palantir's own page states candidates should be ready to discuss where they've failed in the past, not only their biggest accomplishments.
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