PearlAbyss System Engineer Interview

Recently, I went through the interview process for a System Engineer position at Pearl Abyss. In this post, I'll share my experience from start to finish—how I applied, what the document screening and written test were like, the technical questions I faced during the interview, and some honest reflections on where I fell short. If you're preparing for a similar role or just curious about the process, I hope this provides some useful insights.

Application and Motivation

Previously, I only knew PearlAbyss as the company that released Black Desert. Although I hadn't played the game myself, I recognized them as a prominent player in the domestic game industry and a promising company in a growing sector. While contemplating my career path after leaving my previous job, I stumbled upon a job posting for a System Engineer on the Pearl Abyss recruitment page and applied on December 16th.

The job description was consistent with their past postings: game infrastructure system construction and service operation management, system monitoring, analysis, automation, and managing office/IDC infrastructure. Having never worked in the gaming industry specifically, the role didn't immediately resonate with me. I had read many reviews stating that their interviews were notoriously difficult. However, I decided to apply with the mindset that I had nothing to lose, and even just reaching the interview stage would be a valuable experience.

Document Screening and Written Test

I tailored my existing resume to fit Pearl Abyss's format, focusing on my skills, motivation for applying, self-introduction, and a narrative of meaningful life experiences. Since the requirements were relatively standard compared to other companies, I didn't face major difficulties in writing. Surprisingly, two weeks later, on December 31st—the last day of 2025—I received a text message confirming that I had passed the document screening.

A few days later, I was guided to take a written exam and a personality test. The personality test had many items that required careful thought. As for the written exam, I cannot disclose specific details due to the non-disclosure agreement (NDA), but it seemed to assess my values and what kind of person I am. There was a strict time limit; I pressed submit with literally one second remaining. It was a tight squeeze to check spelling and refine my answers. About two days later, I passed this stage and scheduled the first round of interviews.

The Interview Experience

Most candidates seem to have face-to-face interviews, with video interviews reserved for those living far away or abroad. To state the conclusion first, I believe there is about a 90% chance of failure. It was a 3-on-1 interview with three working-level professionals. Although it wasn't my first interview, I was quite nervous because it was a role I really wanted, and they asked questions I hadn't anticipated.

The interviewers seemed to meticulously verify whether the contents of my cover letter were truly gained through direct experience. While I hadn't written anything false, I realized I hadn't deeply conceptualized some of my experiences, which made it difficult to respond immediately. There were moments where I knew the answer but couldn't articulate it well, leaving me with many regrets after the interview ended.

Technical Interview Questions

Actually, the topics I dismissed the day before, thinking "Surely they wouldn't ask this," were exactly what appeared in the interview. I could have prepared for them, but I didn't. Partially due to recent distractions with real estate matters, and partly because I didn't want to sound like a robot reciting memorized CS knowledge without understanding the essence. However, the interview was comprised almost entirely of technical questions for 40 minutes, with no questions about my personality.

Here is a list of some questions I remember:

• Self-introduction
• Explanation of my project and reasons for starting it
• RAID arrays
• Difference between BIOS and UEFI
• How a CPU works
• Difference between TCP and UDP
• Experience with partitioning after disk expansion
• OSI 7 Layers
• Where to start troubleshooting if a service fails
• How the blog and documentation sites were built

In addition, there was a practical test using a company laptop at the end of the interview. It involved Linux commands that I used frequently when I first learned Linux. Although not difficult, my nervousness and the fact that I hadn't used some commands in a while hindered my performance.

Reflection

Most of the questions were things anyone in IT would have heard of, possibly even appearing as exam questions in college. Looking back on my 20s, I realized that I focused on solving daily problems in the field rather than studying concepts. I was aware of this weakness, but this interview made me feel it acutely once again.

The atmosphere wasn't necessarily oppressive, but I felt the pressure internally. Even if I don't pass, it was a valuable experience that highlighted my deficiencies. I plan to start building a solid foundation of basic knowledge again. If I had applied back when I was studying CS theory, I might have done better, but I accept this as a stepping stone for future growth.