I recently had a phone interview with a very large technology company after being recommended to them by one of my previous employers. They’ve arranged to fly me out to their campus and have a day of interviews/me presenting my work to their team.
I’ve never interviewed for a corporation this large, or been interviewed by 6-7 people in one day. Just wanted to know if anyone with more experience could give me a heads up on what to expect? What kind of question should I prepare for? What are your experiences interviewing for a huge corporation?
1 of the 7 is the decision maker. The other 6 are influencers.
You have the skills they need otherwise they would not fly you out. This interview is about how well you will fit with the team. And visa versa. Be honest. Be yourself. Not every job is a fit. Don’t take it personal.
It takes some endurance. Try to find out what groups will be in each session (if there are more than one) and try to anticipate their questions or what “floats their boat”. e.g. if you have an hour with project managers and engineers it will be a different focus than all designers, or senior VPs, etc.
Get a light lunch, if they take you to lunch. Stay sharp. Don’t order anything with red sauce.
In group interviews, it can be hard to interact with each person individually. There are usually 1 or 2 that are in charge and the rest sometimes just sit and stare. My favorite is to say “I’d like to hear from each person individually - How would my job impact you and your job? What could I do that would be most beneficial or harmful for you?”. That gives you a feel for each person’s personality and POV and you can engage them and refer back to their answers as you elaborate in your skillset through your presentation. The important part is demonstrating an ability to be a good listener and team member. Show your potential coworkers you care about their problems. There is a lot of fear around hiring the wrong person.