I had two interviews. The first was a phone screening, which was really good and made me feel interested in working for them.

The second was a face-to-face interview, divided into two parts. The first part was a normal interview with two people: one was a line manager, and I can't recall the other. The second part consisted of a 20-question quiz and a practical test with a senior manufacturing technician.

In the first part of the interview, they sat me down in a small room and told me to ignore any distractions or noises as they were going to ask me questions. This was very hard and only ruffled me because every five minutes, their phones, which were on a filing cabinet, would vibrate, making loud noises. I found that very unprofessional.

The first question they asked was if I knew the manufacturing process of a silicon wafer. A simple Google search a few days before, during my interview preparation, gave me some information. I relayed the information as accurately as I could, to which they replied, "Not quite." This really confused me because I was using an official Intel link for my research.

After that, the interviewers asked if I knew what I would be doing in this job. I replied to the best of my ability, answering what I thought the job would involve, referring to the job specification, which didn't really give much information about what an Electrical Engineer would be doing. The interviewers looked at me as if I had two heads and replied that the job was more mechanical and machine-oriented rather than focused on the electronics aspect. In my head, I was thinking, "Why would they post a job that sounds more mechanical engineering or mechatronic-related than electrical engineering-related?" It didn't make sense.

After that, they went through my CV and pointed out a few things they were curious about and wanted to understand more regarding my work experience and my experience at university and college. After each answer I gave, they took notes on paper.

They asked the usual interview questions, such as, "Give an example of a time when you had to work against odds?" and questions like, "During your group projects, have you ever had to deal with someone who wasn't doing their share of the work, and how did you go about fixing that problem?"

The one thing I've never experienced in an interview with my previous jobs and jobs I've applied to is explaining why I took a year out of my studies. When I tried to explain that it was due to personal circumstances, they didn't seem to think it was the truth and pressed on the question more, asking it a few more times during my interview. Each time I replied it was due to personal circumstances (health and family-related issues), they told me it was because I had lost interest in my course. Apparently, they were in my class or something? To be honest, I never struggled a single bit in my course; I have a degree in Electrical and Electronic Engineering. I don't think I would have had that if I had lost interest in my course. I found that to be very unprofessional and it felt unreal. I felt like I was being interrogated, like something out of Law and Order.

After the first part of the interview was over, they walked me out of the room and introduced me to another gentleman who would be taking a multiple-choice test and a practical test.

The multiple-choice quiz consisted of 20 questions, a mixture of multiple-choice and written answers. Questions varied from naming circuit components, picking the correct element from a list, explaining what a logic expression is given from a circuit diagram, explaining what a vacuum pump is, and what a solenoid valve is. You were given 15 minutes to do the quiz.

After the quiz, a practical kit was shown with various tools and a multimeter. I was instructed to use the multimeter to identify an LED. I was told to remove a solenoid coil and replace it. I was asked how to clean the solenoid coil rubber sealant (compressed air). Then I was told to name as many components on the practical kit as possible (circuit breaker, vacuum pump, solenoid valve, solenoid coil, LEDs, fuses, etc.). The interviewer asked me a few questions about my final year projects. He seemed more laid-back than the other two and more approachable and easy to talk to.

The interview experience as a whole was something I've never experienced in my whole life. I will admit I've had bad interviews, but nothing ever as bad as this. Frankly, if they were to give me a job offer, I would not hesitate to decline. They say it takes 7 seconds to make an impression; I'd safely say after the first 7 seconds I spent with the first two interviewers, I would never work for this company ever.

Give an example of when a member of your team in a group project wasn't performing well.

Give an example of where you had to work as a team.

Why is there a gap between your studies?

Give an example of a time where you had to work to a strict deadline. Were you able to complete the work, and how?

During your studies, as you mentioned, you were in several group projects. Give an example of a time where the group had to overcome any issues. How did the group manage?