1. Application: Applied online during the last week of March.

2. First Contact: Contacted me through email asking for a phone interview (last week of April).

3. Phone interview: Had a phone interview with my manager. Did really well. It was just an initial screen on what I have done and whether it related to their work. (1st week of May)

4. Scheduled on-site interview during the 2nd week of May.

5. On-site interview: It was a marathon (from 8 AM to 5 PM!), though an easy one. It also included an hour-long presentation. Had to talk with approximately 12 technical people (some 1:1, others 2:1). Remember, most people here have PhDs, so it is going to be technical, but nothing to worry about. Just know your stuff (most of us do; we spent 4 years on it!), be able to explain to others with expertise in other disciplines, and be able to relate your work to theirs. This required preparation beforehand and reading up on HAMR technology for next-generation hard discs. (3rd week of May)

6. Job offer call: 1st week of June. I asked for a couple of days to decide. They were okay with it. I accepted the position soon after.

Tips:

• Most of them get hired through employee referral. So try to find someone there who can at least get you an interview.
• Stay calm and composed. They are more friendly than you would expect.

Behavioral interview questions!

Just a few though. For example:

• How do you handle conflict?
• What would you do if a team member isn't completing his work?

Tell me two weaknesses, not just one.