Exponent Engineer Interview Questions
& Process

We started with some video calls that were mostly to get a feel for who I am. We talked about my experience, what I'm interested in, and just some general personal stuff. Then, they flew me out to their location. The day there involved a tour, a meal, around seven 30-minute one-on-one interviews spread out, and a one-hour presentation on the research I did for my master's. It felt tough overall, not because any single interview was hard, but because of the sheer number of them and the research presentation, it definitely felt like it required more than average effort.

Had a few initial phone screens with the hiring manager and some technical folks. Then went in for a full day at the office. That included technical interviews, an HR chat, and a fit interview with senior management. Also had lunch and gave a presentation.

I applied via employee referral and got invited to the office for a lunch meeting with 2 principals, 2 senior engineers, and 1 managing engineer. It was informal, focused on my research, and went well. I was told Exponent was interested and that a more structured interview session with senior and junior members would follow. I inquired about H1-B sponsorship, and HR said they'd 'evaluate it,' which I found puzzling. I stressed my need for visa sponsorship. The subsequent interview with employees had surprisingly simple 'technical' questions on topics like fracture mechanics, trusses, buckling, and fluid valve design. The main focus seemed to be my willingness to work extremely long hours and weekends. When I asked 'Why should I work here?', the answers were vague about interesting work and career growth. I learned about their billable hour system, where completing work early means losing money, implying a need to bill over 80% of non-overtime hours. The salary was $97k base with a bonus for overtime, leading to about $121k for a 50-hour week, which seemed costly given the demands. Employee evaluation criteria were unclear, seemingly based on likability. In the final HR discussion, I reiterated my need for H1-B and green-card possibility, concluding that the company's culture felt like 'white-collar slavery' with unclear performance metrics, high turnover, and limited growth.