General Atomics Mechanical Engineer Interview Questions
& Process
Real candidates share what happened, how many rounds they had,
and how the experience turned out.
Based on 24 interview experiences · FREE TO READ
Candidate interview experiences
First-hand accounts from people who interviewed at General Atomics.
General Atomics
Mechanical Engineering Intern
Intern Average Neutral experience Accept offer 2 rounds
Interview process
Recruiter call Phone screen Technical screen
Interview formats
Behavioral Technical
It was a pretty standard interview process for an internship. We started with a screening call, and then I had an interview with an engineering manager on the team. It wasn't overly difficult or super technical.
Confirmed questions1 question
- What makes you want to join GA?
General Atomics
Mechanical Engineer
Mid Difficult Positive experience Accept offer 5 rounds
Interview process
Recruiter call Phone screen Onsite Background check Offer
Interview formats
Behavioral Technical
The whole thing was pretty fast, considering there was a holiday break that stretched it out to 2 months instead of 3 weeks. It started with a 15 min HR call, then another 30 min call with the engineering lead the week before the holiday. After the break, I got scheduled for an onsite interview two weeks later. There, I met with HR and 3 engineering managers back-to-back (about 30-45 mins each). I was a bit mentally tired after that, but then got a tour of the facilities, which was actually really cool! Each of the one-on-one interviews was totally different. Mostly super technical questions, but some really focused on work ethic and personality. Everyone was professional but still friendly and approachable. The offer was fair. They asked for a background check and said to wait until that was done.
Confirmed questions3 questions
- Technical questions asked could give a future candidate an edge.
- Their strategy is effective in distinguishing true engineers from those who just talk the talk.
- My best advice is to ask plenty of questions during the phone interview about the job so you aren't caught off guard by the questions asked.
General Atomics
Mechanical Engineer
Entry Easy Positive experience Accept offer 5 rounds
Interview process
Recruiter call Phone screen Onsite Background check Offer
Interview formats
Behavioral Technical
I applied online and about 1.5 months later, an HR recruiter called to set up an initial phone screening. It was mainly about my experience and qualifications. After that, I was invited for an on-site interview. The on-site had 1 interview with HR, 1 with a team member/supervisor, and 1 with the hiring manager. These interviews were also mostly about my experience, not technical equations or creative problems. Since the role needed lots of cross-group interaction, I discussed my views on cooperation and workplace dynamics, which seemed to go over well with the hiring manager. The next day, I got a conditional job offer. Then, I had to provide 5 references (at least 2 supervisors) and pass a drug screening. Once that was done, I got the final offer. This second part took about 2 weeks.
Confirmed questions1 question
- Highlight how your experience, personality, work philosophy, goals, and education are relevant to the job.
General Atomics Mechanical Engineer Interview Questions
Quoted word for word from General Atomics interview reports.
“Would the Revolutionary War have concluded faster if George Washington's forces included an army of the undead?”
Read reports →“Can you explain the otto cycle?”
Read reports →“Could you model this part in Pro-Engineer using the provided incomplete drawing which has unusual isometric views and duplicate dimensions?”
Read reports →“How do you validate simulation results, for example, by collaborating with hand calculations or other methods to ensure correctness?”
Read reports →“And which engineering course did you like the least?”
Read report →“Are you familiar with Geometric Dimensioning and Tolerancing?”
Read report →“What are some of your hobbies?”
Read report →“What methods did you use for your calculations?”
Read report →“Could you share which engineering course was your favorite?”
Read report →Formats, difficulty and experience
Across all 24 General Atomics interview reports.