General Dynamics Mission Systems Systems Engineer Interview Questions
& Process

It was a super fast and easy panel interview over Zoom. They asked a lot of behavioral questions and also inquired about my experience with MATLAB and Python. They asked if I had any experience with SDRs, and if so, where I used them and why.

The interview process was pretty structured and seemed to be of moderate difficulty. They were mainly interested in understanding your past experience and how you'd utilize it in the new position. Additionally, they asked for an explanation of a challenging situation you encountered and how you handled it.

I got a call on Wednesday 4/13 and they wanted me to come in for an interview the next week on 4/20. Since I was in college they said they could reschedule but it was their normal hiring day, so I stuck with it. The phone chat was pretty casual, they told me about the company, asked if I had questions, and said my resume was chosen out of over 50 people down to about 7. The interview day started with an overview of the company and the area. There were about 5 of us candidates, and we split up: 3 of us went for individual interviews and the other 2 took a tour of the facility. My interview was with 2 supervisors, scheduled for an hour, but it could have gone longer. They really went through my resume, asking about everything on it – projects, courses, jobs, internships, even volunteer work. I asked them about daily operations, chances for more schooling, what they'd like to see change in the company, etc., to keep them talking too. The last question was a challenge: one interviewer asked me to make him a flashlight and how I'd do it. After the interview, the other candidates and I went on a tour of the plant, led by someone from the Engineering Leadership Program. It was pretty laid-back, and I even got to try out the littoral combat ship simulator. The day ended with a catered meal from Panera Bread and an HR presentation. The same engineer who did the initial presentation also did the HR one, with 3 HR people watching and even asking him questions about benefits because they weren't clear on them. After the interview, I emailed to ask about the timeline and got a reply Friday saying they'd initially planned for 4 openings but now only had 1, and I was their second choice because I'd be a better fit for the hardware group. This was odd since they'd mentioned looking to hire 90+ people quickly and then posted another job for the same role the next Monday. They then offered me an interview with the logistics group, but I had already accepted another offer with better pay, benefits, and more technical work.