National Grid Graduate Software Engineer Interview Questions
& Process

This interview process was really unprofessional and didn't respect my time as a grad. After passing the first screening and online test, I did a recorded interview in November. Then, in early December, they asked if I could be available on a specific date in January if I got shortlisted. I confirmed my availability and kept the day free. This went on for 7 weeks with no updates until the day before the interview when I was told I wasn't selected. They really didn't seem to care about their potential employees' time or lives.

I saw the job on LinkedIn, which led me to the National Grid site where I applied. The whole thing took about 30 minutes. The next day, I heard back saying I met the basic requirements, probably because of my studies. They sent me a link to HireVue to answer 6 questions and play 2 games, with my camera on the whole time. Each question gave me about 30 seconds to prep and 3 minutes to answer, and I could re-record up to 4 times. The games were pattern matching and a numeracy game, which were pretty fun.

So this whole process took ages, like months. I applied way back in November, but they did send updates so I knew I was still in the running. First up was this Situational Judgement Test thingy, and I got the results pretty fast. Then came a video interview with pre-recorded questions about working with others and solo. After that, the hiring manager reviewed my application. I didn't get a direct call for this part, just told I'd passed the first two and was moving on to this review stage, so it was a waiting game. Once I got the green light, I had to pick a date for a virtual assessment. They sent a really detailed email and some PDFs explaining what to expect. I did the assessment in late March. It was a three-part thing: a networking session, a presentation, and an interview. The networking part had me and 4 other candidates, plus 2 current grads and 2 employees. We all introduced ourselves, then it was Q&A time. For the presentation, I got this huge document about three different transmission route proposals. The trick is the sheer volume of info; it's like 9 pages, so you can easily get overwhelmed trying to read it all. Each route had its own pros and cons, and I had to evaluate them based on cost, customer satisfaction, etc., and then suggest a communication strategy. The interview itself was all competency-based questions from a file they'd given us beforehand. I honestly thought I bombed that part, but apparently not! The whole thing lasted 3 hours, so definitely be ready for that marathon. To be honest, I wish I'd had a heads-up like this because I was totally unprepared. My interviewer was super nice and attentive, cracking jokes about his own experiences. The second interviewer was more serious but still engaged. Overall, it was a good experience. They called me the following week to confirm the verbal offer.