Oak Ridge National Laboratory Software Engineer Interview Questions
& Process

So the interview had a few parts. First, a quick phone screen. Then, a take-home test that they said should take about an hour. After that, it was this big panel interview with like 10 people, and they just fired questions at me. The questions were all over the place - some about diversity, some computer science stuff, even physics. The interviewers were kind of a downer, and there were these super awkward silences after I answered, just staring at me on the webcam. Then, out of nowhere, they told me to bring up the code I did for the take-home, even though they didn't warn me to have it ready with the questions they sent earlier. I had to screen-share and they grilled me on my code. To top it off, they made me do a coding challenge right there with everyone watching, and I couldn't look up any syntax. Seriously the weirdest interview ever.

I first had a call with the supervisor, then scheduled an interview. I then spoke with three team members about the role and my qualifications, what a typical day looks like, and my career aspirations. The team members were casually dressed in jeans and boots/tennis shoes, and had a laid-back vibe. This is normal for them as they only dress up for conferences and media events. They generally keep a professional attitude and don't badmouth each other much. It seems like a good place to work.

The interview process included a phone interview and an onsite. Most questions were basic behavioral ones. They asked a lot about my previous software engineering work experience. I don't recall any difficult questions. They seem to prioritize personality and research potential.