Panasonic Hardware Test / Validation Engineer Interview Questions
& Process

It was a pretty disorganized one-on-one interview where they kept moving me around the office for about 4 hours. I actually ended up interviewing with the same people multiple times. The vibe I got from the office was pretty discouraging; the upper management seemed to lack passion for the engineering or projects they were working on. Some of them even seemed about two years behind on current technology knowledge. On the bright side, the supervisor of the PET lab was really passionate and knew their stuff. They didn't really ask me about my technical background at all, focusing instead on my recent job experience, which wasn't really related to the qualifications for the role I applied for.

I applied in early October, and a recruiter reached out in January to set up an interview with the hiring manager at their Lake Forest office. I met with the department manager, the direct supervisor for this role, and two team members. It was a relaxed conversation where they explained their department's function within the company's various groups (software, hardware, QA, business/marketing, etc.). They asked questions mostly based on my resume to understand my experience better, as this was my first job after college. They also inquired about how I learned about the company and my familiarity with their IFE business. I asked about the specific products and systems mentioned in the job description, as I couldn't find details online and they used industry-specific terminology. The team was pleased, so they scheduled a second, technical interview in their labs, where I tested the systems I'd be working with. It was a straightforward test with three parts, taking about 1.5 hours due to hands-on interaction and observation. I enjoyed the test and learning from their system. Afterward, the manager reviewed my results with me for about 30 minutes and was satisfied. A few weeks later, the recruiter informed me of the job offer, and we negotiated salary and start date. My positive interactions with the manager and team, plus the impressive lab and systems, made accepting the offer an easy decision.

I had a phone chat with HR, and then an onsite interview with the manager. It was a pretty standard interview to check my technical skills and how I solve problems. They didn't ask any science or math questions. My experience was pretty simple, but it might be different for you depending on the manager. I also got a tour of the place so I could see what working there would be like.