Subaru of Indiana Automotive Manufacturing Engineer Interview Questions
& Process

It was a laid-back process with a few questions about my background and interests. Not many of those psychological-type questions. It went really well, and the interview team was super nice.

I thought I had the job secured since I had worked as a conference interpreter for Subaru's manufacturing engineering department for almost five years and had also completed an internship with them. However, the interview felt cold and formal from the start. It seemed like they had already chosen someone before my interview even began. I highlighted my previous experience at the company, interpreting for both American and Japanese engineers, my graduate degree in linguistics, my education in Japan, and my recent engineering degree. Unfortunately, none of this seemed to impress them, and I suspect they preferred a simpler resume. My past overtime work for the company also didn't garner any interest. I mentioned working up to 18 days straight sometimes due to the constant need for interpreters to bridge the communication gap for the American engineers, but the interviewers appeared indifferent to my past contributions and skills, which I found quite surprising.

I went through 2 rounds of interviews. First was with HR and management, then an onsite visit. The onsite part was a little over an hour and didn't feel too tough. The questions weren't super challenging, more like a chat, which made me feel relaxed. I think it really depends on who interviews you. I liked the process; it wasn't just a straight Q&A.