Union Pacific Associate Interview Questions
& Process

I applied online and got invited to a hiring session. I took an operations management exam, a personality assessment, and an ethics survey. The main exam was timed for 1 hour, and another part of the exam was timed for 5 minutes and was pretty much impossible to finish, which they said was to see how I perform under pressure. The questions were pretty straightforward, just needed some focus. The whole testing and personality/ethics part took about 3 hours. After the tests, we all had individual interviews. It was a standard interview, mostly behavioral questions. They care A LOT about safety, so expect questions about that, and also about your leadership experience. The recruiter was very upfront about the tough conditions at Union Pacific, like working holidays, long hours, and not having much family time. The starting pay is around $50k, with raises at 6 months, 1 year, and when you get to a permanent location. Relocation is frequent and on short notice, possibly to very rural areas. Management is salaried and not union, but the pay makes up for it. Test results take two weeks. If the interview goes well, the next step is a panel interview in Omaha. I passed the exam but am waiting to hear about the second interview, which I won't accept because I got another job offer. The job seems challenging and rewarding, but I wouldn't recommend it for family life due to the constant moves and work schedule. Union Pacific offers good pay and benefits, but it's a big trade-off to consider.

The interview day kicked off at Union Pacific's Barns Yard in Portland. We had a roll call, then an hour-long presentation covering the company, the three management tracks, and benefits. It sounds like a good gig if you're up for travel west of the Mississippi and putting in the work. After the presentation, there was a three-hour, four-part test, similar to what's on their website, though the practice test isn't very representative. The actual interview was a 25-minute 1:1, though some recent folks have had a panel interview for this first stage. They'll ask about your qualifications, how they fit the role, and why you're interested in Union Pacific. It's pretty laid-back, and the HR manager is easy to talk to, so just be ready. This is the first of about three interview rounds. Your test results should be up in about a week. If you pass the test and get a good recommendation, you'll get an invite for a panel interview in Roseville, California. They cover travel costs, which is a nice perk. It might take 2-4 weeks to hear back from a manager or the Regional HR Director. You should also have a phone interview between this first interview and the Roseville one. I just finished the first part, so I'll share more info as I get it.

I applied for the Operations Management Training Program online back in late December 2010. In January, I got a call saying I was chosen for a Hiring Session/Interview. The website let me pick a city for this, so I chose the one nearest me. Towards the end of February 2011, I went to the hiring session. It started with a short presentation about the company. Some current UP employees were there too for the Management Skills Test. We then spent about three hours taking a bunch of tests. After the tests, we broke for lunch, and then came back at our scheduled times for a 1:1 interview with the HR Representative. The interview focused heavily on safety, asking about my experience with managing safety programs. They also discussed how demanding the program is and the difficulties it can present.