Varian Medical Systems Mechanical Engineer Interview Questions
& Process

So the whole interview thing went from mid-July to mid-September. First, there was a recruiter call where I mentioned my H1B status and that I'd only proceed if they could transfer it, which they said was fine. Then, about two weeks later, I had a call with two managers. It was mostly about my resume and some behavioral questions. After another couple of weeks, I had a big panel interview, like 3 hours with 6 people (2 managers, 4 engineers). It covered team dynamics, a design challenge, and a technical round where I had to solve problems on paper and explain my thinking. I think I did well on most of it, but they asked a couple of motor design questions I didn't know. The last interview was with the hiring manager, after a few more weeks. It was an hour long and mixed technical and behavioral stuff, and it went great. A week later, the recruiter gave me a verbal offer. But then the issues started. The pay for Palo Alto was low at 130K, and they rejected my negotiation. They also changed the role from Senior Mechanical Engineer to just Mechanical Engineer, saying I didn't have enough experience for senior. I agreed to the pay, but then I pointed out that DOL requires H1B employees to be paid at least 137K. I asked the recruiter to check with immigration lawyers about filing as L2. A week passed, and I got a cold email saying they weren't moving forward. When I pushed, the recruiter said 137K was too high and wouldn't be 'equitable' to current employees. I suggested moving relocation money to base pay or filing as L2, but they just said no. It seems like a company that makes $2B a year and spends 2 months interviewing someone wouldn't bother checking H1B salary rules. I feel like I dodged a bullet and I'm happy I stuck with my other offer from Varian.

I had an initial chat with two of the managers. It was pretty laid-back. We talked about stuff I've done before that's on my resume, and what I'm hoping to do career-wise down the road. They also gave me a quick rundown of what I might be doing if I were to get the summer position.

There were two interviewers. Initially, they asked about my work and project experience. Then, the questions became more specific, covering topics like the simulation process and element types used in FEA models. The interviewers were quite friendly and casual. The interview concluded with a tour of the facility.