Wolfspeed Manufacturing Engineer Interview Questions
& Process

So the interview process was pretty thorough. It started with a quick call from a recruiter, then I spoke with the hiring manager. After that, I had a conversation with the Hiring Manager's manager. The final part was a series of one-on-one interviews with about 4 or 5 different department heads.

It was a long but fair process. I started with an HR interview where they asked standard questions and I had to solve a technical problem, explaining my steps. Then I had a second phone interview with a manager who was nice and polite. They asked about what I'm looking for in a job culturally, behavioral questions, and some easy technical questions about LEDs and semiconductors. I'm getting ready for my third interview now and they said there will be four in total before an offer. All interviews are still over the phone, nothing in person. For the third interview, I need to give a 30-minute presentation on research or a project I've done, and expect about 30 minutes of follow-up questions from 3-4 R&D managers.

Cree's interview process has four stages. First, you fill out a questionnaire for HR, which you need to send back within three days. This questionnaire includes behavioral questions and questions about your technical background. Be aware that your stated salary expectations might be used against you if an offer is made. If they like your questionnaire, the hiring manager will email you for a phone interview. During this call, expect many technical questions about LED lights and your past duties. The interviewer might not be very friendly, but it's good to ask questions. If the phone interview goes well, you'll be invited to prepare a 30-minute Skype presentation about your previous job responsibilities. They will ask a lot of questions during this presentation, possibly challenging your abilities to see how you handle pressure. If you know your material and are confident, you should be fine. They ask tough questions, so handling them well is crucial. The fourth and final step is an in-person interview at their location, which was Durham in my case. They cover flights and hotel and were accommodating about letting me stay an extra day to explore. You'll present the same material to a group of people and then have one-on-one interviews with them for the rest of the day. Cree intentionally acts cold and rude during interviews to test your reaction. For example, during one-on-one interviews, they might not make eye contact and give cold responses when you greet them. In these one-on-one sessions, they ask technical questions about your presentation to gauge your thinking process. I didn't encounter any brain teaser questions. One interviewer intensely questioned me about Cree's product line, acting offended that I wasn't more familiar with their products beyond LED lights. After three one-on-one interviews, they took me to lunch. They sometimes choose unusual dining experiences, like a Brazilian steakhouse, to see how you react. They asked me personal questions at lunch, including about my ideal job and other companies I'd applied to. When I inquired about a 50+ hour work week, they seemed to think it was naive to expect otherwise. I was rejected right after lunch while waiting for my next interview. They said I wasn't a good fit due to my concerns about working long hours, explaining that Cree has a fast-paced environment requiring significant work and commitment, and they didn't think I'd fit. They seemed to want someone enthusiastic about working 50+ hours without reservations, which they sensed I had. Reading Glassdoor reviews beforehand might have created reservations that they picked up on. They thoroughly vet employees and draw significant conclusions from simple answers. Contrary to some reviews, not all entry-level engineering roles work the second shift; my position was expected to be 8 AM to 6 PM. I wish I had shown more enthusiasm. Don't fully trust all company reviews.