Application Process & Interviews at Saab Australia

As I recall, there were multiple online assessments and an in person assessment in my recruitment process. All assessments I undertook were related to my role.

For the graduate position, I had to respond to 5 preliminary questions via video recordings no longer then 1 min. I then had to take a general problem-solving test. Once this was completed, I was then required to participate in a 30 min - 1 hour interview.

They gave me a 51yr old man at the time man a graduate position, so it's clearly not aged-est, i have seen them hiring woman for technical jobs and people from all backgrounds. Excellent overall

Straight forward

I was just invited for one interview and did not need to do any assessments

It was reasonable and didn't quiz the user on irrelevant competition coding questions.

Multistage with technical assessment, interview and referees. Recruiters were friendly

2 interviews

Joined through an internship as an undergraduate with a 40 min interview, was able to continue casually as an underdrad before being offered a spot in graduate program.

The interview process was thorough, as expected, but very prompt which was appreciated when applying for various grad positions. I received lots of communication and feedback which kept me engaged.

The process was efficient, friendly, professional, and clear. Easily the smoothest and best hiring process for graduates. 1) Submit resume and basic details. A cover letter may have been required, I can't recall. 2) Received email, inviting me to complete online assessments. These were quick and not at all arduous. 3) Received phone call, inviting me for an interview in person at Mawson Lakes. I was unable to attend so completed it via video call. 4) Attended interview, interviewed by representatives from both HR and a technical role. 5) Received phone call offering me the position, contract and details sent via email the same day. It took around six weeks from initial application to contract in hand, much faster than any other positions I applied for.

My interview process involved submitting my resume and cover letter followed by various tests and a recorded video interview. The final step was an interview with an HR employee from Adelaide and an employee in Melbourne. The online assessments were quite long and arduous from memory, however other than that the hiring process was standard.

Was very quick and feedback was appropriate

Psychometric, Video Interview, Software Assessment and offer.

Depending on when you were hired, depends on your interviews. Some got technical questions, some got behavioural. I feel as if the quality of those coming in has slightly diminished over the last few years.

I went through an unusual process, as I applied for and received Saab's Women in Engineering scholarship in my second year of Uni, and from there was offered an internship which led to being offered the graduate program. So, I skipped a lot of the interview/assessment process because they had already got to know me.

Multi-stage process with online application, online competency assessment, interview with technical manager and HR (online due to covid, usually in-person), referee checks, then offer.

Interview process was straightforward and concise. I was not required to complete any assessments

Initial phone interview Skype interview (knowledge of the company, professional skills and experience) > software skills assessment > logical skills assessment

There was a programming and a more cultural assessment including a recorded video interview to complete after my CV was selected. After these assessments there would normally be a face-to-face interview; however, mine was online due to covid.

What was my experience thus far in industry? Give an example of a time when I had to overcome a challenge either within my field or in general. Do you know what systems engineering is? If yes, describe the general process.

Technical Software Engineering questions and interpersonal questions.

Can't remember much, but they seemed fair and reasonable not outlandish, or over the top trying to make people squirm.

This was very long ago but I remember pretty standard interview questions being asked, eg. strengths and weaknesses, past team experience etc

Mostly questions pertaining to my experiences, some questions about the values of Saab and how I fit in.

Questions about experience, some general programming questions going over software engineering design, code execution.

Some technical questions, but mostly about my problems solving and soft skills. They asked for lots of examples of where I had applied certain skills that they asked about.

During my interview I asked questions about the graduate position and responsibilities, the day-to-day responsibilities of the interviewer (engineer) as well as their outlook on Saab as a company (work culture, future opportunities) and flexible working arrangements.

Largely how I've handled group situations at uni or my previous job, certain technical questions which relate to content I'd studied at uni.

The interview was very casual, often devolving into chatting about my experiences and interests with the technical interviewer. I found this to be an incredibly positive sign, as they were not fixated on answering exact questions - it seemed as though the interviewers truly wanted to get to know me and assess my applicability to the role.

Relevant questions

Asked my interpretation of the companies core values and what interests me about the company.

Attitude towards defence, knowledge of the company, experience in software teams and processes

From what I remember, mostly why we wanted the job, why we wanted to work in the defence industry (and what we thought about the defence industry in general), and plenty of questions to get to know us personally and our interests.

General behavioural questions, e.g. A time you have had a conflict with a group and how you resolved it? General questions about experience and background. Technical questions related to software and systems engineering, e.g.: - What is OOP and what are the advantages of OOP? - What is the difference between UDP and TCP? What are the advantages and disadvantages of each protocol?

My knowledge of the company, my professional skills and experience, my requirements.

Because I didn't study software directly, one of the main questions was around whether I was happy working in a predominately software based company. They made sure I was content and informed that they could supply much, if any, work directly related to my field of study. They also asked for my feelings about working in defence; what programming experience I had; what I knew of what work Saab did.

Asked specific questions testing my knowledge of the different business areas within the company and where my interests align with them

A variety of personality questions, HR type questions, company values and technical questions.

I was asked questions about things I had put in my CV. It was more of a discussion rather than an interview

Use the company goals within the answers to your questions in a natural way. Share a reason outside of wanting a job as a reason for wanting to join the company.

Invest time into personal projects to develop a portfolio to have something almost tangible to discuss and showcase.

Be yourself and answer truthfully, Read the company about page particularly the vision, mission and core values.

Think of past experiences/ examples when asked about previous teamwork

Recommend they understanding, all the company values and goals. Also understand the projects Saab is undertaking and sustaining.

Go over software engineering course material for the purposes of design patterns. Go over OOP principles, and understand the flow of code execution.

Have an interest in what the company does or what there core values are

Be yourself, and sell your personality, not just your abilities.

Do research on Saab values and what Saab does

Learn what the company does (their website) and practice communication skills.

Research a little about the defence field and the company prior to your interview, especially if you're new to the industry. Otherwise, be affable and don't be scared. Saab people are nice.

I would recommend that they go over the information on the company website on the company history and current major projects. I would also recommend that they understand what skills they have that are transferable to a corporate job and to be confident during the interview!

Understand the value of the defence industry in your eyes to society.

Be yourself, be honest and understand that its ok to not know everything. Technical ability isnt always based on ability to regurgitate or remember things directly, just the ability to be able to work it out and keep moving forward.

Obviously research the company, and find something about it that genuinely interests you to ask about. Prepare honest answers about yourself and why you'd like to work here, or what interests you and the opportunities you look forward to.

Consider your experiences across university, work and volunteer roles for behavioural questions well before the interview. Learn about what products and services are developed and delivered in the Australian market. Learn about the company core values and how you have demonstrated them in the past. Should have good technical knowledge in your area of expertise.

Be authentic. Consider how you feel about working in defence and software. Research about the company and make sure to see how our values match yours.

Just be yourself

For the group interview, show flexibility, plan for contingency, rely on the other candidates expertise, and identify your short falls. For the individual interview; as an intern or grad, you are not being hired to fill a specific role in the company so identify what makes you unique compared to the other candidates/employees and highlight how that would benefit the company.

Be flexible and show that you can communicate and present well. Show that you can talk off the cuff and know your field of study well. Be prepared to show your interest in technology.