Pretty Standard, typical panel interview with 5 people in one room. Interview lasted for about 2 hours in which each panel member took turns in asking you questions. Be sure to arrive with plenty of time as parking can be somewhat difficult
I applied through university. The process took 1 day. I interviewed at ExxonMobil (Fairfax, VA) in Dec 2009
Interview
First, I had an on-campus interview. We reviewed my resume and my interviewer described the company and the position. He was a nice guy and a top level manager. Some companies send new hires or HR folks for a behavioral interview, but this guy was an engineer who'd been with the company 20+ years and had great answers to my questions - very knowledgeable.
I was invited for a second interview at their Fairfax, VA location and was pampered throughout the interview process. The whole process was quickly and smoothly arranged for me - couldn't have been easier. The recruiting department was nice, helpful, and responded promptly to all my questions.
I was assigned a host for the two days I was in VA. She was a wealth of information and made the process even smoother. She picked me up from the hotel when I needed to leave, brought me from interview to interview, and showed me around the facilities. She took me out to dinner the night before the interview and to breakfast that morning. She and the other newer hires I met really enjoyed their jobs. It sounded like a high-stress job and long hours but with good compensation and a friendly culture. Not for someone who doesn't want to work very hard.
The interview day was tiring. I met with 6 managers over the course of the day. Each manager had 20+ years of experience at Exxonmobil and each had fascinating career stories. There is a great variety of work at Exxonmobil and most of them had worked 8-12 different positions over their tenure. I can't imagine getting bored.
Advice: Have a lot of questions ready and do background research. It will help you get the most out of your host and interviewers and will leave a good impression.
Interview questions [1]
Question 1
Tell me about a time where you had to deal with someone who was difficult to work with. How did you handle the situation? This questions was not unexpected, but I think it is a difficult one to answer well. Be prepared.