Title of position interviewed for: Engineer
Approximate date of interview: 1/1990
Location: Houston, TX
Submitted on: 24-Nov-03
|
|
Job Title |
Interview
Survey |
| Engineer |
Interview lasted one day. Interviewed with human resources and lots of
management. Little contact with rank and file employees.
Lesson #1: If the company limits your contact with the rank and file,
ask why.
One topic I broached was team structure. During my interview I was
assured this was the case.
Lesson #2: There is no team structure unless one is Belgian or French.
If anyone claims there is, ask for many RECENT concrete examples.
The interview was essentially uneventful.
There are many questions I would recommend others to ask.
1) Describe your career development. What is the typical jobs held as
one is promoted from this position? What is the typical career path?
2) How long they have been in their current position? Have they been
promoted?
3) Do they go to Europe as often as their counterpart in Europe comes
to America?
4) Describe team structure within the company and how you have been
actively involved in a team from beginning to end.
5) What company rewards or letters of recognition have you received
while at Total?
6) What is the technical career path for advancement? How does that
compare to a managerial path? Describe in concrete terms - salary,
promotions, visibility within the company, career development, etc.
7) Are all job openings posted internally? Are people selected for
promotions without the job being posted internally?
8) What happens if you are sick for an extended period? What about for
chronic illnesses, such as migraine headaches or chronic back problems?
Ask about if letters are placed in personnel files for illnesses, even
with a doctor's excuse.
9) If you are passed over for a promotion, how does the company handle
that? Do they talk with people that were passed over to discuss and/or
reaffirm career goals and career development? Ask this to people
outside of the personnel department!!
10) How is a job well done publicly recognized within the company?
Among your peers? Among your superiors?
11) What is the company policy for carrying over vacation?
12) What is the typical raise for someone in this position? If one
does an "average" job, what is the "average" raise. If one does an
exceptional job, what would be considered an exceptional raise.
13) If you are a professional that expects to go to conferences or
publish, ask about that. Ask for a list of publications from employees
over the last one or two years. That gives an example of how the
company values publishing and contributing to conferences. Read the
quality of those publications. Do the same for recently approved
patents. How active is the company by these quantifiable measures?
|
|
TOTAL S.A. Interview Surveys
