Initial phone screenings (one with HR to describe the role, one with an engineer who asked more technical questions) led to an invitation for a day-long on-site interview. This consisted of: 8 separate ~45-minute long interviews (mostly with team members or managers of groups the position would either be working under directly or closely with), a 1-hour long research presentation (plan 40-45 minutes of slides to leave plenty of time for questions, which should be expected both as interruptions and follow-up after the talk), and lunch with other recent hires (a good opportunity to ask about their experience starting at the company). My presentation was scheduled in the morning, and the other early interviews were also very technical or oriented toward the expected responsibilities of this role or specifics about my research background. The afternoon interviews, on the other hand, tended to be more about the organizational structure, corporate culture, and core values of Lam, with plenty of time for me to ask my own questions about the company.

I had a positive interview experience with a clear and organized process. The interviewers were respectful, engaging, and genuinely interested in my experience. I especially appreciated the focus on real-world problem solving and collaboration. Overall, it gave me a good impression of the team and company culture.