I had to call in to begin with as this company is owned by Expleo, who in my experience are always hosting dead (inactive) grad roles on their website. I spoke to a receptionist who was very pleasant and informed me the role was still open, so I applied. Following a brief email exchange, I was set up with a 'pre-interview' call where I spoke with the lead of the team. This process took about 2 weeks. I prepared for this pre-interview by studying the company and brushing up on my maths. However, as soon as we got started, the interviewer made it clear to me they already knew everything I had to offer from reading my degree title and projects. It didn't feel like an interview - they didn't want to ascertain my motivations because they could already tell somehow from reading my cover letter and CV. I was asked some unnecessary questions pertaining to my current role, which was a filler job to save up in the interim. To this day I remember this as the most pointless interview I have ever had. I imagine the interviewer must've been quite eager for lunch.

The technical interview included an open-ended rotational dynamics and another simulink model with a a theta output (again to do with rotations) problem that required the candidate to identify missing assumptions and define parameters before solving. While this approach can effectively assess engineering reasoning, the structure of the interview included a lengthy verbal discussion beforehand, which made transitioning into an open-ended analytical problem more challenging. Candidates may benefit from pacing that allows sufficient mental space for structured problem-solving. Overall, the interviewer tested assumption management and communication skills in addition to technical knowledge. I would encourage the company to structure technical interviews in a way that promotes collaborative problem-solving rather than ambiguity without clarification. Alternative formats such as one-on-one technical discussions, structured case walkthroughs, or clearly defined assumption-setting exercises may better reflect how engineers actually work in practice. I share this feedback respectfully and with the intention of contributing to a constructive candidate experience. Thank you for the opportunity to interview.