Candidate Guide to Interviewing with Volkswagen

Congratulations on your interview, we are looking forward to meeting you!

If you are already part of the Volkswagen team, we’re glad you are looking to expand your horizons within the company.  Here is an overview of our interview process so that you may prepare in advance.

The Interview Panel:

Typically, the interview panel includes the hiring manager, the recruiter, and potentially other people whose point of view the manager values. Having a variety of people meet our candidates provides a nice opportunity to understand the role and the company.

The Initial Interview:

The initial interview is an opportunity to get to know each other. We will ask you about:

  • Your background
  • Your interest in the open position
  • Your work history and prior experience
  • Your aspirations

Be prepared to talk about all parts of your resume and respond to follow up questions.  We want to know where you’ve been and where you want to go.

We will give you:

  • An overview of the position
  • An opportunity to ask any questions you have about position responsibilities, team, or other specifics

This interview helps us understand how your skills, behaviors, and past experience has prepared you to succeed at Volkswagen. If your experience indicates you are a fit for the open position, we will move to a second interview.

The Second Interview:

During the second interview, you have the opportunity to highlight your experiences and strengths through past examples using the BAR response format to situational questions.

  • Background : What was the situation/task?
  • Action : What did you say/do?
  • Result : What effect did your action have?

 

In the second interview you should:

  • Highlight how your behavioral competencies meet the requirements for the role.  Be prepared to discuss specific examples (using the BAR response format) of past experiences highlighting your role in the examples.  The examples should demonstrate that your skills meet or exceed those required by the position. Think broadly about your transferable skills, especially if you are interviewing for a position where you have less direct experience.
  • Understand there is no one right answer.  We are looking to better understand your thought processes and how you handle different scenarios at work.
  • Answer Position-Specific Questions. The manager will have an opportunity to ask some position specific questions. These may be technical or otherwise related to the specific skills necessary to do the job.
  • Ask follow-up questions. You will have an opportunity to ask follow-up questions and understand the role and its responsibilities.

Next Steps:

Depending on the position, there may be additional interviews or assessments needed before a hiring decision will be made.

Other things to know:

  • Relax! This is a conversation.  We are just trying to get to know you better so that we can create the right experience for you when you join us.
  • Prepare. Be ready to discuss your experiences – including things that did not go as planned. What did you learn from that experience and how has it influenced you?
  • Bring Examples. If you have them, feel free to bring work examples/samples that show a relevant skill set to the job.
  • Take your time.  If you need time to think and organize your thoughts, just let us know. We want to make sure we provide you with the right environment for success.
  • Interview us too! Ask questions about the work, the team(s) you could be working with and any other topics that you think will help you make a good decision to join us.

 

Join Our Talent Community

Stay connected by joining our network! Enter your e-mail and tell us a bit about yourself.  We will keep you informed about upcoming events and opportunities that match your interests.