I applied online. I interviewed at Rivian in Aug 2020
Interview
Pretty standard process. Talk with a recruiter, chat with a lead designer, present portfolio, etc.
The portfolio presentation was a bit of work but only because I hadn't created one for a while so I had to make some of it up from scratch.
I had such a wonderful time speaking with everyone, but I was so sad when they remained firm about the relocation to Palo Alto. I live in Chicago and moving to California, even after the pandemic was over, seemed unnecessary. I told them it didn't work with my family and that was the end of the process. I hope they reconsider this position in the future.
Interview questions [1]
Question 1
Tell me about the design thinking and iteration that went into making this design...
The recruiter was 15 minute late to our initial screen. They expressed strong interest and mentioned they'd move me on to the next step. I asked about in-office requirements and they clarified it was 5 days a week. I followed up saying I was good with 5 days and wanted to know more about work hours, transportation stipends etc. The recruiter never replied and then sent an automated rejection email 3 days later. Terrible experience, terrible recruiting policy – avoid!
I applied through a recruiter. The process took 3 months. I interviewed at Rivian
Interview
It was a long and tedious process but they are very welcoming and sincerely want you to succeed. They offer a help/feedback session with a staffer to better prepare applicants for next round reviews.
Interview questions [1]
Question 1
Mainly focused on design thinking and decision making.
A really special experience.
The hiring manager will schedule a session to review the presentation slides and provided useful feedback e.g. how to improve the layout, what to add to the slides.
