My initial communication was through a job fair at my university and also through my university's online systems used to facilitate job openings and interviews. Everything was normal at this stage. I just handed my resume to the recruiter and talked a bit and then submitted my resume online also, requesting an interview.
There was an on-campus interview with a younger employee who went to the same university. He had, in fact, graduated a few months earlier. This interview was 30 minutes. It was 1 on 1, and the questions were the standard behavioral questions. I'm sure they were just questions that this particular interviewer liked for whatever reason. I was able to ask him questions. He talked a little about what he did and where he worked. He mentioned hiring was done at a site level, not at the corporation level, so he would put my information in the system.
A couple of weeks later, I received a phone call from another recruiter who said I was selected to be interviewed by hiring managers at one of their recruiting centers. In this case, it was the one in Crystal City, VA. I was set up with plane tickets, a hotel, and an itinerary. They would fly me out on a Sunday with the interview on Monday. I would fly back home Monday night. I was emailed all of the information and also asked to input my information into the online hiring system. This was a bit tedious, but it was standard for other employers to ask this as well. I was also sent forms to fill out and bring with me to the interview.
The hotel was near the recruiting center and Lockheed arranged a shuttle to drop the interviewees off. There were a few others interviewing also.
Once we arrived, we checked in, gave the receptionist our forms, and waited. There was a short video pitch in a conference room. Then, the HR representatives explained what was going to happen. The number of interviews depended on which managers wanted to interview you. Some had just one interview, others multiple. I had two, but I was not aware I would have two until I arrived at the recruiting center. After the spiel, we waited for our names to be called.
The interview was also around 30 minutes and consisted of only a handful of behavioral questions. There were no technical questions. I don't think the managers know enough about the technologies to ask anything technical. I'd even guess some managers don't know enough about the job for which they are hiring to ask specific technical questions. The rest of the time was spent with the mangers describing what they do and where they work and even benefits and perks. There was also a few minutes for me to ask questions. One manager was almost speaking as if he was trying to convince me to work for him.
After the interview, another person discussed with us one on one the paper work we had filled out, going over anything out of the ordinary. Later, an HR representative discussed with us salary and possible start date. This was also one on one.
There was another shuttle to take us back to the hotel, but I decided to walk because it was coming later and I wanted to see the area. I arrived back at the hotel in the early afternoon and the whole process was basically over. All that was left was to gather my belongings from the hotel and get to the airport.
A day or two later, I received a phone call from an HR representative stating I had received an offer and said they would be overnighting the offer to my address on file.
I don't think preparation would necessarily help for these kinds of interviews because they are nontechnical. Judgments will vary wildly among the people interviewing you. Their decision will seemingly be based on what side of the bed they woke up on and any other voodoo to which they subscribe. I gather that "years of experience" is also a big factor in their hiring decisions depending on what they are hiring for. This is common, though; most people do confuse experience with expertise.
All in all, just practice the standard behavioral questions and make sure your resume is up to date with all relevant information regarding the job to which you are applying. It's safe to say you could wing the interview also if you wanted.
