I applied through university. The process took 2 months. I interviewed at Exponent (Menlo Park, CA) in May 2012
Interview
I was approached by someone from Exponent during a college career fair. I kept in touch with an HR representative until I was ready to look for a job a few years later. Soon after, I had a phone conversation with one of the hiring managers in Menlo Park and, independently, in their DC office for another position. I had lunch with a few employees from the local LA office. Soon after I was invited to an onsite interview with them in Menlo Park. I was asked to give a presentation on my research; about 3 staff members attended and didn't ask anything technical.
Most of the day was spent with one-on-one conversations about the culture, differences between a researcher and consultant, etc. They are very interested in whether or not the candidate would make a good consultant (i.e. bring in money for the firm); strong communication skills are sought after, as the technical qualifications aren't really emphasized. The nature of their work doesn't require a lot of technical background. The visit lasted from 9 AM to 4 PM with lunch provided by the firm.
Most interviewers were quite polite and honest about the good and bad points of the job. There were certainly a few A-type personalities which attempt to intimidate you, but those are in the minority. The firm's main emphasis is on billable hours. In fact, the employees' cumulative hours are published right inside the offices. Bonuses and promotions are almost entirely chosen based on these hours. In short, the more time you spend at the office, the better you look. The progression up their ladder is very transparent. A few employees did make reference to difficult politics and undue credit. Most of them seemed too busy to really talk to adequately. The overall impression that I get is that is can be a somewhat harsh corporate culture to work in.
Interview questions [1]
Question 1
Why do you want to be a consultant? Do you know what you are getting into?
after a phone interview there was a full day interview.. This started with a presentation ~45 minutes long plus questions. Next there were multiple 1 on 1 and 2 on 1 interviews with team members. Questions were quite challenging.
Interview questions [1]
Question 1
What are the main differences between compressible flow and regular gas flow?
I applied online. I interviewed at Exponent (Natick, MA) in Jan 2026
Interview
I completed three rounds of interviews — two remote video calls, first with a senior scientist and then with a managing scientist — and was subsequently invited for an onsite interview. Unfortunately, the organization of the onsite visit did not align with my expectations. Less than 24 hours before the interview, the schedule reshuffled, and the meeting was set in Natick during a January snowstorm, With a high risk of travel difficulties. In practice almost all of my conversations still were virtual, despite the travel.
What added to the confusion was that the onsite location was neither the office I had applied to nor one where the team is primarily based. Even my host and another scientist had to travel from neighboring states to meet there, which made the arrangement feel inefficient.
The HR interview was surprisingly strange. I was asked to discuss technical aspects of my research — essentially giving a brief technical overview — and to repeat information that was already included in my application. Although it mentioned that they already had all the info from my initial application form! many of the same questions were asked again. This interview felt unusual, as HR interviews are typically focused on administrative or cultural fit rather than technical evaluation
first + second rounds and then in person interview. They want to see how you connect your work with theirs. team is great and they are a pleasure to talk to.
