Cargill Graduate Engineer Trainee (Get) Interview Questions and Answers

Round: Resume Shortlist
Experience: Nestle required all its candidates to fill a form. It consisted of some HR type questions. Some of the questions were-

Mention your strengths/weaknesses.
What are your career goals?
Give one instance where you demonstrated leadership skills.
Give one instance where you failed.
The short listing for the next round was based on the CGPA. Almost all the students with CGPA greater than 6.5 or 7 from Production and Industrial Engineering got shortlisted for the next round.

Round: HR Interview
Experience: The next round of the selection process was an interview. The interview was a mix of technical and HR questions. Nestle does put a lot of stress on family background of the candidate. Also they often ask questions like “Why don’t you go for MBA?” or “Why don’t you go for MS?” So every candidate should prepare answers to these questions. Some of the questions asked were-
1) Difference between accuracy and precision
2) 7 basic quality tools and 7 advanced quality tools
3) Histogram, Line diagram and Venn diagram
4) What are your strengths and weaknesses?

Another very specific question asked by the interviewers to almost every candidate was “Would you able to work/survive in a remotely located plant?” So the interested candidates should prepare an answer to this question. One can cite examples from his/her travelling experiences or stay at different places for considerable time periods to support their answer.
Tips: You can easily find the standard HR interview questions on the net. Some of the standard questions are like “Tell us about yourself”, “Where do you see yourself 5 years down the line”, “What are your strengths/weaknesses” etc. Prepare the answers, if not in full then at least the points, to all these questions. Think of some instances from your life or from your resume that you can use as examples while answering these questions.

College Name: IIT ROORKEE
Motivation: I got information about the company and the profile offered from the pre-placement talk and the website.

Round: Resume Shortlist
Experience: I referred to some of my seniors resumes for preparing my own resume. Then I prepared a rough draft and mailed it to some of my seniors who did a thorough review of my resume. I received some valuable insights from them and finally I prepared my final resume. While applying in different companies I only altered my “areas of interests”, for instance while applying in core companies I mentioned my areas of interest as the core subjects.

Round: Technical Interview
Experience: The interview was mainly technical and the questions revolved around the topics like ‘Turbo Machinery’ and ‘Heat and Mass Transfer’. I had already asked my seniors about the kind of questions that might be asked and prepared for the interviews accordingly.
The HR questions asked were ‘Tell us about yourself’ and ‘Why do you want to join Nestle?’

College Name: IIT ROORKEE
Motivation: The company recruited students from two branches – mechanical engineering and industrial engineering. The work of mechanical engineering students in the company is to look into refrigeration and turbo machinery aspects of the plant.

Round: Resume Shortlist
Experience: My resume was simple and was a mix of both technical stuff and extracurricular activities. It was as per the norms of the placement cell of our institute.

Round: HR Interview
Experience: Interview (HR and technical, 30 minutes). Some of the questions asked were:
What did you have for lunch? (Ice breaking question)
This question is not a part of their judgment. It’s just a type of ice breaker, an initiative of HR people to make you comfortable with the atmosphere. Be happy, carry a smile and its obvious to be nervous but don’t panic. Interact with them, don’t answer this question in a couple of words yet please don’t give all the ingredients of your diet. Utilize this question to loosen up a bit.
Tell me about yourself and your family (emphasis was on family)
Nestle is a company that looks into values and ethics with deep consideration. Frame your answer with less emphasis on you and more on your family. Try introducing them to your family ethics, moral teachings, their role in your life etc. Be honest and don’t exaggerate.

Round: Technical Interview
Experience: All questions were based on my resume. It is strictly advisable to be thorough with your resume and be prepared for practical questions related to your projects. Some of the technical questions asked were:
1) Explain your project during the internship with ITC (emphasis on result)
2nd year internship project: Cooling towers
2) What type of cooling tower would be advisable for a humid area? I explained them my reasons for the choice that I’ll make using proper psychrometric chart. My answer was not completely correct but they were happy with the level of detail to which I was able to think about at that moment.
3) What is design speed of a turbine? I was not at all confident with the answer. I was framing my answer by judging the reaction of the interviewer. He was also helping me to explain what I was thinking.
4) What will happen to the power being produced if wind speed increases? I said it would increase but they didn’t agree with it and said that gears will be present to modulate the speed of generator accordingly. So I twisted a little suggesting that I didn’t included gears into my consideration and I was emphasizing on the energy limits that can be captured by the turbine. Show some presence of mind. It would be of real help.
5) Really Important one and asked abruptly: How was your CAT exam? I didn’t appear for it but if you do, try and decline it politely.
6) What sort of work you are looking for?
I was also asked questions related to my project (difference between a HAWT and VAWT (horizontal and vertical axis wind turbines).

College Name: IIT ROORKEE
Motivation: Nestle is a very famous company and most of us have used one or the other product of Nestle. Also some of my seniors working there gave a very positive feedback about the company.

Round: Test
Experience: The test wasn't too difficult but needed presence of mind. No extraordinary formulae or tricks needed.
Tips: Manage your time carefully. Many students failed to do well because they could not attempt all sections to their best.
Trust your instincts.
Duration: 45 minutes
Total Questions: 40

Round: Group Discussion
Experience: The discussion period seemed a bit too long and the whole group(8 people) was running out of ideas to keep the GD going. So everyone tried to iteratively speak on the same aspects of the topic. The people who explored different dimensions of the topic and were able to present it adequately made it through.
Tips: Try being a leader and sway the GD on your whims.
Keep exploring the current topics so that you are not left hapless on hearing the topic. This is just a preventive measure.
Try exploring new dimensions of the given topic and prevent the discussion from becoming monotonous.
Duration: 20 minutes

Round: Technical Interview
Experience: The interview was a little longer than expected. The interviewer was really polite and supportive and the questions were not meant to undermine you. They wanted to check the logical and practical knowledge.
Tips: Stay confident.
Do not try to beat around the bush. Be blunt if you do not know something.

Round: HR Interview
Experience: This interview basically extracted everything about me and being conducted through Skype, it was something of a new experience.
Tips: Stay confident at all times (which I apparently lost a couple of times and was pointed out).

Skill Tips: Have perfect preparation with at least two subjects of the core domain.
Skills: Fluid Mechanics, Heat Transfer, Mass Transfer
College Name: NIT Jalandhar
Motivation: I always wanted to be a part of a core company due to my interest in technical field which mostly developed after I took up Chemical Engineering.
Funny Moments: After the second round(cross panelling) of technical interview (which I hadn't expected because I thought the interview didn't have a second round), I realized I had spoken way more than required in the interview and maybe sounded way too nervous in the interview. Thats when the interviewers talked amongst themselves and one of them went on to saying" Yaar ye ladka bhot bolta hai"( This guy speaks a lot). Thats when I became a little conscious that I had even interrupted the interviewer a couple of times. Not too funny but yeah one of the few lighter moments.

Round: Test
Experience: The first round was a pen and paper-based test. There were no specific problems that bothered me in the written test. I found the questions to be fairly decent and somewhat challenging. The questions in the 'quantitative ability' section were a bit on the tougher side, while the 'logical reasoning' and 'verbal ability' questions were quite easy. However, some questions were phrased slightly ambiguously and led to some confusion during the test.
Tips: For getting through the written aptitude tests, be sure to practice a lot of questions of different kinds and within a certain time limit. The earlier you start, the better it is. Calculation speeds matter a lot in this regard. Personally, I had just solved 15-20 questions in total, each question of a different kind, before the written test. You need to assess your specific strengths and strike the right balance between speed and accuracy.
Duration: 60 minutes
Total Questions: 45

Round: Group Discussion
Experience: I didn't resort to any elaborate preparation to get through the GD round. To start off, I was a bit nervous about this particular round. So, I focused on speaking at least twice during the GD round and concentrated on accumulating the views of other people and then putting forth my opinion. I avoided getting into a direct conflict with any of my group members and tried putting my point across while maintaining the harmony of the group. In the end, a majority of my group got selected for the subsequent rounds.
Tips: For the GD rounds, try to be in touch with day-to-day matters and have a basic idea about how different topics are shaping up all around the world. Focus on making valid and reasonable points in the GD and don't just blabber for the sake of speaking. Try to be a part of the group and the solution making process. The groups that have better understanding and consistency in the GD rounds are more likely to experience less eliminations.
Duration: 20 minutes

Round: HR Interview
Experience: The third and fourth rounds were personal interviews (PI) and both were elimination rounds. These rounds consisted of both technical and HR questions. For the HR questions, I ploughed ITC's official website and gathered information related to the work that they do and determined how my interests and abilities best suited their purpose. I focused on giving clear answers and avoided inconsistencies and confusions. The HR questions were quite straightforward and the interviewers were very friendly. I was asked about my hobbies and the co-curricular and extra-curricular activities that I was involved in. They also sought to know if I had been involved in any leadership positions before and how I had managed my team. Lastly, they wanted to know my motivation behind applying for the company and asked me what role I wanted to take up if I was selected for the job.
Tips: For the HR interview, try to have a clear idea as to why you are applying for the given company and avoid inconsistencies in your statements. Make a rough sketch about the person you are, including your strengths and weaknesses and be presentable. In fewer words, stay simple and know yourself.

Round: Technical Interview
Experience: The third and fourth rounds were personal interviews (PI) and both were elimination rounds. These rounds consisted of both technical and HR questions. For countering the technical questions, I went through the major subjects and focused on the concepts that were most likely to be asked in an interview. I had done two summer research internships in my second year and third year (one in IIT Kharagpur and another in IIT-BHU). So, I went through the details of the work that I had done during those two internships and prepared myself for possible questions in that regard. I did a similar kind of preparation regarding the projects that I had been a part of within the institute. I was asked very detailed questions related to my internships and my other project works. They wanted to determine whether I was aware of the practical applications and the minute details of the projects that I had worked on. Apart from that, I was asked numerous technical questions related to 'Mass Transfer', 'Heat Transfer', 'Thermodynamics', 'Nanotechnology', etc. Overall, the technical interviews were quite extensive and rigorous.
Tips: Emphasize on conceptual clarity and applications rather than memorizing definitions or formulae. Go through the topics you have worked on during your internships and institute-level projects and have a thorough idea about the theory behind them and their importance and applicability on an industrial scale. Also, try to identify the core subjects that you are strong in and prepare accordingly, because they may ask you to select a subject of your choice and you would be asked the majority of questions from that part.

Round: Behavioural Interview
Experience: This was the fifth and the final round of the overall process and consisted of a 'Skype' interview with two Chief Technical Officers (CTOs) of ITC-PCPB. This was a 15-20 minutes long affair and was basically a 'fit interview'. However, this also turned out to be an elimination round and only two out of four candidates were eventually selected. I was asked a variety of questions related to my daily life and the points that I had mentioned in my CV. I was also asked what my expectations were if I was selected for the job and where I see myself 4-5 years down the line after I join the company. Their reactions didn't seem very assuring or pleasing and I was quite apprehensive; however, things eventually went my way!
Tips: Be confident and know how to defend yourself without being aggressive or rude. You will be put under stress during the interview and the interviewers would try to get under your skin and seem to disagree with you on many points. Therefore, try to stay calm and stick to your point regardless of their disagreements. However, take care not to be rude or go overboard with your body language. Basically, your stress-handling capacity and your response under such situations are evaluated.

General Tips: Assess yourself and determine which sector your abilities are best suited for and what kind of a job you would be interested in and satisfied with. Thereafter, try to gather as much information as possible about the sector that you would be opting for, including the job profiles and growth opportunities that are available. On the day of company visit, dress up crisply and look smart. Also, try to maintain a smiling face throughout and look energetic; no interviewer wants to see drooping shoulders and slacking expressions.
Skill Tips: Think clearly and present your views confidently and efficiently. Improve your communication skills and your technical knowledge, because the latter matters a lot. Lastly, try to convince the interviewers about your leadership skills and your ability to manage a team, while being under stress. In a nutshell, have a very clear idea about what you are getting into and try to show your best side and highlight your strengths.
Skills: Behavioural Skills, Clarity Of Concepts, Ability To Work In A Team, Leadership Skills, Knowledge Of Projects Undertaken, Internship Experience, Knowledge Gained Through Recent Research Project, Ability To Cope Up With Stress, Technical Understanding, Clarity In Arguments, Verbal Communication Skills, Group Discussion Skills, Verbal Ability, Logical Reasoning, Quantitative Aptitude
College Name: NIT Rourkela
Motivation: ITC is a pretty well-known brand and has been in existence for over a century now. Moreover, it's a core company and fits well with my interests. I am interested in doing research in an industrial environment and I am hopeful of getting a chance to work in the R&D division of the company in the future. To top it off, the compensation is pretty good too! Hence, ITC seemed to be the perfect option for me.

Round: Resume Shortlist
Experience: I had a standard resume for this company as per our institute placement cell norms.
The first shortlist was done on the basis of resumes and the “minimum CGPA” criteria to apply for the company was 6.00

Round: HR Interview
Experience: The final round was the personal interview round where HR questions as well as technical questions were asked. Being a mechanical engineer I was asked technical question only on my core subjects. They asked me about my “areas of interest”, to which I replied ‘Dynamics of materials and Kinematics of materials’. They asked me few questions from that, but very soon all their questions got exhausted and they asked me for my other areas of interest, this time I said thermodynamics. They also asked me about Stroke Yoke mechanism and ‘cooling towers’.

The HR (Human Resource) questions were the ones that I feel I could not suitably reply to. They were looking for people who were very clear in their ideas. They also laid emphasis on family values.

College Name: IIT ROORKEE
Motivation: Most of the information regarding the company was obtained by attending the Pre Placement Talk. It is better to know about the products of Nestle that one uses in their homes. They also like to know what all idea you have about the work that they are offering. They also lay emphasis on family values.

Interview preparation tips for other job seekers - i applied through campus placement
1st (round is online written test ( all questions are previous year gate exams)
2nd ( round is technical + hr interview )
be patient because it takes 3-4 month to get answer from company
and selection ratio is 10:1

Interview preparation tips for other job seekers - Prepare well with topics like heat transfer. Know a bit about the equipment used in process industry like Boilers, Heat Exchangers, Cooling towers etc. Questions will be based on basic concepts.