Ford Product Development Graduate 2011

Hi,

Just had my telephone interview for Sales and Marketing Programme and I thought would share the following information and the questions which were asked to me by FORD...

• Knowledge of Ford and the function to which you are applying • Working effectively with other people • Results Focus • Customer Focus

Here are the tips that I got form the website and would recommend them to any candidate for the interview:

• Be specific – describe exactly what you did or said • Talk about your contribution (not what other people have done) • Give examples of the skills that you demonstrated in the particular situation • You can choose examples from work / college / voluntary work / out of work activities. • Make sure you take some time to find out about Ford and the area to which you are applying

And finally to make life easier for persons, as I have gained immensely form this Forum, information about FORD is also posted for the benefit. It would obviously change so please update accordingly:

The Ford Motor Company (NYSE: F) is an American multinational corporation based in Dearborn, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. The automaker was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. In addition to the Ford, Lincoln, and Mercury brands, Ford also owns a small stake in Mazda in Japan and Aston Martin in the UK. Ford's former UK subsidiaries Jaguar and Land Rover were sold to Tata Motors of India in March 2008. In 2010 Ford sold Volvo to Geely Automobile.[5] Ford will discontinue the Mercury brand at the end of 2010. Ford introduced methods for large-scale manufacturing of cars and large-scale management of an industrial workforce using elaborately engineered manufacturing sequences typified by moving assembly lines. Henry Ford's methods came to be known around the world as Fordism by 1914.

Ford is currently the second largest automaker in the U.S. and the fourth-largest in the world based on number of vehicles sold annually, directly behind Volkswagen Group.[6] In 2007, Ford fell from second to third in US annual vehicle sales for the first time in 56 years, behind only General Motors and Toyota. However, Ford occasionally outsells Toyota in shorter periods (most recently, during the summer months of 2009). By the end of 2009, Ford was the third largest automaker in Europe (behind Volkswagen and PSA Peugeot Citroën).[7]

Ford is the seventh-ranked overall American-based company in the 2008 Fortune 500 list, based on global revenues in 2008 of $146.3 billion.[8] In 2008, Ford produced 5.532 million automobiles[9] and employed about 213,000 employees at around 90 plants and facilities worldwide. During the automotive crisis, Ford's worldwide unit volume dropped to 4.817 million in 2009. Despite the adverse conditions, Ford ended 2009 with a net profit of $2.7 billion.[10] Starting in 2007, Ford received more initial quality survey awards from J. D. Power and Associates than any other automaker. Five of Ford's vehicles ranked at the top of their categories[11] and fourteen vehicles ranked in the top three.[12]

Hope this all helps, as there is no single thread on the telephone interview about FORD..

Regards,

HJMK007

Wow, you have really done some research about Ford. I have been invited for the tel interview for the HR graduate scheme...It was pretty quick considering I gave my online tests last night.I have pretty much the same information on my account as stated by you in the beginning that the questions will be focussed around information about ford, results focus, customer focus, and working with others... But I think someone did mention that they do not strictly stick to these competency areas and may ask more...Don't know whether that was the case with you hjmk007. It would be helpful if you could state the questions you were asked...(if you remember):)

Cheers HJMK2007! Really appreciated.

S

pm me

Hey did anyone who applied to prod dev get thru to the assessment stage??

Hi guys, I'll be doing my telephone interview tomorrow for the Product Development role... any more specific tips? I'm so nervous cos it's my first telephone interview! helpppppppp!

Hi chuckulz,

Hope your telephone interview went well and according to your expectation. I am having my telephone interview in a couple of days for the Product development role. There is one thing which is bothering me I was hoping you could advise me.

When I log in to my account there are two available slots at this time one is on friday the 19th and the other one is 20th. Now I just want to know that if I can delay it a bit as I am nt available on friday and sat as I have another interviews to attend. So in short I jst want to know if I can book any other slot apart from friday and sat.

N one last things what kind of technical questions they asked you in the interview.. I mean like in general about electronics or specifically related to the division in which we are applying?

Thank you any help would be highly appreciated..

Kind regadrs,

Hi guyz,

I am having my telephone interview in a couple of days for the Product development role. There is one thing which is bothering me I was hoping you could advise me.

When I log in to my account there are two available slots at this time, one is on friday the 19th and the other one is 20th. Now I just want to know that if I can delay it a bit as I am nt available on friday and sat as I have another interviews to attend. So in short I jst want to know if I can book any other slot apart from friday and sat.

N one last things what kind of technical questions they ask in the interview for the product development role.. I mean like in general about electronics or specifically related to the division in which we are applying?

Thank you any help would be highly appreciated..

Kind regadrs,

you can delay your tel interview..i had a situation similar to yours...I booked for my interview 5 days after notification as I was busy preparing for other tests and interviews...I even called up the HR dept asking them if it was ok to delay a bit , they said its fine but indicated that roles are getting filled up quickly so it would be in your best interest to book a slot as soon as possible...the system is updated everyday .you have slots available for almost all of the days.so I don't think you should worry about that...!

Hi Princetongirl,

Thank you very much for a prompt response.

Kind regards,

Hey guys,

Help me plz!!!!!.. I just received an email saying that my application is successful and i have to move on to the next stage which is the online psychometric tests. Since you guys have advanced from this stage. I am very nervous because this is my first test. what were you asked and how can i prepare myself for the test? would they be engineering related questions?

hope to hear from you guys soon...thank you in advance.

Hey man, just relax lol and read the original post. You can practise these tests on SHL and from the following webste: http://www.assessmentday.co.uk/aptitude-tests-links.htm

Hey guys,

I just got an email from Ford saying that I am currently "on hold whilst they progress the testing stage of the selection process." I guess what that really means is I have bumped my psychometric tests lol and the ones that had better test results progress first.

@shinnie thanks for the reply. imma check out the link. when did you take your psychometric tests?

on the 8th

Hello All

Ive been reading evry1s post, glad to know abt each ones progress..

anywys heres my story... I applied in mid oct smwher, 2 weeks later i got the online tests. A week later I was invited for telefone interview and then exactly after 5 days, i got email fr invitation to assessment centre on 23rd nov. 2010.

I too have applied for the product development post. So ny1 here for the 23rd nov assessment centre?.....im really nervous abt the crazy ass activities for tht day...

chris

Hi chrisdoha,

Im glad u made it to the assessment centre n wish you best of luck. I will be having my interview on sat for the product development role, I just want to ask what kind of technical questions do they ask? Is it generally about electronics or specifically in regards to the role we have applied?

Any help would be really appreciated n again best of luck for the assessment centre.

Kind regards,

In your account area u will c wat areas they will cover... one is the role uve applied for .... ofcourse its product development but under that u may have selected a function. In my case i had forgotten abt tht. And you cannot find it in ur application after uve submitted it. After the telefone interview, i came to know my function which is Powetrain/Component Engineering. so u wil get questions ur selected function.

Telefone interview will consist of 6 ques.- 2 technical and 4 competency

One of the technical ques was describe different types of transmission. Other one was, u r given con rods, cylinder blocks, cam shaft, sm more components, while designing ny of these wats very important.

competency ques was tel a time when- working in a team, delivering work to customer(customer can b professor, work nythin), had to negotiate wit sm1, influence sm1

hope this helps.

Anyone applied for NVH? I had my Telephonic interview on Nov 12th, but havent heard from them yet.

Hey Shinnie! i got the same stuff yesterday lol...heard anything since then??

Not yet man

@chrisdoha.....tnxxx man....your info helped a lot....mine went quite well. fingers crossed!

Hi guys,

I completed my online test successfully and was invited for telephonic interview but I did not get a slot to book in, so waiting for it.

Can any one who did telephonic interview for Product development please elaborate more on their interview? also does anyone remember about the options listed under the product development function? I seriously forgot mine :(...

Share more of your thoughts :)

hi chrisdoha,

Please I want to know how your assesment cntre went. Because from what you posted, yours was on the 23rd. I have mine on monday and I need to know what kind of questions you were asked....especially for the competency-based interview session. Plus what kind of task were u asked to carry out for the in-tray exercise and role play? Pls reply asap. Thanks

Hi is there any one that has applied for "Electrical and Chassis Component Engineering" sector within product development? And have had their telephone interview?

If so can you please elaborate on the technical questions asked during telephone interview.

Thanks

Hi Guys,

Any updates or outcome of telephonic interviews/ assessment centre for anyone? Pls share information and keep this thread alive.

Hi guys,

I had my telephone interview on 4th November. I called them twice about my status and have been told that it is still under review. I wonder if anyone faced a similar situation

I had my tel interview on 26th Nov.. Keeping fingers crossed. Anyone else attended tel interview on 26th or 27th? Did you ppl hear back? Any idea when is the next assessment centre?

Hey, Does anyone know when these jobs are due to start? I've heard they start in February 2011, not in September (after graduation).

hiya, just found out about this forum... looks like there are others around. I applied the Product Development funtion and have had my tel. interview, waiting.. Any of us been to the assessment centre? how is it? must be tough day...hope I could be invited soon... : ) btw, i work in Ford now as a contractor and will try to help/answer if i can.

Hi crystaal when was ur phone interview?

27th Nov... : (

Mine was on 26th...

Hi guyz....

I had mine on 27th aswell.. Just wondering if anyone has received any updates.... n when is the next assessment???

I emailed the recruitment team but they said my interview is currently under review. They did not divulge any other details.

Anyone done the product development phone interview under electrical systems??? I have no clue what to expect for technical questions. pweeaaseeee....

HI is any one going for the assessment centre for sales and marketing on 13 December at Rainham Esssexx?? Pls help

HI is any one going for the assessment centre for sales and marketing on 13 December at Rainham Esssexx?? Pls help

Anyone else had their Assessment Centre pushed back? I was booked in for the 14th Dec, but was told I have been unbooked as they had a backlog of people due to the snow. They mentioned 10th Jan as a potential future date... How's it going for everyone else?

@Maximus Could you pls tell when did you have ur telephonic interview and when it was intimated to you that you were successful at tel interview?

Hi guyz,

Any updates regarding the telephone interview?? I hvnt heard anything yet.. :( Its been more than 2 weeks since i had my interview... well will be three weeks in just three dayz time.. :-(

????

I had my interview on 17 november and I am still waiting for a reply...

I had mine on 12th November. Its been more than a month. They say that it's still under review. No clue what they are up to :(

@ Princetongirl: For which dept did you have your interview?

It was HR and IMO it did not go well so I wouldn't be surprised if they decided not take my app any further...Initially they proceeded my app quite quickly and I gave the tel interview roughly within a week of submitting my application...Guess we can just hope for the best and keep our fingers crossed!

Yeah. Though my fingers are beginning to hurt now. It's been more than a month now! ;).

I will share my experience of the assessment centre, which was held at CEME at Rainham Esexx on 13 December... The day consists of the following activities:

1) interview: same as telephone interview, its all competency based as prepare all examples which were asked to you .... Do research on Ford and also on the issues facing the automotive sector....

role play: An imaginary company, Regal Motors and Regal Finance exist and the objective is to merge two databases and come up with a presentataion on a flip chart within 25 minutes and after that present it to the person...

The assessor asks you questions which are pertinent to the scenario and also they ask u very different questions so u need to be preoared, as it can be v difficult..., and your job is to convince them as they don't want to merge.

in-tray exercise: same imaginary company and your manager has an accident so you need to fill in for them. you are then given 10-15 emails/memos that you need to prioritise and write down how you would react.. Its to do witha luanch of a car and you are interacting with different departments on behalf of your manager....

You also have a massive rescheduling news that basically turns everything into an emergency so you just need to know which areas need most attention etc.. its all common sense as all the information is there. if someone write "tell me by next week" then its more urgent that if someone writes "I need to know in the next 6 weeks" etc..

group exercise: you are given the same info on RM and RF to read about a relocation of offices between different departments...

There are objectives which you need to classify as a short term, medium and long term , have a discussion with candidates... also come up with different issues highlighted in the case and focus on having a close look on the time also.. which is very crucial..

You have to write down notes about prioritising, then sit with other candidates and discuss the options.

Hope this helps all persons and Ford was an excellent experience, so best of luck... The objective is to help any 1 and if some 1 is destined to get a job offer, they will get it and if they read thousands of forums, and if it is not in their fate, they will not get it... That's my perspective.....

@hjmk007

Thank you for the info you provided regarding the Assessment Centre. I'm sure it will put a lot of people more at ease prior to attending. I have mine on the 10th January, so it will help in preparation.

I hope it turns out well for you, best of luck. Thanks again.

Got a position with product dev. Had the AC on the 9th (bumped from the 1st due to weather conditions), received phonecall from HR telling me i'd passed on the 15th, now waiting for e-mail/written contract.

With regards to the information posted by hjmk007 it is broadly what happened at my AC but the scenarios were different and had more of an engineering slant. So I wouldn't get too hung up on the specifics or you'll trip youself up.

Good luck to all those still waiting for news.

Congrats dhps!! Best of luck mate n thx for the wish bt its been a month since I had my telephone interview.. So....... dnt knw.. Anywayzz once again congrats and best of luck...

Take care..

Cheerzzz