Thales

Applications, Interviews & Assessments

"Three rounds of interview: 1. Online psychometric test. 2. Telephone interview. 3. Face-to-face interview. Final interview was easygoing. I talked mostly about the technical aspects of my degree and my final year project (things I had highlighted in my CV)." -- Software Engineer, Basingstoke
"Personally, I was head-hunted. My CV was online and Thales contacted me asking if I would like to apply. I did so, completed an online test and telephone interview, and then attended a one-day assessment centre. The assessment centre comprised of a couple of group tasks, an interview and delivering a prepared presentation." -- Software Engineer, Crawley
"There were three sets of assessments. All were very thorough and different but all exposed the key attributes. The first assessment was a business exercise, in which my business acumen, teamwork, leadership and communication skills were analysed. This was followed by a technical interview and finally I underwent a competency-based interview. The assessment day was unnerving, however the assessors did make us feel relaxed and comfortable. I can recall Tony Gable (Programme Manager) as one of the assessors." -- Graduate, Project Manager

"Three rounds: online form, phone interview, assessment day. Assessment day was a very intense testing of abilities but I came away thinking it was a useful day even if I hadn’t gotten the job." -- Supportability Engineer, Basingstoke
"Paper sift – Is my CV what they are looking for? Online assessment – Can I read and write? Can I add up? Telephone interview – Am I personable? How do I react in different situations? What are my preferences to where and what I work on? Face-to-face interview – What do I know about Thales? Why Thales? What do I think my strengths and weaknesses are? Where do I see my career going? Technical assessment – What does Research and Development mean to Thales?" -- Systems Engineer, Crawley
"Online application process, then a 30 minute phone interview followed by all day assessment centre involving interviews with your prospective manager. Assessment day was fairly tiring and full-on but reasonably relaxed and probably fairly standard as assessment centres go these days. The day involved group activities, a technical presentation, a 1.5 hour written exam and aptitude tests." -- Entry level, Project Engineer

Tips & Advice for Graduates

"High level of technical competence." -- Mechanical Engineer, Crawley
"When working on a problem solving task, don't be concerned with getting to the solution. They are looking at how you can break down a problem and work as a TEAM to work towards the solution. They are more interested in the process you adopt rather than whether you get the right answer. In the interview, if you don't know the answer, say you don't know the answer." -- Systems Engineer, Crawley
"Research the company before applying; ensure it’s what you want to do. Research Thales' key values – they are key to Thales' recruitment process." -- Software Engineer, Crawley
"Thales looks to hire students who have a good performance at university and more importantly have some summer experience that shows they are particularly enthusiastic about a job in a particular area. Strathclyde University, a 2:1 at least was required to apply. However, most of the newer graduates have Masters level degrees." -- Electronics Engineer, Glasgow
"Remain professional throughout the entire assessment centre. Take advantage of opportunities to speak to examiners on a personal level which will allow you to show your personality as well as your professional/academic ability." -- Strategic Marketing Analyst, Glasgow
"As a rule, academic expectations are 2.1 which is common to a lot of employers in order to ensure a certain calibre of graduate. Personal qualities which Thales look for are hardworking, honest and friendly individuals who are willing to partake in challenging projects. As far as I am aware there is no preference as to which university graduates come from, this is reflected in the current group of graduates onsite, as they come from all over the UK." -- Graduate, Systems Engineer
"I can't answer for the company. For my function, they were looking for someone proactive and eager to learn, and my law degree was useful (though not essential)." -- Graduate, Commercial Officer, Wells

"Make sure you have a good idea about how to apply your learning in a commercial environment." -- Software Engineer, Crawley
"Enthusiastic people who show an eagerness to learn. It doesn't matter if you are not the complete package at the moment as the company believes that it can shape you over the course of the graduate scheme if you are an eager and competent learner. Due to the wide range of roles and positions available at Thales I believe that the minimum requirement is a 2:2 from university, however there are also apprenticeships schemes that people can also apply for, that require just A-levels." -- Programme Management, Crawley
"The company really is looking for people who can keep up with the technology we are developing. If you are enthusiastic, quick and happy to take on a big challenge, and work as part of a large team, to deliver world class products and services to our customers, you will be of interest to the company. If you want to work in a specific role, you need experience in that role. For graduate level jobs, a degree in a related discipline is generally required. If you are going to be working on defence equipments, you need to be suitable for security clearance, and there may be some nationality restrictions there." -- Systems Engineer, Crawley
"Be yourself, open to change and enthusiastic. Bring your own ideas to the table." -- Programme Manager, Glasgow
"Look smart and be honest. If you do not know something do not say that you do – you will be found out eventually. Just be yourself and be confident about what you're about." -- Graduate, Contracts Officer
"It depends what discipline they are applying for. There are plenty of roles through most engineering areas, commercial, project management and procurement. Each area will have different universities at the top end of the league tables." -- Graduate, Hardware Engineer, Wells

What made you choose your firm?

"Good company, with global opportunities and working on plenty of new and interesting projects. I could see myself starting my engineering career with them!" -- Supportability Engineer, Basingstoke
"The job looked interesting, the pay was good and I liked the office." -- Graduate, Software Engineer
"The variety of work and the chance to get into management with a technical science aspect." -- Programme Management, Crawley
"My placement year with the MOD gave me an interest in information systems and defence. When I met my company at a careers fair they offered everything I was looking for. I was particularly impressed with the amount of training, recognition and opportunities they give to their graduates." -- Graduate, Information Systems
"The work is different and interesting. Not everyone gets the chance to say they work on the most highly advanced submarine ever made." -- Mechanical Engineer, Glasgow
"A four year graduate scheme gives you support right up to the point of becoming chartered." -- Graduate, Integration Engineer
"Initially, I applied as I was applying for every job going that I was qualified for. Thales was my second choice (I didn't get through the final round of my first choice), and to be perfectly honest, I never thought I'd still be here! That said, I'm glad I am. It's a good company to work for – I enjoy the work and the banter, and I've learnt an awful lot in a relatively short space of time." -- Graduate, Commercial Officer, Wells

"High salary for someone with no experience." -- Software Engineer, Basingstoke
"They are a company working with interesting projects and technologies and they have a great graduate scheme which will allow me to develop as an engineer." -- Software Engineer, Crawley
"They offered me a job faster than anyone else. The money they offered me was more than anyone else. After a couple of days researching a company I had never heard of before, I realised they were a really big deal, and somehow were one of the largest technology companies in the world. I didn't mind having to correct everyone about how to pronounce the company name!" -- Systems Engineer, Crawley
"Thales is a global company with a fantastic reputation. The graduate scheme was a main attraction, as it lasts four years." -- Mechanical Engineer, Glasgow
"Thales is a large multi-national organisation with operations worldwide. Thales competes in a variety of markets across several industries and offers a challenging and varied career with significant development opportunities for its young employees." -- Graduate, Marketing Manager
"I appreciated Thales' positive approach to recruitment and felt valued by receiving regular updates and feedback when the situation was changing. After making my site visit I was willing to relocate from Scotland to the south west of England in order to take the position. From my site visit I felt that staff were generally happy and there was a good work ethic onsite." -- Graduate, Systems Engineer

Internships & Placements

"Yes they do, I believe they are a great opportunity to allow people to build up their experience whilst in education." -- Software Engineer, Crawley
"There is no formal process for taking on interns, but they do happen occasionally. You need to contact the sites directly and ask. Generally, if you do well on an internship, you will probably be asked to come back after graduating. You could get really lucky, and get financial support for university." -- Systems Engineer, Crawley
"Summer positions are available – sites should be contacted directly for these (not online). These are not important for getting a job at the company." -- Mechanical Engineer, Glasgow
"Internships are offered and the students get a very good feel for life and work at the company, being assigned positions in various working teams, and tackling real projects. Getting a foot in the door would certainly be an aid to future graduate employment." -- Midlevel, Software Engineer
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"It does offer internships and summer positions. They are not really that important for people seeking employment, although they can lead to future job offers and university sponsorship." -- Graduate, Software Engineer
"Yes. Taking part in an internship scheme with us will give you a great insight into our company and our way of working, as well as the technical experience. However, we take everything into account when hiring and a placement is no guarantee of a job, nor would not having done one preclude someone from filling a position." -- Electronic Engineer, Glasgow
"There have been summer placements for the past few years. This year the electronics department will only take one summer student. The most recent job offers have been largely to those who had a summer placement. However, before then you still had to prove yourself at the assessment centre regardless of whether you had a placement or not." -- Electronics Engineer, Glasgow