Application Process & Interviews at Santos

The interview process for the Vacation Program involved a full day assessment centre including a 2on1 interview prior to the vacation program. Graduates are mostly hired from the vacation students so you basically have a three month trial before being offered a position.

The interview/assessment process was long; online submissions followed by online testing (numerical). An assessment centre was then hosted, including presentations to a panel, 1 on 1 interviews, group activities and presentations from company people.

Online assessment and subsequent interview with presentation of your choice for the Vacation Program. I have heard the process has changed and now also includes an assessment centre piece.

It was extremely challenging. Multiple interviews and online assessments. A presentation which I worked very hard on was provided. These are common prerequisites.

For graduate positions - Online CV submitted, online testing, phone call, in person interview, reference checks and medical, offer.

Interview process for graduates included presentation of vacation program results/project work and vacation program leader's evaluation. Followed by a formal interview, psychometric testing, and a medical health check.

It's difficult to be hired at any company these days. When I went through the application process for a graduate position there was an online application - followed by a psychiatric test online - then phone interview - personal interview - medical.

Firstly applications are sent in. Then online assessments are completed for the Vacation Program. These take 1-2 hours for all of them. Then there was an assessment day, where 15 of us spent the day listening to people talk about the business, completing team exercises and then a final interview with 2 employees.

For the vacation program, CV and online application Online quiz Phone interview Assessment centre company is now leaning towards only hiring students who have done vacation work and also large emphasis on meeting diversity targets

Online testing, initial resume screening, interview requires a project presentation to show presentation skills, personality, thought process and technical capability. Preference offered to prior vacation students, hiring controlled largely on market conditions.

Assessment centres for the Vacation Program focusing on individual and group type activities, psychometric testing, phone interviews, three-to-one type interviews.

Key - vacation work. Most graduates are hired through the vacation program. Interviews as a component of the assessment centres are undertaken to get into the vacation program - not additional interviews are required to be accepted into the graduate program.

Assessment centre, presentation and interview for Vacation Work Performance Review and Presentation on work undertaken in the 3 months for the Graduate Intake

A web-based application precedes numerical, verbal and inductive online testing. This lead to an interview with HR and technical representative.

Mostly situational questions - "Give us a time when you demonstrated leadership" "What are you weaknesses?" "Do you ride a bike?"

What is a difficult team situation you've had to deal with and how did you overcome it?

Reason for wanting to be in the industry, past experience of challenges and group work, what you know about the industry.

Fairly situational type questions. For e.g. Tell me about a situation where things didn't go well at uni/at home. What did you do and how do you think you think you could do better?

Mostly about problems which occurred in group and independent project and the mentality used to overcome them.

What skills do you possess that will help you contribute value to the company? Why do you want to work for this company? Can you describe some of Santos' significant projects?

Where do I see myself in five years? Why do I want to work for Santos? What do I want to achieve? What can I bring to the company? Describe a situation where I demonstrated teamwork/leadership/etc.

Provide an example of a good team, bad team, what you would have changed, any extracurricular activities.

Previous work experience, times when I've been exposed to various situations, interest in oil and gas.

Ensure you include a CV that is specific to the company and role you are applying for. Provide strong examples of where you have demonstrated technical/professional skills. Ensure you have a good academic record as well as evidence of extra-curricular activities.

Read up on the oil and gas industry and the different parts of it that Santos operates in, e.g. upstream/downstream/production/development/exploration

Prepare for your career as soon as possible! Keep your grades above 75%, do extracurricular activities, join professional societies and sit on their committees, be involved with your student groups, network as much as possible, and choose a topic for your Honours/Master's degree that you're actually interested in! If you're interested in a particular field (ie. coal, hard rock, petroleum, geothermal) pursue it and don't take a job in another field, it will be harder to transition later on.

Research current oil and gas climate, CSG and related issues. Have some good safety examples from previous work or even around home. Be prepared to talk about working in a team, communication and collaboration.

- Understand the company's business and business model - Gauge the company culture and how you would fit in

Include ALL kinds of activities you're involved in. Sports, social groups, etc. Also list any prior experience - experience is key in this business. Know how to balance a marshmallow on top of a tower of dry spaghetti.

Know something about the oil industry and have an interest in it. Group assessments aren't about taking control they are about how you work with others.

Entrance is best gained through the Vacation Work Program. Ensure you are aware of Santos as a business in the past, and its plans in the future.

Show enthusiasm and passion for the industry and geoscience/engineering. Show corporate knowledge, involvement with clubs and collaborative potential

Do your research on the company. It's really handy to know about all the operations of a company.

Apply for vacation work with the company. The company highly values individuals that are well rounded - academically and socially. Volunteering and working while at university is highly beneficial.

Think carefully about all the possible questions you could be asked in an interview - prepare intelligent answers ahead of time. Be polite, friendly, confident (to a point), and willing to try new challenges

Don't be afraid to be a little ambitious and talk about your long-term goals and why you are interested in the industry.