Aerospace Corporation Associate Member of Technical Staff Interview

Interviewed Jan 2011 in El Segundo, CA (took 3 months)

I was initially contacted by the manager of the department that hired me for a very informal phone interview, it took about 45 minutes. He mainly asked me about my past project experience(s), and then explained what they were currently working on, and we chatted about any cross correlations. He asked a few behavioral questions, one of the ones they seemed to hammer was "Where do you see yourself in 5-10 years?" It was a pleasant experience, not stressful at all. After we talked, he said that they would fly me out for an in person interview. So they flew me out, rented me a car, and put me up in a hotel room for the night.
The next day interview lasted all day, and consisted of different parts. I got there at about 8 AM. First I had a short, half hour interview with a lady from HR. She was very nice and pleasant, and once again asked me where I saw myself in 5-10 years. The other major questions were what I was looking for in terms of salary, and also what my personal hobbies were. Aerospace seems to be very interested in who you are as a person (a huge plus imo, as I have been to interviews at other aerospace companies that were far less cordial or friendly). Then I went to the department I would be working for and met with various people from it, including the big boss, my immediate manager, and most of the staff. The whole process was very informal. They were mainly interested in my major projects through college and grad. school (programming, laboratory, group), and how those projects related to what they did there. Each interview was with a different person one to one, and was 15-30 minutes long. I got a tour of the facilities, and mainly just discussed how I could fit in and help the projects they had going on. I left at around 4:30PM to catch my plane back. Overall it was a very positive experience. They even paid for my lunch. Only advice I will give is to just make sure to come off as professional at all times. I.e. don't use smiley faces or internet meme's (lol) in your communications, dress to impress, and have a reserved, polite, but interested air about you, but this should be self-evident. They are the most laid back of the aerospace companies I have visited, but you can tell they take what they do very seriously, and they have a commitment to doing it well, so they will expect that same ethic in you.
After the interview they let me know that I was one of the top competitors for the position via email. After that, It took around a month and a half to finally receive an offer. From first contact to acceptance was around 3 months.