Getting A Job At Sony
Sony is one of the biggest technology companies in the world, manufacturing electronics, video game consoles, video games, and music. There are over 100,000 employees worldwide, with around 5,000 of those at their UK based in Surrey.
Sony Values
The company was founded in Japan in 1946, with the purpose of creating new technologies that would improve people's everyday lives. Today, their values remain the same: to pioneer the future through curiosity, harnessing the power of diversity, retaining integrity and sincerity, and ensuring responsible business practices.
Types Of Roles At Sony
Although known as a technology company, Sony is one of the largest and most diverse businesses in the world. Therefore, there are career opportunities for almost every area of expertise, whether your background is in technology, animation, HR, or finance.
Hiring Process At Sony
Sony Application
All of the available opportunities at Sony are posted on their vacancies page, which you can filter to find the right role for you. Then you will need to make an online profile on their website, which asks you to fill out questions about yourself and your experience.
Sony asks you to fill out the profile and upload a CV/cover letter as it helps to streamline the process and make sure your application gets seen by the right people.
Sony Aptitude Tests
As with most big companies, Sony requires you to take aptitude tests as part of their screening process. These tests help to assess key competencies and provide objective data that employers can use to compare candidates and find the top performers.
Sony Verbal Reasoning Test
A verbal reasoning test is a very common recruitment test, especially for positions such as internships and graduate programmes. This test assesses your language and communication skills, checking basics such as your grammar and vocabulary, and more advanced skills such as comprehension, problem-solving and following logic.
For some positions, you may be given a short essay question instead, which performs the same functions.
Sony Logical Reasoning Test
Many employers like to use logical reasoning tests, especially in the tech industry, because they show creative thinking and that you can follow abstract logic to come to a conclusion.
You will be asked to identify patterns and connections between sequences of shapes and images. These can be quite complicated and take some time to figure out, but they are meant to challenge you to show employers how you work.
Sony Numerical Reasoning Test
Numerical reasoning is one of the most common aptitude tests for the tech sector. Many roles are dependent on strong mathematical skills, so this ensures a baseline of skills amongst all of the candidates.
Sony Technical Test
The Sony technical tests vary depending on what role you have applied for but are often used for skills such as coding. You will be given a practical test on programming languages such as Java, C, and C++. This is to prove you can use the full range of functions and do the tasks that are required of the job.
Sony Interview
There are two main structures of interviews for the Sony recruitment process: a technical interview and an HR or personal interview. It will depend on what kind of role you have applied for, but typically, you will have multiple interviews on one day with relevant staff members.
The technical interview is where you will be asked more in-depth questions about your skills and work experience. This typically looks like defining terms, explaining functions, and demonstrating skills such as writing down specific algorithms or codes.
The HR interview is focused on you as a person and on the logistics of the role. This is where you will be asked questions about your strengths, hopes for your career progression, and what qualities you have that make you a strong candidate.
Sony Culture Fit Assessment
Building a successful company means curating an environment in which employees can perform at their best. Many employers are now putting more focus on culture fit during the recruitment process to ensure that new employees reflect the right values and their teams can work together cohesively. Sony's recruitment process reflects its commitment to diversity and inclusion, making sure that candidates have both the right skills and the right mindset to thrive at the company.
Sony Personality Test
Often, employers will give candidates a personality test to help gauge what kind of employee you are and how you might fit into the established company culture.
There are many different types of personality tests, some that determine your workplace behaviours, motivations, and how you respond under stress. The one that is becoming increasingly popular with recruiters is the situational judgement test. For this test, you will be presented with hypothetical workplace situations and asked to judge responses by which you think is most appropriate. While there are no correct or incorrect answers for personality and behaviour assessments, employers will be looking at how well you conform to expectations and show key competencies.
What Is It Like To Work At Sony?
Sony prides itself in being a company that encourages independent and diverse individuals to work to create a better world through creativity and technology.
Top Tips To Getting Hired At Sony
If you're applying for a job at Sony, here are some top tips for success.
Keep It Casual
During the interview process, Sony Japan has adopted a more casual attitude for their graduate
applicants. Instead of dressing in formal attire, Sony asks candidates to wear something that is truly reflective of who they are.
Make It Personal
On that note, Sony gets thousands of applications for every open position, so you need to stand out from the crowd. It's important to show your personality throughout the application process, so remember to talk about your passions, dreams, and hopes for the future.
Practice Tests
To do your best on the aptitude tests, you should practice as much as possible. Doing practice tests can help improve your scores dramatically, giving you a better chance of being one of the top candidates. Often, only those who score in the top 60-80% advance through the recruitment process, so it is important to take the tests seriously.
Be Creative
Sony wants people who will lead them into the future of technology and embrace the long history of innovation. Let your creativity shine through in your application and don't be shy about hobbies and achievements, even if they feel less relevant.
