Success at General Motors (GM) requires a balance of deep technical depth and the practical mindset of an engineer who understands the full product lifecycle.

Role-Related Knowledge – You must demonstrate mastery of computer vision principles, including image processing, deep learning, and sensor geometry. Interviewers look for your ability to explain complex concepts clearly and apply them to specific automotive use cases.

Problem-Solving Ability – You will be evaluated on how you structure your thoughts when facing an ambiguous problem. Focus on breaking down the challenge into smaller, manageable components and explaining your reasoning process out loud.

Production-Mindedness – Unlike purely academic roles, General Motors (GM) values engineers who understand the trade-offs between model accuracy and real-time computational constraints. Be ready to discuss how you optimize for memory, latency, and reliability.

The interview process at General Motors (GM) is structured to assess both your technical capabilities and your potential as a long-term team member. Typically, the journey begins with an initial screening call with a recruiter to discuss your background and interest in the company. This is followed by one or more technical interviews with members of the vision or perception engineering teams.

In the technical rounds, you should expect a mix of theoretical discussions, project walkthroughs, and practical coding assessments. The process concludes with a behavioral or team-fit interview, ensuring that your communication style and values align with the collaborative culture at General Motors (GM).

The visual timeline above outlines the standard progression from initial contact to the final decision. Candidates should interpret these stages as an opportunity to build a narrative of their career: start with your broader experience, narrow down to technical specifics, and finish with your ability to integrate into the team. Use this flow to pace your study, ensuring you are prepared for both high-level system architectural questions and granular coding tasks.

Computer Vision and Robotics

This area is the cornerstone of your evaluation. Interviewers want to see that you understand the mathematical and physical foundations of vision systems.

Be ready to go over:

• Calibration – Techniques for extrinsic and intrinsic camera calibration.
• Sensor Fusion – Combining LiDAR, radar, and camera data effectively.
• Deep Learning – Current trends in object detection, segmentation, and tracking.
• Advanced concepts – SLAM (Simultaneous Localization and Mapping), depth estimation, and temporal consistency in video.

Coding and Implementation

Your ability to write clean, maintainable, and efficient code is essential for production-level work.

Be ready to go over:

• Language proficiency – Deep familiarity with Python or C++ in a data-heavy context.
• Algorithmic efficiency – Understanding Big O notation and memory management.
• Debugging – Your systematic approach to identifying failures in a pipeline.

As a Computer Vision Engineer, you will spend your time designing, training, and deploying vision models that power autonomous systems. Your primary responsibility is to ensure that the vehicle's perception system can accurately interpret the environment in all lighting and weather conditions.

You will collaborate closely with cross-functional teams, including hardware engineers who design the sensor suite and systems engineers who integrate your software into the vehicle's central compute platform. Your daily work involves iterating on models, running simulations, and analyzing field data to refine performance. You are expected to take ownership of your modules, from initial research to final deployment.

A competitive candidate for this role should possess a strong blend of academic rigor and hands-on engineering experience.

• Must-have skills: Proficient in Python or C++, solid understanding of computer vision libraries (e.g., OpenCV, PyTorch/TensorFlow), and experience with sensor data.
• Nice-to-have skills: Experience with embedded systems, GPU optimization (CUDA), and familiarity with automotive standards (e.g., ISO 26262).
• Experience level: Most successful candidates have a strong track record of shipping software or completing complex research projects in robotics or vision.

Q: How difficult are the technical interviews? A: The difficulty is generally considered moderate to high, focusing on practical application rather than obscure trivia. Preparation should focus on your ability to apply your knowledge to real-world engineering constraints.

Q: Is the process heavily focused on whiteboard coding? A: While there is a focus on coding, it is typically applied to vision-related tasks. Expect to solve problems that reflect real-world data processing rather than purely abstract puzzles.

Q: What is the typical timeline for the process? A: The timeline can vary, but once you engage with the hiring manager, the process moves with professional efficiency. Expect a few weeks from the initial screen to the final decision.

• Own your projects: When discussing past work, be ready to explain the "why" behind your technical choices, not just the "how."
• Prioritize safety: Always frame your technical decisions within the context of automotive safety and reliability.
• Practice communication: Articulate your thought process during coding rounds; interviewers are often more interested in your problem-solving logic than the final syntax.
• Research the mission: Familiarize yourself with the specific challenges General Motors (GM) is tackling in the autonomous vehicle space.

The Computer Vision Engineer role at General Motors (GM) offers the unique opportunity to solve some of the most challenging problems in modern engineering. By focusing on your core technical competencies, demonstrating a practical approach to production-level deployment, and effectively communicating your past project successes, you will be well-positioned for success.

Your preparation is the most significant factor in your performance. Take the time to review your foundational knowledge, practice your coding, and reflect on the specific lessons learned from your previous experiences. You have the potential to contribute to a team that is redefining the future of transportation; approach your interviews with confidence and clarity.