Workplace reviews and discussion: 帝寶工業股份有限公司

Company Name *: DEPO Auto Parts Ind. Co., Ltd.

Job Title *: Engineer (Tainan R&D Center)

Industry Category *: Automobile and Parts Manufacturing

Work Location *: Tainan

Monthly Salary *: 28,000

Relevant Work Experience *: 0

Highest Education *: University of Science and Technology

School Department: Department of Mechanical Engineering

Interview Date:

2018/01

Annual Salary: 12–13 months

Working Hours: 07:30–16:45

Year-end Bonus: 0–1 month (not guaranteed)

Job Description:

Responsible for work related to vehicle light development. Coordinate and assess the feasibility of CAD design drawings from the RD (R&D engineer), then proceed to downstream mold injection manufacturers and production manufacturers to supervise and coordinate the process until full production is completed and specifications are met. This work involves turning the designer’s vision into reality. Plans and arrangements should be made thoroughly in advance so that execution afterward will be easier.

Review: Labor and health insurance, two days off per week, free dinner when working overtime. Salary transfers are made through Taiwan Business Bank. Annual salary adjustments are 3–5% (based on total salary). Salary structure: 24K base salary + 3K occupational allowance + 1K–15K (variable allowance, performance bonus, experience bonus). The amount discussed in the interview is guaranteed for the first six months; afterward, the variable allowance is adjusted based on attitude, self-learning ability, and performance. Overtime is optional, but supervisors and senior management will use this to assess work attitude, and it will be reflected in performance evaluations. There is no training; you go straight into the field. Employees are generally expected to self-study, take initiative, and ask and learn more. You need to be able to drive a manual-transmission truck. The interview includes questions on orthographic projection drawings. The development department is divided into AM and OEM. During the interview, the supervisor presents the company’s realities and shortcomings very seriously and repeatedly challenges candidates to test their stress tolerance. They also ask questions about professional knowledge in the candidate’s field of study to assess their level. In the previous interview, the question was: “What is the definition of a rigid body?” This time, with a different supervisor, the questions were: “What are the two types of molds?” “What are the two types of plastics used in plastic molding?” and “What does the company do?” (Giving only a general answer will result in further grilling.) Those who are applying indiscriminately need not bother. Lunch break is from 12:00–12:45. After the interview, they ask whether you are interested in accepting the position. (The initial intimidation is frightening enough; afterward they see whether the interviewee can handle it.) Acceptable candidates will be notified within one week. The leave system and overtime pay follow the Labor Standards Act and government regulations (if the Labor Standards Act is revised for the worse, don’t even consider it...). The company’s standard interview form must be completed accurately; do not leave blanks. If you are unsure, find a way to fill everything in—the interview supervisor places great importance on appearances. The work is complex and diverse, and dealing with different vendors requires good communication and coordination skills. Morning exercises are held every Monday and Wednesday. It is recommended to arrive at the company at 7:30 to be absolutely safe. This supervisor recommends clocking in at 7:30 every day, so you do not have to remember that 7:30 applies specifically to Mondays and Wednesdays. The preparatory bell rings at 7:50, and the work bell rings at 8:00. The overall atmosphere during this supervisor’s interview was terrible... Candidates without experience who want to change career paths will be repeatedly grilled.

During the interview, they kept grilling me about my level of expertise, and despite my lack of experience, they repeatedly said that young people nowadays are “strawberries.” The overall impression was very bad; even when asking questions, they seemed very disdainful in their responses.