HOW TO DO WELL IN ENGINEERING JOB INTERVIEWS

Rashmi Karan

Rashmi is a professional writer who has written for a plethora of job related websites. She writes about the latest job industry trends and offers solution to all career related queries and dilemmas. She wrote this essay exclusively for JarusHub

Engineering happens to be a thriving and exciting industry that holds the promise of vast opportunities. The study of Engineering is an ideal career path for students who prefer excellent innovation and challenges, and those in this field will benefit from the opportunity to enhance their level of knowledge, grow, and contribute to society. In the modern world, candidates from engineering are in high demand and they are capable of working and specializing in a variety of different career options. During a job interview, it is vital that engineering students understand that their choice of study means a successful career ahead.

The wonderful world of engineering allows you to enjoy a unique toolbox of skills that may be applied in a variety of different methods. The interviewer for a student from colleges in engineering should realise that the candidate is not merely aspiring to become an engineer; rather, they are aspiring to make a positive and unique change in the entire world.

The main problem, according to recruiters, seems to be:

Major hurdles in dealing with co-op questions.
Engineering students tend to lose out on a sense of humour and entertainment.
Despite extensive knowledge, they cannot come to terms with the idea of combining technical skill and creativity to solve complex problems in the real world.

In case of most graduates from colleges in engineering, their experience with job interviews remains limited mainly to part-time positions and though they may have prepared for the general process of going in and meeting with prospective employees, the content of the actual Q&A period tends to vary dramatically.

One of the largest challenges that are faced by students from colleges in engineering during the engineering interviews is the problem solving portions. Not only is it totally different from any other interview process but it involves lots of layered questions that the interviewee is not always prepared for.

Engineering students must come to terms with the fact that:

Interviews for good engineering jobs are different from regular interviews.
Proper training is key but the candidate must retain a sense of individuality to stand out from the rest of the crowd.
The most significant point of difference between engineering job interviews and other job interviews happens to primarily be the technical content.

In a job interview for an engineer, it is not really uncommon to be asked to solve problems right on the spot. This might range from a single question to two or even a few pages of problems the interviewers wish that you will work with within a limited time frame. Thus, the interviewee needs to be ready for all sorts of possibilities.

Expected Questions:

Engineering students appearing for interview will come across certain predictable or unpredictable questions from the field of engineering. However, it depends on the field of engineering you belong to. Below is the list of few questions and how to face them:

Tell us about Challenging Engineering Project you were involved in: The answer for this question depends on your work experience. If you have worked earlier, you must explain to them how you and your team handled the challenging project. The role you played to execute the engineering project. Whether it was success or failed, you must be honest in what you say. If you are a fresher, you can talk about college engineering project you undertook.
What do you enjoy most about Engineering: Here you can explain why you enjoyed the engineering field and reason you to take up this field. Make sure you come up with positive answer for this question.
Give an example of time when you had to train other Engineers: Here you can give an example of your last engineering project work you took up and how you trained your team in successfully completing the project. This will give a chance to represent your leadership quality.
What is your technical skill or ability: Engineering is all about technical skills which you need to carry and is highly useful for project undertaking. So when you describe your technical skill you can give an example of last performed technical skill and ability for completing the project.

Important Points:

It is high time you changed your conventional concepts involving engineering job interviews, and replace them with what actually goes on behind closed doors. There are several facts you should keep in mind at all times:

Necessity of Research: It is necessary for the candidate to explore every single aspect connected to the job description so that they are capable of performing any task that is being asked of the interviewee from the colleges in engineering during the interview rounds.
Continue to learn, just change your target: Instead of learning from text books, you should try and learn all you can regarding what it is the company you are applying for does on a high level along with the relevant details of the specific location or group that you are being interviewed for.
Focus on Review: You should understand the benefits of reviewing your past work experience since this will help you to become entirely familiar with all the information of the projects you have worked on since the interviewers tend to typically question you concerning your role in a previous job and what you have contributed to any of your earlier employers.
Keep on studying: It is highly important that you continue to study any notes or textbook material that you possess related to the job as the technical questions are part of the interview process and you might also have to face problem solving rounds that are designed to test you in a variety of separate areas.

Students who are going to appear for interviews of engineering jobs should always keep their eyes and ears peeled for valuable nuggets of information. They should be fully prepared and become privy to every single detail that has been covered by their material. However, at the same time, the importance of a clear head and a strong sense of success cannot be undermined during an engineering job interview.

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