Any engineers here?

[rockyraccoon]

I am on my 2nd year of engineering (Fdsc) at uni and just got a invitation for a job interview (trainee programme).

My 1st interview ever in this sector. Does anyone have any tips in what to say, what they might ask and what to expect?

I am so nervous that my bones are already shaking

 

[Globalti]

Try to get into the frame of mind that this is an important junction in your early life; you could turn left or turn right and the direction you take will affect the rest of your life, so it's important that you interview them as much as they will be interviewing you. If you research the company then ask intelligent questions they will be more impressed than if you give answers only. The old adage is that you judge a person not by what they answer but by what they ASK.

 

[Crackle]

Been there:

They might ask you some very basic stuff in order to see if you have a practical mind. Stuff I once got asked at a similar level interview was how much water pressure is there in a tap, how would I deal with a situation where I had to ask people to work through their lunch or late.

On another one I was given a tour of the factory and then asked questions about what I had seen and how to improve it.

Be prepared for a wide range of possibilities and pay attention in the interview.

 

[threebikesmcginty]

...you judge a person not by what they answer but by what they ASK.

Ahh Grasshopper!


He's right though - find out about the company, ask questions, they will be impressed.
Oh yes, and what ever happens the interview will be good practice if nothing else.

 

[ColinJ]

Try to get into the frame of mind that this is an important junction in your early life; you could turn left or turn right and the direction you take will affect the rest of your life, so it's important that you interview them as much as they will be interviewing you. If you research the company then ask intelligent questions they will be more impressed than if you give answers only. The old adage is that you judge a person not by what they answer but by what they ASK.

Ha - I tried that and was told off for it! "I don't think you understand how this works - we ask the questions!"

Perhaps that should have acted as a warning to me of what was to come...

 

[2Loose]

Ha - I tried that and was told off for it! "I don't think you understand how this works - we ask the questions!"

Perhaps that should have acted as a warning to me of what was to come...

At that point I would have known the company was not one that I was interested in working for.

 

[Alien8]

What sort of engineering?

 

[ChrisKH]

My experience of interviews is that it's much a test to see if the face fits with the culture of the company/firm, as it is a test of ability. Maybe even more so. The ability of the applicants is important but the position will not go to the person who fails to observe interview niceties and knows nothing of the company (as Globalti has detailed). Prepare yourself well, including mentally and do your best to look the part. Understated confidence is good, over confident cockiness is bad. Don't worry about being nervous, it is expected to a degree and don't be afraid to pull out your paperwork during the interview if you need to make reference to it. Interviewers often make up their mind about people in the first five minutes of an interview, so try to make a good impression visually.

Best of luck. As 3bm says, it's good experience if nothing else and it's equally about whether you like the company as much as the other way around.

 

[Dayvo]

At that point I would have known the company was not one that I was interested in working for.

I agree - if I'm not right for them, then they definitely aren't right for me!

Be yourself and be relaxed, appear confident without be cocky or too self-assured.

Good luck!

 

[upsidedown]

When i was interviewed for an apprenticeship at Rover the interviewer gave me a hydraulic valve type thing and asked me to take it apart. When i was sat smugly with a pile of bits on the desk he asked me to put it back together again; important lesson learned.

Try to get a few smiles and a laugh if possible, noboddy wants to work with a miserable sod.

good luck anyway

paul

 

[BrumJim]

I'm an engineer. But crap at interviews. So don't take any advice from me.

 

[rockyraccoon]

Thanks for the comments and tips.

Do you think they will ask deep technical question? I don't feel very confident with the practical part. I got very good grades at my first year (most theory)

What sort of engineering?

Electronics Systems.

 

[rockyraccoon]

I'm an engineer. But crap at interviews. So don't take any advice from me.

Why are you crap at interviews? I still can learn from other people mistakes

 

[Yellow Fang]

I used to be a software engineer, if that's proper engineering. I was crap at interviews too. The main thing I've noticed, is that if you are successful, they nearly always let you know there and then. If they don't let you know you've got the job by the end of the interview, it's because you haven't. The other thing I used to have a bee in the bonnet about was personnel interviews. I reckoned the personnel manager was usually harder to get past than the engineering manager, especially if you're a bit nerdy and geeky, which a lot of engineers are.

 

[ColinJ]

Do you think they will ask deep technical question? I don't feel very confident with the practical part. I got very good grades at my first year (most theory)

(Electronics Systems.)

I didn't get asked a single technical question at my job interview. Though my questions were discouraged, I actually did get away with asking the question "Why didn't you ask me any technical questions?" 

The answer, apparently, was that the UK university system is absolutely foolproof and if someone gets a very good degree in engineering then they clearly know a lot about engineering, rather than perhaps just being good at passing exams. 

I knew even then that passing the right exams is no proof of technical competence - I once had to explain to a fellow second year student why his attempt to push a 1 MHz, 1 mA  sinewave through a large inductor using nowt more than a 741 op-amp was doomed to failure - he had passed his first year exams but he still took a lot of convincing!