Job interviews - what to expect and how to prepare
As a graduate engineer stepping into the professional world, excelling in job interviews is crucial. To significantly improve your interview performance, consider the following strategies:
Finding the Right Company Fit - Reflect on what you seek in an employer. The engineering sector offers a diverse range of companies, each with its unique culture and focus. Narrow down your job search by identifying what matters most to you. Is it the pursuit of technical excellence, a supportive and nurturing work environment, or the availability of varied opportunities?
In-depth Research on Potential Employers - Go beyond the surface and research potential employers. Understand their projects, values, and industry standing. Familiarize yourself with recent news, accomplishments, or any upcoming projects of the company. This knowledge reflects your genuine interest and preparation.
Crafting Your Personal Pitch - Develop a compelling personal pitch that succinctly highlights your skills, experiences, and what you bring to the table. Tailor this pitch to align with the company’s ethos and the specific role you are applying for.
Mock Interviews Practice - Engage in mock interviews to build confidence and refine your responses. This can be done with peers, mentors, or through professional services. Pay attention to your communication skills, body language, and ability to handle challenging questions.
Learning from Others - Seek insights from experienced professionals or peers who have recently gone through the job-hunting process. Learn from their experiences, mistakes, and successes to better prepare for your interviews.
For further insights into identifying employers that align with your career goals, refer to our detailed guide ‘Finding a Work-Environment That Is the Best Fit for You’. This resource will help you assess potential employers based on their commitment to technical excellence, supportive work culture, and the breadth of opportunities they offer.
Before the interview
In-Depth Research on the Company - Conduct thorough research on the company to ensure the type of work they do aligns with your career aspirations. For instance, if your interest lies in designing skyscrapers, ensure the company's portfolio matches your ambitions. Once you confirm a match, delve deeper into specific projects the company has worked on. Being able to discuss these projects during your interview demonstrates your genuine interest and preparedness.
Project Familiarization - Prepare to discuss specific projects of the company. If asked about your familiarity with their work, you should be able to reference particular projects that align with your interests. For example, mentioning a timber swimming pavilion project if you're interested in timber engineering shows you've done your homework.
Minimize Stress - Plan Your Journey - For in-person interviews, plan your route and aim to arrive 15 minutes early. This buffer allows for unexpected delays and gives you time to compose yourself before the interview. Arriving slightly early is preferable, but aim to present yourself at the interview location just a few minutes before the scheduled time.
Preparing for Online Interviews - For virtual interviews, ensure your technical setup is functional. Test the video conferencing platform beforehand with a friend to troubleshoot any issues. Choose a well-lit, quiet spot in your home with a simple background. Maintain the same dress code as you would for an in-person interview.
Portfolio Preparation - If required, send your portfolio in advance to the interviewer or HR representative. For physical interviews, bring both hard and electronic copies of your portfolio. This shows professionalism and preparedness for any situation.
In summary, thorough preparation for your interview, both in terms of understanding the company and logistical planning, is essential. It not only ensures you make a great first impression but also helps to significantly reduce interview-related stress.
During the interview
Initial Impression - It's natural to feel nervous at the start of the interview. Take a moment to breathe deeply, smile, and introduce yourself with confidence. Prepare a concise introduction or 'executive summary' about yourself, highlighting your academic background and interest in the role. Remembering your interviewers' names shows attentiveness and personal engagement. If these are provided beforehand, make an effort to memorize them.
Understanding Common Interview Questions - Companies typically use either strength-based or competency-based questions to evaluate candidates.
Strength-Based Interviews
These interviews focus on your motivations and behaviors to assess if you're a good fit for the company culture and role. Larger companies often use strength-based questions, valuing cultural fit and potential over immediate technical prowess, as they have resources for training.
Example Questions:
Describe an unusual engineering problem you've encountered.
How have you handled ethical dilemmas in your work or studies?
Who is your favorite engineer and why?
What types of engineering projects interest you the most?
Are you familiar with our company's projects?
Competency-Based Interviews
These interviews assess your skills and technical knowledge directly relevant to the job. Smaller companies may favor competency-based questions due to limited resources for training.
- Example Questions for Structural Engineering Graduates:
Draw simple shear force and bending moment diagrams.
Analyze truss diagrams for members in tension and compression.
Sketch simple deflected shape diagrams.
Discuss your understanding of different materials and building types. For example:
Preferred material for a city-center multi-story apartment (e.g., reinforced concrete flat slab).
Construction type for a warehouse on the outskirts of a town (e.g., steel portal frames for large, column-free spaces).
Preparation Resources -The IStructE structural behavior course, free for student and graduate members, is an excellent resource to prepare for technical questions. Revisiting your statics notes from the first or second year of your degree can also be beneficial to refresh fundamental concepts.
In summary, success in the interview hinges on a combination of personal presentation, thorough preparation for potential questions, and a clear understanding of your alignment with the company's culture and technical requirements. Remember, the interview is an opportunity to showcase not only your technical skills but also your personality and enthusiasm for the role.
Towards the end
Towards the end of the interview it is worth asking some questions to your interviewers to show you are genuinely interested and excited by the role. Some questions to think about asking include:
What projects would I be working on?
How is the team I would be working with structured and who would I be working with?
I am interested in becoming a chartered engineer, are there many chartered engineers in the company?
I value a supportive environment, do you have a program to help graduate engineers in their early career?
Would I get the opportunity to work on multiple projects in different sectors?
At the end of the interview be sure to thank your interviewers for their time.
After the interview
The day after the interview reflect on how the interview went.
Were the interviewers welcoming, did they make you feel comfortable? Were they interesting and engaging?
Did the work environment sound like a good fit for you – did you establish whether the company fits your priority of technical excellence, supportive environment or varied opportunity?
Did they answer your questions in a straightforward manner? For example, were they happy to answer as to how many chartered engineers they have in the company? If they were evasive it may be because they know they are deficient in that particular aspect.
Discussions on contract conditions and pay are usually best left to after the interview to be handled with HR rather than with your interviewers.
Note by Will W
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