5 Interview Questions for an Engineer (and how to answer)

Today, we'll cover engineering interview questions that engineers of various engineering fields are most commonly asked in interviews. As you might already know, I specialize in career placement and spend a lot of time talking to engineers who have interviewed with international companies, helping them in their preparation. However, each engineering interview is unique and different from the others.

Following each engineering interview, I engage in conversations to compile a brief list of the common engineering interview questions most frequently asked. While we won't delve into the technical engineering specifics, as these vary widely across engineering fields, there are engineering interview questions that nearly every interview includes. We will discuss not only these interview questions but also a brief overview of how they might be answered. Such engineering interview questions can be expected in interviews with any company.

The first and most straightforward engineering interview question that begins over 90% of all interviews is "Tell me about yourself." Most people misunderstand this question and fail to prepare for it, thinking it will be easy to talk about themselves. They start by sharing personal life details, hobbies, and listing all the jobs they've held, including the cities and places they've worked.

But Employers are not looking for this information. Mostly in the US, by asking this question, an employer is saying – "You have one minute to prove why you are the right fit for us." This question is also known as an Elevator Pitch in the startup world, but in this context, you need to prove why you're the right fit for the employer within a minute. In the Middle East and Asia, this technical engineering interview question is mostly used just to start an interview, and nobody is expecting from you something extraordinary.

So before the interview, your response should not exceed two minutes, avoid years, city names, places, equipment, and anything else unfamiliar to your interviewers. Avoid talking about your family, hobbies, or your entire work history. Instead, focus solely on what's relevant to the specific type of engineering position you're applying for, demonstrating that you are the most suitable candidate. If you have access to the job description, it's crucial to review it carefully and reflect its main requirements in your answer. Since we're discussing engineering that emphasizes engineering skills, highlight your engineering experience and knowledge of various engineering concepts and software, as these are likely what the employer is looking for.

The second common engineering interview question that's frequently asked is about your work responsibilities. If you haven't prepared for this question and your English is at an intermediate level, responding on the spot can be difficult. It's essential to remember that preparation is the key to success. Employers prefer a clear and brief answer, not a lengthy narrative.

For instance, if you're applying for a position as an offshore drilling engineer and have relevant engineering experience, avoid discussing unrelated tasks such as drilling in forests or swamps, filling out reports, ordering materials, or doing routine work. Instead, focus on a few sentences that best reflect your most relevant engineering project experience for the job at hand. Ideally, you should thoroughly review the job description and prepare your answers accordingly.

The third commonly asked engineering interview question is about engineering problem solving or your engineering design experience with a specific engineering skill, engineering concept, or general engineering experience in your profession. For example, if you're an engineer specializing in vibration diagnostics, you might be asked about your experience in this field.

Or, more specifically, you might be asked about your experience in vibration diagnostics for gas turbines if the new job requires a specialist with that particular experience. Again, if this was mentioned in the job description, you could have anticipated this technical engineering question and prepared accordingly.

Knowing your career well, all you need to do is carefully review the job description, understand what the employer is looking for in terms of engineering skills, knowledge, and experience, and then review your resume from the employer's perspective. Consider what do you like about your experience and what do you think the employer values most.

The fourth common engineering question is about challenging engineering situations you've faced at work and how you've solved problems, which can also be more specifically tailored, such as challenges encountered while drilling horizontal wells. This technical interview question is designed to assess your troubleshooting skills.

When you're about to share examples of complex engineering challenges you've faced, think about how you explain your solutions, what methods, techniques, and technologies you used, and how you proved yourself as an engineer during an engineering project.

The fifth engineering interview question is about your achievements or a success story, focusing specifically on engineering project accomplishments rather than personal ones.

If you're a sports champion, discussing this might not work in your favor with the employer, as they are hiring you for a job, not for sports. It's clear that someone who has dedicated part of their life to professional sports might have missed out on engineering career development opportunities.

Additionally, employers often ask questions like questions with situational or behavioral scenarios to assess how well you fit within that the engineering team and whether you can collaborate effectively with colleagues. This helps them evaluate if your approach aligns with the engineering team values and expectations.