An engineering job interview often come once in every company, and you only have one shot to present yourself that you will be a valuable employee in case you get accepted. But the way there is not at all easy. You will be bombarded with questions that will hit you like a wrecking ball, but you have to be resilient enough not to be destroyed by the questions. The interviewers are equipped with tricky questions that will test your ability to present the answers.
Hence, you should know what which questions in the interview have the potential to ruin you as a potential engineer in the company you are applying for. Moreover, you should know the answers to such questions as truthful as possible, but to a direction that builds your character. Here is a heads up:
Why did you leave your previous job?
Engineers should never answer this with complaints and criticisms from previous work. Take the “I was ready for the next opportunity” answer, which speaks of the future instead of the past.
What are you looking for in your next opportunity?
This requires a background check of the company you are applying for. Engineers cannot go into the interview without knowing the kind of work and level of knowledge the job requires from you.
Tell me about yourself.
Perhaps this kind of question will measure which parts of yourself do you care about the most, or will reflect the most about you. Give a quick and specific answer that is related to your work history. Do not use catch phrases and long answers as such cancels out the one asking for an introduction.
What is your biggest weakness?
Perhaps considered as one of the trickiest of the interview questions, this will grab your tail and turn you down if you don’t know how to answer. Be honest with a weakness that you really have a hard time with, which may end up compatible to the engineering job you are applying for. The interviewer knows that everyone has weakness, it’s a matter of your how present yours.
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Give me an example of a mistake you made and how you fixed it.
No other way to answer this but straightforward. Mention a mistake and explain the solution you found. Do not ever say you don’t make any mistakes. Engineers are bound to make mistakes and fail all the time!
What salary are you looking for?
Choose a salary range that you think will be fair to you and the company. This will entail some background research. The important thing is that you answer, not just sit there clueless about how much you are going to get in the company.
Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
The interviewer will check if you will apply for an engineering position with a long-term goal. The best answer is usually leaning towards being a constant learner.
Why should you get this job?
You don’t want to sound arrogant on this. Keep your strengths and what the company needs for the position aligned. Stop focusing on yourself to an extent that is already disconnected with what the job requires. You should know how to deliver your strengths as an engineer to the job you are applying for.
