As a candidate who has been successful in getting an interview for a dream engineering job - congratulations! Now how to get the best chance of securing the position?

General tips

Double check the time and address of the interview, and leave plenty of time to get there. Dress smartly where appropriate - if in doubt, be over rather than under dressed; a smart suit will always look professional. Make sure to read up about the company and the role and have had all the basic questions answered by the employment agency beforehand to avoid having to ask simple questions in the interview. Have a copy of any CV or application forms to hand and go over the content just before the interview, but also keep in mind anything new that may have happened since submission – any more qualifications gained, for example, as that’s something the interviewer will be interested in.

Further information for engineering candidates

Engineers are smart, reliable, problem-solvers, so it’s important that candidates can demonstrate all those skills in the interview. Interviewees should think back over their career and education and have some really good examples of where they have demonstrated these skills in a practical environment. The interviewer will be expecting interviewees to be able to communicate clearly and demonstrate that they are organised, work well under pressure, and can maintain a professional demeanor at all times, as well as having a clear idea of where their career is headed.

Engineering interview questions

  • When did your interest in engineering begin?
  • What do you enjoy most/least about engineering?
  • Tell me about the most challenging engineering task you have worked on.
  • What have you learnt in your current role?
  • Tell me about an average day in your current job.
  • How has your current role changed since you took it on?
  • What would you say are the most important skills an engineer should have?
  • If you have been tasked with a project but don’t understand something, what would you do?
  • How have your qualifications helped you in your career as an engineer so far?
  • What other engineering qualifications or skills would you hope to obtain in the next few years?
  • What other practical experience do you have that might be relevant to this engineering role?

General interview questions

  • What are your key strengths and weaknesses in your work?
  • Where do you see yourself professionally in five years time?
  • Why are you leaving your present role?
  • Why do you want to work for our company?
  • Why should we employ you?
  • How would someone who knows you well describe you?
  • Do you have any questions about the role or the company?

Scenario interview questions

  • Can you give me an example of when you have had to use your problem-solving skills in your work or home life so far?
  • Give me an example of a time when you have had to think logically to solve a problem.
  • Describe a task in which you worked effectively within a engineering team.
  • Tell me about the most challenging engineering problem you have ever had to solve.

Further advice can be found on other pages of our website here at Randstad CPE.