How to Prepare for an Interview Design Engineer Position

A job interview is an opportunity to show that you are knowledgeable about the industry.

Engineering is a technical field that requires a good grounding in math and the sciences. There are many areas of specialization in the field of engineering. While design is not a recognized sub-field of engineering, design is part of the work of many engineers. A few examples of the equipment and technology that engineers design are aerospace systems, aviation equipment, automotive systems and oil drilling equipment.

Instructions

1. Look for the hidden assets in your experience and training. Review your resume and look for points that you may want to highlight or clarify during the interview. Each job opportunity is different and you may want to highlight a particular experience or assignment. Resumes very often list positions and not assignments. Your resume may not state that you worked on an assignment that gave you design experience that is directly related to the current position.

2. Research the company and be knowledgeable about its products, its markets and its customers. The company may have recently implemented a long term competitive strategy. Your familiarity with the company, its culture and its plans will make your candidacy for the position stand out. Be prepared to explain how your design experience will help the company meet its objectives.

3. Rehearse the answers to hypothetical questions about your background and experience and why you make an excellent candidate for the position. Write down the answers to your hypothetical questions and read them aloud. You may want your answers to focus on specific skills and talents such as your creative ability and your focus on end-user satisfaction. This preparation will give you confidence in your answers and a polish that other candidates may not be able to portray.

4. Look up current events in the industry and find out how the economic and regulatory climate is affecting the company. While the interviewer may not ask you a direct question about regulations the company faces, your knowledge of one or two of these issues will help you to present yourself as a well-informed industry insider. Do the homework that will help you to understand how the designer's role fits into the bigger strategic picture.

5. Be prepared to weave your research and rehearsed answers into the conversation. Do not look at the interview as a chance to give brief, concise answers. You want to appear comfortable and at ease with the subject matter so that the interview takes a conversational tone.

References

• All Business: Ten Tips on Preparing for a Job Interview
• Graduating engineer: Your Time to Shine; Success during on-site interviews
• Job Zing: Engineering Interview Questions
• MIT: Engineering Programs

Resources

• CNN Money: Employers' wacky interview questions
• The Undercover Recruiter: How To Best Prepare For Your Job Interview