This post contains affiliate links.
Congratulation, you have an engineering interview coming soon. However, you must prepare for the interview by practising some common engineering questions. As every position differs, it can be tough to predict the questions you will get. However, we have found the most common engineering interview questions based on data collected from many engineers who have done interviews recently.
If you are reading this, you might also be interested in checking our guide to getting an engineering job which gives you a step-by-step guide on what to do in an interview to leave a good impression of yourself and how to negotiate your salary after the interview. Read: How To Get an Engineering Job? 6 Actionable Steps To Follow
Moreover, preparing for common engineering interview questions is not enough. You also must prepare a few questions to ask the interviewer during the interview. If you have not prepared for this, you can check our guide for questions to ask an interviewer that can break the ice between you and the interviewer and show your interest in the position.
Few things you should know about how to answer engineering interview questions:
- Many questions are tricky questions. The interviewer might ask you something, but the answer is different to the question.
- You should always aim to be direct with your answer without going off-topic. If the answer to a question is short, you do not have to go off topic so that you can make your answer seem long.
- You should always aim to give examples of past experiences when answering a question.
- Keep in mind that most questions are intended to show your management, leadership and engineering skills, so cater your answer to showcase your strengths.
- Apply STAR when answering questions which are situation, task, action, and result of the situation you are describing
The following are common engineering interview questions; use the TOC to find the most relevant question to the job you are applying for:
Tell me about yourself
How to answer: This is a typical question you can expect. Answering this question is strictly limited to the professional side. No need to talk about your hobbies or what you do outside your job unless the interviewer tells you so.
Example: I am a civil engineer graduate from the University of Technology Sydney. I graduated last month. Currently, I am working in a construction company as a project manager. Before that, I worked at two consultant firms as an undergraduate engineer. I have a lot of passion for construction and project management which is why I am interested in this position.
Introduce yourself briefly (study, hobbies and interest), including something we do not know from reading your application?
How to answer: Answering this question is similar to the answer above, followed by your hobbies and interests.
What do you think makes a great engineer? What makes you a great engineer?
Example: Great engineer has a great sense of judgement which enable them to analyse the situation and come up with a solution that is sustainable and beneficial to others. Greate engineers are good problem solvers and masters of their craft. The more experience they possess, the sharper their judgement and analytical skills. They are advocates for lifelong learning and are always up for a new exciting challenge.
What do you know about our company?
How to answer: This is a straightforward question by the interviewer; they want to know how much you know about the company you want to work for. To answer this question, start by mentioning their core business and capability and then say a specific project that they are working on that you are interested in and how did you hear about this company (There are no right or wrong answers here. Just mention how much you know).
How did you hear about us?
Example: I came to know your company because of the building you did on Broadway St. This is the tallest in the area with clearly impressive engineering and architectural features. Since completing this building, your company has been on my radar, and I have followed your projects very closely.
What attracted you the most about our company and this position?
How to answer: Mention one or two specific tasks for this position and connect them to the company goals and speciality.
Example: I have always wanted to be involved in vehicle manufacturing. Being part of the quality control team will help me bring my attention to detail and problem-solving skills.
What is your purpose in life?
Example: My purpose is always to find solutions to problems that can benefit the community. As an Engineer, I create value for other people, which has always given me the purpose to improve myself and become better every day. Working at this company will allow me to be part of something big that can motivate me further as I can improve how people live and interact with our technology.
What is your greatest accomplishment?
How to answer: you need to give an example of something you did at your previous position that highlights one of the requirements for this position.
Example: My most significant accomplishment was drafting a company operation procedure that significantly impacted the organisation’s productivity. The process was based on a management system called Pro Core, in which I drafted a full procedure that teaches every company member how to use the system. My accomplishment has increased my teamwork skills and breached the gap between different departments within the company.
Where do you see yourself five years from now?
How to answer: You should bring a highly obtainable goal that involves the company you are applying for. The employer wants to know if you are in it for the long term and want to be part of the company, not just someone who will leave as soon as a better opportunity arises. Moreover, avoid saying things such as I want to be in your position or I want to be the company’s managing director. This shows that you are after the interviewer position or overly ambitious, which can come off as arrogant.
Example: I see myself becoming a professional licenced engineer where I develop my experience further to benefit this company and the community. In addition, I want to develop my management skills and take over big responsibilities and projects to expand my experience and enhance my skills.
What is your biggest failure?
How to answer: This question is about showing a success story of something you failed at miserably but bounced back from, and you become a better engineer because of it.
Example: I faced many challenges in my career, and the outcome was always an excellent learning experience. In my first internship, I was asked to do a technical report for a stormwater drainage system for a park, but I did not make the report according to standards. The report missed critical information and did not recommend how we could fix this system. When I realised the mistakes, I researched the internet and asked senior engineers in the company to help me devise a methodology to fix the problem. This experience was extremely rewarding because I learned that I must always get the right details, only present factual information without assumptions and ask for help when needed.
Are you willing to fail?
Example: Every time I failed at something, the result was always an excellent learning experience. In my first internship, I was asked to do a technical report for a stormwater drainage system for a park, but I did not do the report according to standards. The report missed critical information and did not recommend how we could fix this system. When I realised the mistakes, I researched the internet and asked other engineers in the company to help me advise a methodology to fix the problem. This experience was extremely rewarding because I learned that I must always get the right details and only present factual information.
What do you like about your engineering field?
How to answer: The thing you like about your engineering field must be related to the nature of the job you are applying for. If the nature of the position is about construction management, do not talk about how you enjoyed using design software to design buildings. Your answer should be related to how you managed a specific project and how you were able to finish it on time and within budget.
What is your least favourite thing about engineering?
How to answer: This question is not about how much you hate the job or what you do as an engineer; this question is about external things that affect engineering. You need to say something that makes the interviewer agree with you and open a discussion. Avoid saying things such as I hate the long work hours or I hate the daily commuting; these are fundamental issues for every engineering job and might show that you are not willing to work very hard for this position.
Example: I hate that engineers do all the hard work, and we get little to no credit for our innovative work. I see many bridges around the city, and I marvel at the level of engineering and precision that goes into those structures, yet people care so little, and all the credit goes to the architects. I wish I could do something about it.
How do you measure success?
How to answer: I measure my success when I can create value for other people where I am able and successfully do my part as a responsible engineer. My work must mean customer satisfaction and the supervisor’s stamp of approval. For example, when I do technical reports, I ensure they have a set of recommendations for the issue that can meet the client’s expectations. I take pride in what I do which makes me take ownership of my work. The success will be a financial gain and the experience I gain from it.
Tell me about a time you delivered disappointing results?
Example: When delivering a disappointing result, I always focus on providing factual information regardless of who is at fault. I always think once a mistake is made, there is no way to change the past. Therefore, I must work with the team to find a solution. For example, when doing my second internship, I missed an important inspection date for a project. When I realised I missed the date, I immediately contacted my supervisor and apologised, and then we agreed to contact the client to set up a new inspection day. Being honest and straightforward with my manager made it easy to find a solution and quickly rectify the issue.
What is your biggest weakness?
How to answer: Give an example of something you were bad at, and then you asked for some help and found a solution to improve this issue.
Example: Public speaking makes me nervous. In my recent role, I had to do a lot of public speaking to my company staff on the new management system that we are trying to implement in our company that I was in charge of. To combat this, I spoke to my mentor, who recommended that I speak to members individually before the meeting, which made me realise that my public speaking can help many staff learn more about the new management system as many had similar questions. The experience made me more relaxed and energetic and made the staff extremely engaging.
What is your biggest strength?
Example: I am an extremely creative person. In my recent role, I was in charge of the company’s weekly internal meeting. I realised that those meetings were not very productive. Which made me produce a meeting agenda before the meeting for staff to discuss, take the minutes during the meeting and produce a set of actions for individual staff after the meeting. This has increased productivity and effectiveness in the workplace. Everyone knew what they needed to do and eliminated the confusion and miscommunication between staff.
What is your biggest regret?
Example: One of my biggest regrets Is that I turned down a scholarship in America for a project management course, which made me regret my decision. But instead of feeling bad, I enrolled in extra management subjects in my course to improve my communication and management skills; those subjects have made me a better communicator today because I can handle every difficult situation successfully.
I noticed that you have year gaps in your resume. Can you elaborate on that?
How to answer: If you are faced with this question, the best thing to do is be honest and try to show your commitment to this position.
Example: After I finished my degree, I was not sure that I wanted to do work in my field. Although I have done very well at university, I really wanted to travel and see the world, so I decided to use that time to travel backpacking around the world. Because of that experience, I have rediscovered myself and realised how much I wanted to be an engineer. This position is my chance to prove myself and put my skills to good use.
Why should we hire you?
How to answer: This is a classic question and also quite tricky. A bad way to answer this question is to say that I am motivated and highly skilled, and I will most certainly be your best pick for the job. Instead, you need to associate some level of emotion when answering the question.
Example: Since I was a young kid, I was always fascinated by computers, and because of my curiosity, I learned a few programming languages, which enabled me to make my first game with my school friends at the age of 12. This passion for technology has only grown more as I went into high school and university. I believe you should hire me because I am genuinely passionate about programming and I have spent a lifetime learning and sharpening my skills to be a successful software engineer.
Please explain why you would like to join our company and why are you interested in working for us?
How to answer: A bad way to answer this question is to start listing your skills. You need to bring some emotions to the answer. You have a deep desire to become a successful engineer, which is why you want to be in this company, not because you spent 4 years at university. Use the example above as inspiration.
Tell us about your role in company X?
How to answer: In this question, the employer is trying to learn about your skills, and the best way to do so is by knowing what you did in your previous positions. When answering these questions, make sure you talk about the relevant tasks to the position you are applying for.
Why are you leaving your current position?
How to answer: The best way to answer this question is to mention that you have outgrown your current position and feel there is no more for you to learn or that you are looking at something more challenging. This is not the time to mention how horrible the old workplace is; keep it professional.
Example: I am looking to take on more responsibility, and I feel that I have progressed as far as I can in my current role. I am looking for a position that gives me more exposure to wastewater treatment, water engineering and project management, which I studied at university, that my current role does not offer. I have learned a lot from my past experiences, which I believe will benefit this team and allow me to grow my skills further.
What is your ideal work environment?
Example: An ideal work environment has clear goals and structure. The people should be able to communicate effectively to do the work. Employers should motivate their staff. The staff must be mission-driven to accomplish the work in an environment based on mutual benefit to work together as a team to achieve something big.
What do you expect from our company to ensure you are well adapted?
How to answer: This might be an honest question by the interviewer to know how they can accommodate the best work environment for your situation. The best way to answer this question is to mention that the first few weeks of joining the company will most likely be a learning curve; therefore, some training on the company system and nature of work will be very helpful.
How will you contribute to your new environment?
Example: I will bring my teamwork skills. In my recent role, I was in charge of the company’s weekly internal meeting, and I needed to take the minutes during the meeting. I realised that those meetings were not very productive. Which made me produce a meeting agenda before the meeting for staff to discuss, take the minutes during the meeting and produce a set of actions for individual staff after the meeting. This has increased productivity and effectiveness in the workplace. Everyone knows what they need to do.
What do you expect from a supervisor?
Example: I expect guidance and mentoring from my supervisor. My supervisor must communicate effectively with me and always give constructive feedback to help me improve my work. I expect my manager to have excellent experience in the field, and he can help me to grow my skills to become an effective individual at this company.
Who was your worst supervisor, and why?
Example: My worst supervisor was someone who cared less about my learning and did not give me any feedback. It was extremely difficult as I wanted to improve myself, which was difficult to do. This has made me email my supervisor weekly updates bout the tasks I have accomplished and ask him to give me feedback so I can finish my work. This has made my supervisor more aware of my learning and slowly started giving me feedback on my job, which improved me.
What critical feedback do you most often receive?
How to answer: You should start by mentioning how you take feedback positively and not personally. Then give an example of how you followed critical feedback, which has improved your performance.
Example: I handle feedback positively and always see it as a new learning opportunity. When someone criticises me, I do not take it personally. Instead, I think about how I improve myself and be a more effective team member. For example, in my second internship, I was having my performance review and my manager, and the feedback was all positive; however, he pointed out that when I am stuck in a problem, I tend to try to find the solution by myself, which make me spend too much time doing one thing. Instead, I should have been asking other engineers. Since then, this feedback has made me more productive because whenever I am stuck with a problem, I ask myself who is the best person to ask in the company for help.
Describe a challenge or problem you faced as an engineer, and how did you handle it?
Example: I always handle challenging problems with due diligence and ensure that my solution will satisfy all parties. In my previous project, I was in charge of a team of engineers. All team members have been assigned tasks for a new app that our company wanted to launch. However, one team member decided to leave the company at the most inconvenient time when we were getting so close to the lunch date. He left the team in a very difficult position, and a big chunk of his work was undone. This was very challenging for me because I had to work for 16 hours a day every day for 2 months so I could ensure that we could still lunch the app on time.
What was the most challenging thing about your previous position?
How to answer: In this question, you should only focus on the technical aspect of a job you handled in your previous position and how you overcome it. This is not the time to mention conflicts you had in your old positions. You can use the example in the previous question.
Describe a situation where you lost your temper and how you recovered from it?
Example: My team had to deal with a very difficult client a few years ago. The client was trying to build a house and was very indecisive and did not know how to make a decision. He kept asking for changes in the design which brought extra work to the team but also lots of frustration with it as he never settled on a design. After many iterations and changes in the design, many of our team members, including me, lost all morale and reason when dealing with the client as he was very unreasonable. However, I have decided to end this, so I explained to the client that the changes in design will increase the total project cost and asked if there was a way to help him to make a final decision. And soon after, the client became more understanding, and by trying to help the client genuinely, we were able to end the endless cycle of design change.
You come across confidential documents which have been left in a public place. What do you do?
How to answer: What the interviewer is taking is asking is how you handle confidential and private information. Are you a trustworthy person?
Example: I always respect people’s privacy and confidential information; however, we all make mistakes and can sometimes leave that information in the open accidentally. In such situations, I will ensure that I guard that information and that they do not fall into the wrong hands by putting them in a safe location. I notify the person who left those documents directly, and if I cannot reach him, I will inform the HR department to ensure they do not fall into the hands.
How can you ensure no leakage of private company information?
How to answer: The interviewer is asking about scammers and how to protect the company from cyber-attacks and people trying to learn about the company secrets.
Example: I care about my company’s secrets, and I understand that there is a huge wave of scamming organisations trying to take advantage of people working in big companies. I will always report suspicious emails to the IT department to protect the company from cyber-attacks. Never give any private company information to people outside the company.
Tell me about a time a manager questioned the decision you made, and how did you explain the reason behind your decision?
Example: Sometimes, as engineers, we find ourselves in stressful situations that force us to take immediate action. For example, when working in my previous company, I banned a user from our online platform, which made my manager question my decision. However, when I explained that the user was preaching a few terms of our privacy policy, and that was the 4th time warning the user, which made me ban his account from our platform. My manager later agreed with my decision as it was the most appropriate action.
What is the most insightful or inspiring part of your university degree?
Example: I enjoyed the research assignments at university. It is always a chance to learn something new. Because it teaches you to get factual information and never assume anything, which is probably the most important thing you can learn at university. For example, when I did my graduation project in wastewater treatment, it was extremely insightful because I got to learn how we can utilise recycled water in irrigation and use the recovered nutrients as fertilisers.
How would your friends describe you?
How to answer: This is a general but also a tricky question. The interviewer wants to know what you think of yourself as an engineer and what your friends think of you.
Example: My friends would describe me as an excellent problem solver. Whenever something goes wrong, I listen to the problem and brainstorm ideas to find a solution. For example, I had one friend struggling in a fluid mechanic subject, and she always got low marks. Because I have done this subject before, I suggested that she can practice the university past paper exams, and I gave her tips on how she could study effectively in this subject. Since then, she started showing many improvements in her marks, passing the subject.
How would you make new members of your team feel welcomed and included?
How to answer: You have been working on a project for weeks now, and your manager decided to add a new member to your team; what steps you would take to ensure that this person is welcomed and connected to the team?
Example: When welcoming a new team member, it is important to ensure that the new member feels part of the team. In this saturation, a team meeting must be set to introduce the new member. It is important to communicate between the team, which means we must know the new member’s skills and try to find areas in the project where we can assign the member to it that best matches their skills. This way, we can leverage the new member’s skills and ensure that we can confidently assign the member to the appropriate tasks.
In our company, we value teamwork, respect, safety and integrity. Which one of those values aligns with you the most and why?
How to answer: There is no right or wrong answer. Just pick one and elaborate on it.
Example: Integrity is a skill that aligns with my values. I am a very honest person, which makes me understand my strengths and weaknesses and work on myself to improve them. My self-integrity raises my self-esteem, making me mindful of the people around me. I love helping people by finding solutions, which makes me reliable in any situation.
Tell us about a recent news story that caught your attention?
Example: I saw the other day on the news about a new machine that turns wastewater into drinkable water developed by Bill Gates to be used in third-world countries. The system Is small, so it can be dismantled and transported easily. This system will help many people in poor countries to access clean water, which made me appreciate the hard work we do in Australia in providing this service. This made me realise how we need to raise awareness of how we use our water in Australia and be more mindful.
Give me an example where you had to step in and lead everyone?
Example: A few years ago, I had to step into my boss’s position when he was on holiday for six weeks. This was a tough time. Our company was busy because we were getting ready to lunch a new line of products which we also ran into a few technical problems that required immediate action. Because my boss was not around, I had to step in and assume leadership. Although I have been making critical decisions in the company for a few years, this involved big decisions that put the company’s survival on the line. However, I got it done, and because of it, our company sales revenue increased by 20%.
How do you motivate a team of engineers when the project is hard?
Example: I always motivate the team by bringing past achievements and challenging times where the company’s reputation or success was on the line, and the team came through and saved the day. I always motivate people by showing them their true value by always making them celebrate their successes, no matter how big or small they are. Past achievement is an excellent way to get the team fired up because it is a true experience that everyone can remember and be proud of.
What is your idea of a successful team?
Example: A successful team is where its individuals put aside all their personal interests and pursue the same goal. To accomplish this, you need to set a goal for the team which is both difficult and achievable and keep the team motivated.
How do you handle surprises that arise when working on a project?
Example: I always try my best to stay calm; however, when something surprising happens, I always have a rule with myself that I get to be mad for only one minute, and after that, I need to accept the fact that I can not change the past and I need to think for a solution. Things usually do not go how you expect them to go, and once something terrible happens, there is no reason to be sad as it can not be changed, and it should not affect your confidence and enthusiasm toward the job.
Describe a time when you had to work on a project with conflict in professional opinion, and how did you solve it?
Example: In a monthly company meeting, the CEO decided to trust me with a project that was already ongoing; I did not know much detail, but I had done something similar to this project before, so I accepted the tasks. However, soon after the meeting, I had one engineer always asking me for updates on this project and later on started interfering with the project’s progress. At first, I did not understand what was happening. When I asked the CEO, he explained that the other engineer was very busy with other projects, so I decided to relieve him of some pressure by giving you one of his projects. Then I understood that the other engineer thought I had taken his project because I was better than him. So I decided to explain that to the other engineer. He later apologised for his poor behaviour; since then, we have worked on many successful projects.
What procedures do you have in place to check your work and avoid mistakes? Do those procedures work?
Example: When I am working on technical things such as designing, I always write down a checklist before and during the design process. This list is comprehensive as it goes through everything I am working on, and I get the chance to update it while I am working. For example, if I am unsure about something, I always put it as a note in the checklist to go through it in the final review to ensure no mistakes are made.
If you were not an engineer, what you will be instead?
Example: It is hard to imagine my life outside engineering. I love what I do, and I always feel engineering I something that completes me. However, if I was not an engineer, I would probably be doing something in tech, maybe sales, as I love this industry, so I would still help people and make their life easier by not as an engineer.
