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So you have an engineering interview happening soon. It is your only chance to prove yourself as the perfect candidate. This means you can not afford to make mistakes. Some mistakes are forgiven, but some are deadly and can cost you a job. This is why you should be very careful about what types of questions you should ask in an engineering interview.
In general, there are 5 types of questions you should avoid in engineering interviews:
- Salary-specific questions: These questions should be avoided at all times, even if the interviewer brings them up. You should only raise the salary question when you receive a job offer.
- Employee benefit questions: These questions such as how long my annual leave period or can I work from home.
- Well-known googleable questions about the company: These are very common questions about the company that you can find online, which bringing in the interview adds no value and does not contribute to your success in the interview.
- Inconclusive question: Questions the interviewer does not know how to answer, such as how long will it take me to get promoted? These are usually stupid and poorly worded questions you should avoid.
- Questions that might offend the interviewer: These are very personal questions that have nothing to do with the position you are applying for.
If you are reading this, you probably have an engineering interview coming up very soon. Therefore, you might also want to consider three of our best resources to help you get through this interview:
- 50+ Frequent Engineering Interview Questions With Answers
- Top 50 Questions To Ask Interviewers In Engineering Interviews
- How To Negotiate Your Salary When You Receive a Job Offer?
The following are 20 examples of those questions you should avoid in an engineering interview and why you should avoid those questions, and how you can paraphrase your questions to avoid those mistakes:
What will my salary and bonus be?
Why you should avoid it: This is a typical salary question you should avoid until you receive a formal job offer.
How much annual leave do I get, and when is the best time to go on vacation?
Why you should avoid it: This is a job benefit question that will not help your case if you bring it up in the interview. Those details are available in the contract when you receive a job offer, so best to avoid them during the interview.
What are your biggest competitors?
Why you should avoid it: This could be a well-known question you can find online, and it can also offend the interviewer as you might be looking to apply for their competitors if you do not get the job. This question leads to nothing and adds no value to your application.
Is your business struggling at the moment?
Why you should avoid: These are insider information you should not know. The interviewer is not obligated to provide such information to you, and they might be quite offended by your question.
However, if you must know, you can paraphrase the question to know how the company is performing by asking: How did you survive the covid pandemic and the lockdown?
What will it take me to be in your position?
Why you should avoid it: Although it might show that you are excited about the position, it also shows your arrogance which can offend the interviewer and show that you are after their position.
If you must know, ask how long it took you to be in this position. Or How long you have been practising engineering? Or When did you graduate from university?
What do you and the team usually do for lunch?
Why you should avoid it: You will be surprised to know how many people ask this question. Another iteration for this question will be what you do in your break. You would think you are trying to relate to the interviewer, but this is an engineering interview, not a sales job. This is a stupid question that will lead to noting, and frankly, it shows that you are asking for work benefits, which is an inconclusive question.
Can I work from home If I want to?
Why you should avoid it: Although it might be an honest question that you are trying to know because you have a special situation, you should try your best to avoid it at this stage. You might have kids and must babysit for at least one or two days while your husband/wife is away working. Still, you should avoid it. This is a benefit question that you should save until you get a formal job offer; asking this question during the interview will only reduce your chance of getting the job, especially when the interviewer has other candidates that do not need to work from home.
I live very far from work, so sometimes I can be a few minutes late to work, is that okay?
Why you should avoid it: Usually, it is okay to be late a few minutes, especially in engineering jobs. There is no pressure if you are stuck in traffic or your bus is late, but you should not bring that up in an interview.
Do I need to pass a fitness and drug test for this position?
Why you should avoid it: Why would you ask that? Maybe this is an honest question, and you want to know what the next step is, but also, it might show that you are hiding something, as most fitness questions contain drug tests.
How long does it take to get promoted in this company?
Why you should avoid it: This is an Indecisive and inconclusive question. The interviewer will have no idea how long it will take you to get promoted as they have no idea how skilled you are, which is why you need to be more specific when you ask this question. It also shows that you are after the salary, as every promotion has a salary bump.
Instead, you should ask, I am very ambitious; are there opportunities for advancement beyond this role?
Is there any special employee benefit you offer in this company, such as [Name of the benefit]?
Why you should avoid it: This is a very specific salary benefit question that will do more harm than good to your application, so best to avoid it at all costs.
How long will it take me to get up to speed in this position?
Why you should avoid it: Not worded well; instead, you should ask what should I do in the first few weeks to get up to speed. The interviewer does not know your abilities and what you can do, so they can not give you a timeline on how long it will take you to be up to speed. This is a stupid and inconclusive question.
When was this company founded?
Why you should avoid it: Any company today, especially engineering ones, has a website with tons of information about the company. Unless you could not find any information online, you should say, I could not find any information about when the company was founded. Can you tell me when?
What type of projects does this company do?
Why you should avoid: Any successful company would be marketing its capabilities on the internet, so asking this question shows that you have not prepared well for this interview.
Instead, you should be more specific in your question, such as does the company work on residential buildings or only high-rise buildings?
Who is the founder?
Why you should avoid it: This shows that you have not prepared well for the job, especially if the interviewer is the founder. This is an offensive and naive question to ask.
Do you think this company is in an excellent financial position?
Why you should avoid: This is insider information you should not know. The interviewer is not obligated to provide such information to you, and they might be quite offended by your question. This question adds no value to your application.
What common brands you have worked with in the past?
Why you should avoid it: You might think this is a good question to ask, but if the company is quite big and established, that information will be available online, so asking such a question will get you nowhere, especially if the interviewer is quite aware of their company success and popularity. So best to do your research before asking such a question.
When will I expect to have my annual review?
Why you should avoid it: Although this is a question you should know, it is not necessary for an interview. Everyone knows you will get an annual review in an engineering company, so there is no point in asking. This question will do you no good, and the interviewer will likely not be eager to answer such a question.
I want to complete my master’s, so Is that okay to go part-time in the future?
Why you should avoid it: If you have plans to complete your master’s degree, you should not speak about it until you have worked in this company for a while. Almost all companies will require their engineers to be present full-time; however, if you have proven yourself in this company, they will be keen to work with you to make a special arrangement for you to stay employed in the company while completing your master’s degree.
Another iteration of this question will be:
I want to complete my bachelor’s degree, so Is that okay to go part-time in the future?
Do we get time off at Christmas?
Why you should avoid it: This is a job benefit question that will not help your case if you bring it up in the interview. Almost all companies get some time off during Christmas, so do not ask. Those details are available in the contract when you receive a job offer, so best to avoid them during the interview.
