1. Tell us what is your favorite/least favorite part of engineering?
My favourite part has to be the practical elements of the job, especially when I solve problems hands-on to make a machine work. I'm not always a massive fan of the tedious paperwork side of things, but I also understand that it's key to the smooth running of any project. You can't have one without the other.
2. Explain me why are you interested in this role?
Stating a clear and concise answer here is crucial. The employer is looking to see that you are interested and ready to invest your time into such an opportunity. Be specific about your goals and expectations, discuss how you believe your qualifications are in-line with those required of the position, and be ready to explain why you chose this particular company when applying.
3. Tell us what do you enjoy most/least about engineering?
You should tailor this to the responsibilities of the role you are interviewing for and try to keep your answer centred on the positives.
4. Tell me why are you interested in a position with our company?
Your interviewer is trying to understand “Why us?” This is your chance to tell him what you know about the company and express a genuine enthusiasm for the role. Take a look at the company website and any recent press releases.
5. Explain me where do you see yourself ten years from now?
You should research a career path that would flow from the position for which you are interviewing and ensure that you emphasise the intention to master the demands of that position first.
6. What is your greatest weakness as Trainee Engineer?
The interviewer knows that everyone, including you, has a weakness-and probably more than one. To provide a good answer to this question, you should focus on a non-essential skill, highlight skills you have improved, and turn a negative into a positive
7. Tell us what new engineering skills have you recently developed?
The interviewer is asking this question to gauge your own initiative in keeping your knowledge and skills up-to-date. Engineers have to keep pace with changes in the industry and technological advances.
8. Explain me what was the workload like in your previous engineering department?
It is imperative that you do not complain about the workload in your previous job, even if it was taxing. Illustrate your efficiency; explain how you manage your time and prioritise tasks.
9. Explain me what makes you a good leader?
It's best to not focus on behaviour of previous bosses you might not have got on with; you'll look like you're harbouring resentment and that won't work in your favour. It is however, fine to praise the traits of a good leader or manager you've had in the past. Think about what traits a good manager has. A good answer would be something along the lines of: “I appreciate when managers and leaders are understanding of the needs of their employees, as well as knowledgeable about their strengths. This builds a strong team.”
10. Where do you see yourself five years from now as Trainee Engineer?
Your new employer is going to invest a lot of time and money in your training and development, and they don't want to hear that you get bored easily and will likely look for opportunities elsewhere before too long.
11. Tell us what skills and abilities do you think are essential for an engineer?
Obviously excellent problem solving and communication skills are absolutely vital for any engineer. But I think good judgement is also really underrated. Even with all the right training, you need the experience to tell exactly what's needed for a project – not to mention have the bravery to ask for help or go back to the drawing board when things aren't working.
12. Explain me if you could be anything in the world what would you be?
This is essentially a way of telling how happy you'd be in the real role compared to your dream role. It's also a way of the company telling whether the candidates aims are in sync with the offer on the table. Again, research is key. Answer in a way that is aligned with the way the company operates. Does the company offer appealing work, technology and advanced career opportunities? Mention those. Refrain from mentioning benefits or schemes the company does not offer.
If you have had experience in the engineering sector then an example from that time would be best, but an academic example would also be good and would probably provide you with the most to talk about. This is an opportunity to really talk yourself up, so extend your answer and go into detail. Discuss the skills that you used in the project and say how those skills would be transferable and beneficial to a potential employer.
14. Tell us where do you see yourself in five years' time and how to plan to get there?
This can be a bit of a trick question and the interviewer they may be testing your commitment to the role you are about to take on, and whether your ambitions tie in with the scope of their plans. You could say that the role you are applying for combines all the skills you have learned so far as well as presenting the opportunity to progress in your sector.
This is an ideal opportunity to depict several key qualities such as attention to detail, effective communication and creative thinking. You should come to the interview prepared with an example.
16. Tell us how would you assess your writing and communication skills?
This is not a question that mid or senior-level applicants ever get asked. Writing and communication in school is very different from that in the professional world and the employer is checking to make sure you know the difference. If you've had experience communicating with full-time employees in your internship, let them know. Otherwise, hammer home the point that you know how to write clearly, concisely, and respectfully.
17. Explain me a time when you confronted a problem that really tested your engineering know-how?
For most graduates the use of an academic example would be best here unless they have taken relevant work experience and can therefore use a practical example. This question gives you a good opportunity to display your knowledge about engineering and discuss skills that you possess which an employer would value. The ability to problem solve effectively is key to an employer so go into depth on how the overcame initial difficulties.
18. Explain me what do you enjoy most and least about engineering?
Your interviewer knows that not every job is perfect. Every job has some sort of undesirable component, but when you're picking your least favorite activity, try to choose something that is not within the core responsibilities of the job
19. Why should we select you for this position as Trainee Engineer?
Your interviewer has probably seen at least a handful of candidates with the same qualifications as you. Make sure to sell yourself and mention any special skills you bring to the table.
20. Work Based Trainee Engineer Job Interview Questions:
☛ Why do you want to join our company?
☛ What do you think we do here? What is the role of an engineer?
☛ Outline the career progression of an engineer.
☛ What do you hope to achieve working for this company?
☛ How can you demonstrate this company's values?
☛ What significant value adding tasks have you performed before?
☛ What was your favourite and least favourite project you've ever done?
☛ How do you employ problem solving skills in practical situations?
☛ What do you think innovation is? And how would you apply it in the workplace?
☛ Give an example of a time where you demonstrated good attention to detail.
☛ Give an example of an unsafe situation and how you rectified it.
21. Personal Trainee Engineer Job Interview Questions:
☛ Why did you choose engineering?
☛ Do you do any engineering related activities outside of work?
☛ What motivates you? What makes you stand out?
☛ What subjects did you like at uni and why?
☛ If you retired tomorrow, what would you want to be known for?
22. Technical Trainee Engineer Job Interview Questions:
☛ What is your knowledge of basic engineering principles and techniques?
☛ What engineering concepts are you familiar with?
☛ What are the softwares you use?
☛ Describe the engineering design process.
☛ Describe system and requirements analysis.
☛ Describe how to fix a basic LED schematic.
☛ Draw a bending moment diagram for a structure.
☛ Describe how to test a circuit board.
☛ How would you design a tower out of these pieces of spaghetti?
☛ If I represent the City of Sydney wanting to redevelop a landfill site, what questions would you ask of me to formulate your bid for acquiring that work as a designer?
☛ What is your knowledge of the Sydney basin?
☛ How would you help the issue of water scarcity in Australia if funding happens to be limited?
23. Please explain what new engineering specialty skills have you developed during the past year?
Detail any particular skills that you developed whilst at university and describe how you obtained them. Finish up talking about your willingness to learn.
24. Tell me how has your internship experience prepared you for the position you're applying to?
If you don't have internship experience, feel free to skip this one, as they probably won't ask it. Otherwise, if your internship experience was directly relevant to the current role you're applying for (i.e. the same general work), your answer should focus on the specifics of the internship work. Otherwise, it's wise to focus on any experience you had working on a team, meeting deadlines, and communicating effectively.
Draw upon a specific example – one that showcases your strengths as an engineer, such as the ability to think on your feet.
Workplace safety is paramount in engineering organizations. Your answer to this behavioral interview question needs to assure your interviewer that you have a high level of respect for safe work practices
By asking this behavioral interview question, your interviewer is trying to gain an understanding of your approach to problem-solving. You should give her an example that demonstrates your ability to recover when things go wrong.
28. Explain me a situation where you dealt with a difficult client?
With this question, your interviewers are trying to assess your emotional stability and how you'll perform under pressure. They want to be reassured that you'll be able to resolve tense situations to keep clients happy.
29. Tell me a time you've combined practical and technical ability in a project?
Learning about risk management was part of my degree, but I never had to use it until a couple of months ago – when a plot of commercial land my team and I were working on was damaged by large-scale flooding. I had to put my skills into practice fast, and learn as I went along. Eventually, we fixed the problem, and our quick thinking was even able to save the company money.
30. Tell us why are you interested in the role?
This is a fairly standard question, that spans across all sectors. What the employer really wants from you is to show how much you know (or how much you've researched) about the company. When answering, talk about the reputation of the organisation. Do they have progression opportunities? Training schemes?
31. Explain me how would you inspire high levels of employee engagement in your team(s)?
This is a good opportunity to discuss your methods and approaches to leadership and management. It's also a good chance to provide an example of a time you really excelled when leading a team.
Discuss which methods you have used to inspire engagement amongst your workers, such as benefits, team spirit and a level of recognition for good work. It's good to express an understanding of how people work best, and how these methods of encouragement often vary with different personality types.
32. Please explain an experience with a difficult client. How did you handle the situation?
Your answer should include: the way you listened to what the client had to say, confirmed an understanding of their concerns and subsequently took responsibility to resolve the situation by offering a solution, without going into too much detail about the specific complaint.
33. Tell me why did you choose the major that you did?
You probably didn't make a snap decision to major in your major. You likely chose it because you found it interesting, challenging, or thought it would lead to a promising career. The only key to answering this question is knowing why you chose your major and communicating that reasoning clearly. Be honest, even if your reasoning doesn't seem interesting. It's better to be honest to yourself and the employer up front than attempt to tell them what you think they want to hear.
34. Explain me what classwork has best prepared you for this role?
If you have group project experience, highlight it now. Focus on your role on a team and how you know how to be a team player. If there are classes with specific knowledge that directly prepared you for this role, you're in luck, that's another easy answer to this question.
35. Tell us what personal characteristics do you feel are necessary to be a successful engineer?
Choose three or four characteristics and expand on why you think they're important. You could also describe how a previous manager of yours displayed these qualities to good effect and how you learned from that example.
