Engineering Interview Questions & Answers

The interview started of with 2 senior engineers asking me about my personal interests and why I choose the course.
Then it was about the company and what the role was about and its challenges. Then I gave a presentation about a topic in my case a connecting rod. I was informed about this when HR contacted me to give me details about the interview.

After the presentation the engineers tested my knowledge about this product. This was followed by an in depth technical interview about connecting rods. I was shown some parts and asked about what I would do to improve the design. I was shown some failed parts and asked what's the cause.

After this lengthy interview I was introduced to a junior engineer who showed me the office and the factory.

The most challenging question was about a new part and I was asked what can be done to optimize the design. Since it was new and not a failed part it was difficult to say what exactly was the problem in the first place without any knowledge about its design.

Get the basics right and don't just focus on the role. Getting the fundamentals of engineering brushed up will help a lot as it will be tested not just software and IT skills.

For Engineering related roles you will have to give a presentation on a topic related to some engine part. Focus on it and learn everything you can about it. Then the systems surrounding it or support systems which depend on it. Simple questions which we think won't be asked will be asked. Like hand calculations- Free body diagrams, bending moments will be asked. So focus on real engineering skills like 2D engineering design on paper.

Presentation, personality or situational judgement test and technical questions

The 1st stage interview consisted of 4 assessments, a spacial awareness test, pattern recognition test, mechanical test and numerical test. Successful completion of these got me onto the 2nd stage interview.

The 2nd stage was a practical mechanical test, where i had 15mins to resemble what was built in front of me. It was more fiddly then difficult. After that i had the interview with the Engineering Manager and HR.

The interview was pretty straight forward asking me about my previous experience and why I should be chosen for this position etc. Nothing too complicated.

"why should we choose you for this role?"

Do some background work. Know about the company and what they do because they will ask. Having some relative previous experience would also benefit you as they asked me about my previous experience and work.

4 test and a practical mechanical test.

There were two interviews at the assessment centre, one consisting of a presentation about yourself and then situational questions, the other was a technical knowledge interview. In the first you essentially had to describe who you are, why you want to work for the company and how you think you would be good at the company. In the second you were asked to describe various things as if to a member of the general public not knowledgeable in the field and also to explain how various things worked from technical diagrams.

Primarily about the technical side as I wasn't very experienced with technical diagrams.

I would ensure that you are knowledgeable about the internals of turbine engines and the general direction that the company is moving in. I would also look into recent developments as well as old ones such as the use of cooling within the turbine blades. I would recommend taking any opportunities that you get to have practice interviews, although they won't realistically put you under the pressure that you'd feel in the real interview, you can find out how you come across and if you need to do anything differently.

Firstly another test similar to those done on-line in the application process was given, a group exercise was also done, as well as a written managerial test.

The process is the same worldwide...
In the BHE I attended we were 19 of whom 10 was selected to join the company

DAY 1
the day begin at 6:30 am with a brief introduction to the event and the assessors then you will be told to introduce yourself by draw a picture that reflects you and explain why next you will be divided into 2 groups and each one had a poster of the company history and departments core values expansion and each one of us had to talk about something he noticed and then we were given some cards that represent company departments and product lines (7 departments and 11 product lines )to read them and get the basics of each one and then we went to breakfast where the assessors joined us so seem sociable with everyone next we were given several presentations . Listen carefully, because they give important information which you will need to recall in a presentation you are going to give on the second day. One thing to pay extra careful attention to and embed within your head are the core values within BH. This is emphasized upon by the employees a lot, so remember them and use them where possible.

next you will attend 2 tests each 45 mins the first one is maths test (also called IQ or Logical test) it is about Mayan numbers so make sure you know about them before this it include transformation of Mayan numbers to English and vise verse and also addition subtraction multiplication of Mayan numbers take care that when asked to write arabic numbers they actually mean english ones (12345.....the next one is a case study about some safety situation be ware safety comes firstyou will read long passage and answer 9 questions

next you will have to do 5 experiments each of 10 mins

1-Measure the pH of Coke and Coffee You'll be given 3 cups. One has coke, one has coffee and the other have distilled water. You have litmus paper. Using the litmus paper measure the pH of the coke and coffee and record your results you have to dip the paper in each cup for to seconds and then use the legend on the papers' holder to identify PH You now have to record your results of pH using an electronic pH meter. Remember to calibrate it using the distilled water so that the pH of the meter is at 7. There will be an instruction manual for the meter if you don't know how to use it. Use the gloves provided and wear the goggles

2- Measure the values of 4 resistors
You have a piece of equipment that allows you to measure the resistances you will measure 3 of them by the device the last one by the legend

3- Assemble a model
Different parts with labels will be put on the table with a set of assembling instructions. Just follow the instructions and you'll be fine. Remember to wear the goggles provided.

4- Assemble a drill part
Again this is similar to above, just follow the instructions and remember to wear the goggles.

5- Measure the diameter and depth of a model using a Vernier Calliper You'll be given a model of a drill bit for which you have to find several properties, e.g. outer diameter, inner diameter, depth etc using a vernier calliper. Again remember to read the instruction manual thoroughly and quickly. This can be a bit tricky to use if you haven't used one before.

Then we were split into groups again and this time we had to build a rig from a given set of equipment (paper, straws, sellotape) and imaginary money. There are 3 different rig options you can choose. It was a timed session, we had about 45 minutes to build, then each about 5 minutes to present why we chose the materials, rig etc. There are limited materials, so it's based on first come first serve, so don't waste too much time deciding what rig you want to build and what materials you need. Be spontaneous.

Remember this is all about how you work as a team. So make sure you communicate effectively and give everyone a chance to do something they are judging individually so if your team fails its not the end a panel interview at the end of the day with each one of you. You will be asked 3 questions why you want to join BH ? why you want to be field engineer ? and what are your concerns?

day ended at 7 30 pm

DAY 2

At 7:30 AM it began with another presentation for an hour followed by a break. At 8 AM we were given a debating exercise to do. You'll be shown a scenario followed by a number of possible reactions from which you have to choose one Once you've chosen what you'd do, people who picked the same as you will be grouped up and you then have to debate and encourage the other group to come over to your side and why you are correct and they are wrong. They are judging your ability to communicate and persuade. so remember safety honesty and teamwork when you choose

This exercise lasted about an hour and was then followed by another group exercise. Again we were split into groups of 5, this time we had to prepare a 10 minute presentation to give imagining that we are BH employees giving a presentation to University students at a careers fair encouraging them to apply for us. Try and be innovative in your approach. Different groups did different things. Remember to include the core values of BH and how Safety is of paramount importance. You have 15 minutes to prepare, with 10 minutes to present, followed by 5 minutes of questions.

. A panel interview with all the BH staff that were present on the day. Each person was given a different question (typical interview questions)

After this panel interview was the hardest part, waiting for the answer. They tell you a yes or a no on the day.

mention a situation when honesty is not a good value ?
if you have a family commitment and critical work at same time what do you choose ?

check review

very good

This was the first video interview I had so it was kind of nerve racking. Some pre interview set up tips: 1) Look smart line as if you're attending a real face to face interview. 2) Have a plain backgrounds behind you so that the interviewer doesn't get distracted. 3) Use a headset so that they can hear you clearly. I used the headset that comes with an iphone. 4) Try and be in an area with good Internet as long as it's quiet. 5) be wary of your body language. Remember they can see everything you're doing.   Now that we've got the pre-interview stuff completed keys start with the interview itself.   The interview can be broken down into 3 sections: 1) About yourself 2) Competency questions 3) Role play   1) About yourself These are general questions about yourself you need to confirm e.g.Name, degree, availability, wilingness to move   2) Competency questions These were not difficult. They're quite general.  Tell me about a time you worked with someone difficult Tell me about a time you did something extra ordinary What's been your biggest challenge to date. Remember to use the STAR technique.  
3)Role playThis is the section that completely threw me off as I wasn't expecting it and was my first time doing it. The general idea behind this is to see how you think. The situation that was proposed to me was that I am an inventor and i am to invent a new flask for a group of people with whom I'm going to meet. The interviewer will take the role of the group. You now have to ask questions which will help you design this flask. Types of questions to ask: Where are you going to use it What is the general age group of thegroup How often are you going to use   The key is to take your time and ask good questions rather than just throwing random questions at her.   I passed the interview and got invited to the assessment centre However was unable to attend due to a clash with an exam.

This would have to be the role play described above.

Be calm and always use the STAR approach.
Read above for video interview tips.

I was invited but didn't get the opportunity to attend due to an exam.

AC consisted of one 1-on-1 interview. This was mainly competency based, marking specifically against their high performance behavioural values (detailed on their careers site). The questions were easy to answer, not awkward and too specific (which I had feared as the high performance values seemed strange to mark against). So on the competency side of things, it was nothing out of the ordinary - how did you motivate a group when it was failing etc. There were one or two questions based on market knowledge, I feel this is an area where a candidate could particularly shine.

What issues effect JLR currently?
How is the automotive industry changing?
What have you read about JLR?

You are told you will have to do a technical presentation but you are not told the subject. In fact the subject is completely up to you (they recommend a technical project which you HAVE COMPLETED)

an ideal project would be a university engineering project.

They looked for things such as how you planned the project, what issues you faced, how you carried it out and the results and applicability of the conclusion. You can prepare this before the AC for an edge (even though you are not meant to - most people had preprepared)

was quite a relaxed environment and I felt as though the organisers really tried to get the best out of you, rather than trying to catch you out.

The application process is very simple. It just required a CV and cover letter. I was contacted about a month or so later being invited to a telephone interview.

Unlike most telephone interviews this was conducted by one of their recent graduate engineers, so make sure you know what you are talking about when you mention technical details as they will probe you with regards to it. In total this phone call lasted about an hour, however most of it ended up being the interviewer talking about his job and experiences when I asked him regarding it.

The interview started off like how most interviews too, with general questions confirming who you are, availability etc, then we got off to the questions.

The following questions were asked:

Tell us about yourself - This is a key question where you get to talk about your experiences etc. I mentioned my third year design project and my research project, so we spoke for a while on that as it was related to the work that CB&I do. So if you have the chance to include technical details then do so, because the interview in this case will know what you're talking about, and it will be your chance to impress them. They will ask you some follow up questions on this, such as when speaking about my degree they asked questions like what was your favourite subject as part of your degree, what do you find difficult?

What do you know about CB&I? - Make sure you do your research. Wow them with your knowledge.

General competency questions:

The questions are pretty much the same as most interviews:

Tell us about a time you worked with someone difficult?
What was the most challenging thing you've done?

There were one or two more questions which I can't remember, but I know was similar to other questions I've had.

Then they give time for questions. You're speaking to someone who completed the grad scheme, so take this opportunity to ask questions and find out more so that you know that this job is for you.

None of the questions were difficult. They were pretty much the same as I have discussed in my previous interview reviews (See GSK, Atkins and Baker Hughes + more I will be writing), so by the time I got to this I had enough experience in being able to answer the questions confidently.

Be confident in what you say. Practice numerical reasoning, verbal reasoning and psychometric tests as much as possible.

I wasn't invited to an assessment centre unfortunately. I managed to do quite bad on the online tests as I took it when I had multiple deadlines in my final year, so was quite difficult to do it justice! Wasn't too hard, just practice, practice, practice.

Interview for Baker Hughes

I had sent a CV and cover letter in response to the graduate field engineer role at Baker Hughes that I found on my Universitys Career services website. I then filled in an application form just going over my experiences. A 30 min phone interview was then conducted with details of questions asked stated below. I was then invited to a 2 day assessment centre in Aberdeen.

The recruiter who conducted my interview was very nice and eased any initial nerves that I had. The interview lasted for 30 minutes and was relatively straight forward as long as you look into the company and job role thoroughly. The last question asked was a new one for me so make sure you know your experiences well, both academic and extra curricular.

Note: Flights to Aberdeen were organised by BH. From the airport you catch a taxi to the hotel where you're handed a letter saying to meet with everyone at 6AM.

Phone interview
Why BH?
What are you likely to do in your first year as a graduate?
Give an example of a time when you had to solve a technical problem.
(can't remember clearly but something to do with) : applying knowledge to work through problems in design project
Name a time you had to work with someone difficult.
Name a time when you wanted to learn something new? How did you go about this

see above

Assessment centre

I'm not going to go through the itinerary for the 2 days because it's already been explained very well by someone else. Instead I'll focus on key elements of the experience that will hopefully aid your preparation.

The two day assessment centre was an intense experience to the point where you're running on autopilot at the end of day 1 so preparation is key. They focus heavily on interaction and team work so try and mingle as best you can without looking like you???re trying too hard. The early morning starts can be particularly difficult to conduct small talk especially if you're nervous and not a morning person!

Core Values and Safety
Key things to note: make sure you're well versed in the company's core values and remember that the company is very big on safety. This will enable you to structure your answers a lot more effectively. There is a group task (5 people, 10mins) on the second day to present BH to University students which would encourage them to apply to the company. There is also a debating exercise whereby you are presented with a scenario and various reactions. You then need to justify why you chose the option you did. These 2 particular scenarios are where remembering the core values and focusing on safety is important.

Note: in the debating exercise, if you find yourself in the unfortunate position of picking the wrong card, present your arguments but don't be stubborn enough not to change your mind.

Group work
How you work in a group is of course very important. There are various exercises and the best advice I can give is be cool, go with the flow and work hard for the team. If you end up being the leader, listen to everyone, come up with you're own ideas but don't dismiss others and delegate the tasks effectively with the focus on your end goal/objective. If you're not the leader, don't worry, make sure you contribute positively to the group, communicate well and work hard for your team.

Have fun, a bit of banter will help build rapport and be yourself.

Experiments
There are five 10 minute experiments and the main piece of advice is to read the instructions thoroughly and quickly. Safety is very important so if there are goggles and/or gloves, make sure to use it.

Maths and reasoning test
You have 50 minutes to go through an exercise using Mayan number. Things can get hairy especially when you're multiplying huge numbers without a calculator so make sure to familiarise yourself with the Mayan number system.

The reasoning test is straightforward. Read a passage of text and answer questions based upon what you have read and a little bit of common sense.

Panel interviews
There are two panel interview, one at the end of day 1 (around 8pm) and the other at the end of day 2 (around 3/4pm).
The first interview was after an intense day and I was personally running on autopilot. Be yourself, be enthusiastic about the role, the questions are not really designed to catch you out so don't worry.
In the second interview, the panel asked questions based upon what else they wanted to know about you. Again, as long as you do your homework on the company, know why you want the job, why you're a good candidate (i.e. what qualities do you have that will make you a success at BH), and reassure them that you're willing to move to Aberdeen, you'll be fine.

Good luck!

My day began with three short 15 minute aptitude tests. The first one was series forming (40 questions). The second was pattern recognition (30 questions). The last one was simple numerical problems (25 questions).
This was followed by three longer tests (30 min, 30 min, 25 min), each with a question that required detailed analysis. The first was to develop an algorithm for a communication example. The second involved the dry run of a simple code. The last was a logic development for a card game. No programming knowledge was necessary; they were simply testing the strength of logic.
At the end, there was an interview to discuss my answers to each of the long questions (mainly 1 and 3) and to identify loopholes in my logic. It went on to include questions about my academic and professional background and future career plans.

The dry run of the program was difficult, simply because it involved about 13 variables, a lot of if-then-else loops, procedure calls and there wasn't enough time.

Practice pattern recognition and dry run of codes.
Make sure your logic holds up against potential threats.

The interviewer seemed very open to various approaches to a problem and during the discussion kept egging me towards possible solutions. The atmosphere was positive and friendly.
The experience was more of a chat and less of an interview.

The telephone interview is very simple. It lasted approximately 30 minutes with one of the Baker Hughes (BH) recruiters and was only competency based. They were general questions as to why I wanted to work at BH, what I would expect in my first year at BH and 3 competency questions. I was told the outcome of my interview about approximately a week after which I was invited to the Baker Hughes Experience.

None of the questions were difficult.

As part of the phone interview the following questions were asked:
- Why did you apply for BH
- What do you expect to be doing in your first year at BH
- Tell me about a time you worked with someone difficult
- Tell me about your greatest achievement
- What is your favourite subject at university and why


As part of the Baker Hughes Experience there were 2 separate interviews. The first interview asked:
- What motivated you to apply for Baker Hughes?
- Why do you want to work in the Technical Field Engineer position?
- What concerns you most about this position?

The second panel interview only asked one question. After discussing with the other 20 candidates on the day, we all got asked a different question. Below is a list of some of these questions:
- What skills will you bring to Baker Hughes?
- Describe yourself in 3 words?
- What do you want out of your work?
- Where do you see yourself in 5 years time?

The BHE is an intensive process. Make sure you get a good sleep the night before. Remember to listen carefully to everything they say, especially the core values. SAFETY is core to everything BH do, and is something they pride themselves upon.

The Baker Hughes assessment centre is know as the Baker Hughes Experience (BHE). It is a 2 day intensive assessment centre that takes place in Aberdeen (If you applied for the technical position). The Baker Hughes staff take care of booking the transport for you.

After checking in, when I arrived in my room there was an envelope with my name on it. Inside there was a letter which said meet in the meeting room at 6AM for the beginning of the assessment centre. Some people shared their room with another person, whilst some were alone. BH don't give you any information regarding the activities you will be doing as they want to see how you cope with the element of surprise.

DAY 1

The next day started at 6AM. In total there were about 20 candidates. The day started with a short 5 minute presentation by one of the BH recruiters. He then asked us all to introduce ourself by including the following information:
- Name
- Where we are from and university
- Draw a picture that reflects us and explain why
- Choose an adjective beginning with the first letter of your first name to describe you
- Recall everyones names and adjectives of the people before you
This was done randomly, so be prepared to listen carefully and remember what everyone says.

After this we were put into groups of 5 and were given 15 minutes to create a paper aeroplane model that would travel the furthest distance and give a short presentation regarding it. One thing to note here and on any other activities you do during the BHE is that safety is paramount to everything done within BH. So it's always useful to mention safety somewhere in a presentation.

After this we went down for breakfast where an employee for BH sat at each table with the candidates and began conversation. Remember they are judging you. So ask good questions, and seem approachable and sociable.

We returned back into the metting room at around 8AM where several presentations were delivered. Listen carefully, because they give important information which you will need to recall in a presentation you are going to give on the second day. One thing to pay extra careful attention to and embed within your head are the core values within BH. This is emphasised upon by the employees alot, so remember them and use them where possible.

At 10AM we were taken to one of the BH sites in Aberdeen. We split up into a group of 4 and each went with a BH employee in their car. Upon arriving at the site we were separated into 4 groups and were allocated separate tasks which we rotated.

1) Site tour
They give you a tour lasting approximately an hour of the site. You get to see all the equipment that are used. The Nitrogen tanks, Nitrogen converters, pumps, pigs (No not that type!) etc etc etc. It's a very cool tour, something which I really enjoyed. Remember to ask good questions as you are being judged.

2) Experiments
Theres a set of 5 experiments that you carry out. You have 10 minutes to carry out each experiment and record your results. Remember SAFETY! They might put goggles or gloves on the table, even though you might not need it, USE IT! SAFETY is very important to BH (As you'll learn through the presentations).

- Measure the pH of Coke and Coffee
You'll be given 4 cups. One has coke, one has coffee and the other two have distilled water. You have litmus paper. Using the litmus paper measure the pH of the coke and coffee and record your results.
You now have to record your results of pH using an electronic pH meter. Remember to calibrate it using the distilled water so that the pH of the meter is at 7. There will be an instruction manual for the meter if you don't know how to use it.
Use the gloves provided and wear the goggles.

- Measure the conductivity of different pieces of wire
You have a piece of equipment that allows you to measure the conductivity of different pieces of wire. You most probably won't have used it unless you're an electrical engineer, so make sure you read the instruction manual thoroughly but quickly so that you know how to use it. There's a certain way to clip it onto the wires, so make sure you get that correct or you will get wrong results.

- Assemble a model
Different parts with labels will be put on the table with a set of assembling instructions. Just follow the instructions and you'll be fine. Remember to wear the goggles provided.

- Assemble a drill part
Again this is similar to above, just follow the instructions and remember to wear the goggles.

- Measure the diameter and depth of a model using a Vernier Calliper
You'll be given a model of a drill bit for which you have to find several properties, e.g. outer diameter, inner diameter, depth etc using a vernier calliper. Again remember to read the instruction manual thoroughly and quickly. This can be a bit tricky to use if you haven't used one before.

After your first two activities you'll be given a short break within which to have lunch at the site. A coupon worth £5 will be given to you, which you can use to buy anything you want there.

3) Maths test
This is not your normal maths test, it's a maths test that involves Mayan numbers and arithmetic. So it might be useful if you read up on how to do it, as it can get quite tricky, especially when you're multiplying HUGE numbers without a calculator. You'll have about 50 minutes to do this.

You'll then have a 10 minute break and then go back for your final test.

4) Reasoning test
You'll be given a passage to read and then some short questions to answer regarding the passage. It's quite simple really.

You'll then return to the hotel and they'll give you about 20 minutes to relax. We had to meet back at the meeting room at approximately 5PM.

Another presentation was delivered, this time by two people who recently joined the scheme which lasted about 30mins.

Then we were split into groups again and this time we had to build a rig from a given set of equipment (paper, straws, sellotape) and imaginary money. There are 3 different rig options you can choose. Remember this is all about how you work as a team. So make sure you communicate effectively and give everyone a chance to do something. It was a timed session, we had about 45 minutes to build, then each about 5 minutes to present why we chose the materials, rig etc. There are limited materials, so it's based on first come first serve, so don't waste too much time deciding what rig you want to build and what materials you need. Be spontaneous.

Then we went for dinner at approximately 7PM, again it was the same as breakfast with a BH staff with us. We then met back in the meeting room approximately 7:30PM.

The final thing was the first panel interview with BH staff. You'll have 3 BH staff in the room and they'll ask you the three questions mentioned above. Once done you are free to go. It was done in alphabetical order, so if your surname is with a Z, you'll be waiting a long time!


DAY 2

Day 2 started at 6:30AM with us meeting in the restaurant for breakfast. Again breakfast was the same as day 1. We were told to be in the meeting room by 7AM.

At 7AM it began with another presentation for an hour followed by a break. At 8AM we were given a debating exercise to do. You'll be shown a scenario followed by a number of possible reactions from which you have to choose one. For some of these there are no right answers, but for the majority there clearly is a right answer. Be sure to link the core values of BH to the scenario and possible solutions. Once you've chosen what you'd do, people who picked the same as you will be grouped up and you then have to debate and encourage the other group to come over to your side and why you are correct and they are wrong. They are judging your ability to communicate and persuade.

This exercise lasted about an hour and was then followed by another group exercise. Again we were split into groups of 5, this time we had to prepare a 10 minute presentation to give imagining that we are BH employees giving a presentation to University students at a careers fair encouraging them to apply for us. Try and be innovative in your approach. Different groups did different things. Remember to include the core values of BH and how Safety is of paramount importance. You have 15 minutes to prepare, with 10 minutes to present, followed by 5 minutes of questions.

Then we had one more presentation given to us and we broke up for lunch. Before breaking up for lunch we were asked to write on a piece of paper wether we were still interested in the position or not.

After lunch we had our final activity of the day. A panel interview with all the BH staff that were present on the day. Each person was given a different question which can be found above.

After this panel interview was the hardest part, waiting for the answer. They tell you a yes or a no on the day. Once they have told you, you are free to go.