Question Bank: General Engineering

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Below, you will find questions divided into sub-categories for General Engineering:

Analytical Skills

1. Describe a specific accomplishment that demonstrates your analytical skills.
2. Describe a time when you confronted a problem that really tested your engineering know-how.
3. Give me an example of a project that demonstrates your ability to work within a client’s budgetary constraints.
4. Give me an example of a project that relied heavily on quantitative analysis.
5. Give me an example of a project you have completed, focusing on the analytical component.
6. Give me an example of a time when you applied your ability to use analytical techniques to define problems or design solutions.
7. Give me an example of a time when you used your fact-finding skills to gain information needed to solve a problem. Then tell me how you analyzed the information and came to a decision, if applicable.
8. Give me an example that demonstrates your ability to manage a client’s billing and budgets.
9. Give me an example that demonstrates your ability to use a variety of approaches in your work.
10. Let’s assume that you are given an assignment that requires a different methodology than you typically use. Have you ever experienced this type of situation? How did you go about completing your work?
11. Tell me about a difficult problem you solved for a client.
12. Tell me about an assignment for which you had little or no previous experience. What strategy did you adopt to complete the assignment?
13. What is the percentage of time you currently spend on the job dealing with analytical reports, analyses, and comparisons? Tell me about a recent project that was primarily numbers oriented. Walk me through your procedure and thought processes.
14. What step-by-step criteria do you use to make difficult decisions that involve other engineers?
15. What tools do you currently use on the job to aid you in quantitative analysis?

Experience

1. Describe a time when as a member of the engineering department, you were instrumental in building a good long-term relationship with another department within the company.
2. Describe a time when you used your engineering knowledge to solve a problem for which there appeared to be no answer.
3. Describe the most significant written technical report or presentation that you had to complete.
4. Do you have any patents? If so, tell me about them. If not, is it something you see yourself pursuing and why or why not?
5. Give me an example of a time in which you were effective in doing away with the "constant emergencies" and "surprises" that engineers often face.
6. Give me an example of a time when you applied your ability to use analytical techniques to define problems or design solutions.
7. Give me an example of a time when you had to teach a skill to other engineers.
8. Give me an example of something that you have learned from a mistake that you made on a job at a client site.
9. Give me two examples of technical decisions that you had to make in your last job.
10. How can you best use your engineering education and prior work experience to help our company grow?
11. How do you feel about the workload in the engineering department in your present or previous job?
12. In the field of engineering, priorities often change quickly. Give me an example of a time when that happened. How did you handle it?
13. In your last engineering position, what were some of the things that you spent the most time on, and how much time did you spend on each?
14. Tell me about a time when you became aware of a hazardous workplace condition. How did you handle it?
15. Tell me about the most challenging engineering project that you have been involved with during the past year.
16. Tell me about the most challenging technical proposal you’ve ever written.
17. Tell me about your experience in dealing with routine engineering work. How do you keep from getting bored?
18. Tell me about your greatest success in using the principles of logic to solve an engineering problem in your last job.
19. Think of a specific engineering project when you answer this question. What could you have done to be more successful in achieving your goal(s)?
20. To what extent has your engineering background required you to be skilled in the analysis of technical reports or information?
21. What kinds of information would you request or require before you felt you could do justice to a project assignment?
22. What new engineering specialty skills have you developed during the past year?
23. What single technical skill or ability is your best asset?

General

1. Describe a typical day out in the field in your last or present job.
2. Describe two specific technical contributions you would expect to make during the first six months on the job if you joined our company.
3. Do you have any patents? If so, tell me about them. If not, is it something you see yourself pursuing and why or why not?
4. How has your present or last engineering job changed while you’ve held it?
5. How long have you been looking for an engineering position? Have you had any job offers yet? If so, why are you still looking?
6. How long have you been looking for an engineering spot? Have you had any job offers yet? If so, why are you still looking?
7. I expect the engineer that I hire for this position to be precise – detailed oriented in everything he or she does. What checks and balances do you use to make sure that you don’t make mistakes?
8. If I offer you a position as an engineer with us, how do you plan to get off to a jackrabbit start?
9. In the field of engineering, priorities often change quickly. Give me an example of a time when that happened. How did you handle it?
10. On your last project assignment, what problems did you identify that had been previously overlooked?
11. Tell me about a time when you surpassed all expectations by going "above and beyond" for a client.
12. Tell me about the last time you lost your temper in the field.
13. Tell me about the most challenging technical proposal you’ve ever written.
14. Tell me about your experience in dealing with routine engineering work. How do you keep from getting bored?
15. To what extent has your engineering background required you to be skilled in the analysis of technical reports or information?
16. What do you enjoy most/least about engineering?
17. What do you get out of engineering that you couldn’t get from any other kind of work?
18. What have you specifically done to make the work of the engineers who report to you easier?
19. What is your overall career objective? Do you see yourself working in engineering ten years from now? If not, what do you think you will be doing?
20. What kind of hours did you typically work in your most recent engineering job?
21. What media contacts do you have that would help us market our technical products/services?
22. What personal characteristics do you feel are necessary to be a successful engineer?

General Experience

1. Describe a time when you confronted a problem that really tested your engineering know-how.

Leadership Skills

1. For what advice or assistance do fellow engineers turn to you?
2. How do you communicate priority projects with a team of other engineers without making them feel overwhelmed?
3. How has your present or last engineering job changed while you’ve held it?
4. Tell me about a time when you had to make a difficult decision that affected the entire engineering department.
5. Tell me about a time when you had to take disciplinary action with an engineer who reported to you.
6. What factors would you consider in building an engineering department from scratch?
7. What have you specifically done to make the work of the engineers who report to you easier?
8. What step-by-step criteria do you use to make difficult decisions that involve other engineers?

Most Popular Questions

1. Describe two specific technical contributions you would expect to make during the first six months on the job if you joined our company.
2. Give me an example of a time in which you were effective in doing away with the "constant emergencies" and "surprises" that engineers often face.
3. Give me two examples of technical decisions that you had to make in your last job.
4. How do you feel about the workload in the engineering department in your present or previous job?
5. I expect the engineer that I hire for this position to be precise – detailed oriented in everything he or she does. What checks and balances do you use to make sure that you don’t make mistakes?
6. If I offer you a position as an engineer with us, how do you plan to get off to a jackrabbit start?
7. In your last engineering position, what were some of the things that you spent the most time on, and how much time did you spend on each?
8. On your last project assignment, what problems did you identify that had been previously overlooked?
9. Some of the best-engineered ideas are born out of an individual’s ability to challenge others’ ways of thinking. Tell me about a time when you were successful in do this.
10. Tell me about a time when you surpassed all expectations by going "above and beyond" for a client.
11. Tell me about your greatest success in using the principles of logic to solve an engineering problem in your last job.
12. Think of a specific engineering project when you answer this question. What could you have done to be more successful in achieving your goal(s)?
13. What do you get out of engineering that you couldn’t get from any other kind of work?
14. What kind of hours did you typically work in your most recent engineering job?
15. What new engineering specialty skills have you developed during the past year?
16. What single technical skill or ability is your best asset?

Teamwork

1. Describe a specific engineering project that you were responsible for that required a lot of interaction with a variety of people over a long period of time.
2. For what advice or assistance do fellow engineers turn to you?
3. Give me an example of a time when you had to teach a skill to other engineers.
4. Tell me about a time when a project team effort that you were involved in failed.
5. Tell me about a time when you had to take disciplinary action with an engineer who reported to you.
6. To whom did you turn for help the last time that you ran into a major technical problem, and why did you choose that person?