Engineering Interview Questions: Network, Civil, Mechanical, and More

It is time to prepare for your job interview so you can become an engineer.  After all those years of studying and going to school, your moment has come.  One thing a lot of those classes won’t teach you though is how to prepare for an interview and what to expect from it.  Having the qualifications for the job is one thing, but impressing the interviewers is equally as important because that is usually the last step in getting hired.  But how do you impress them exactly?  Being that perfect mix of technical savvy and interpersonal skills. Not sure how to get that across? Knowing the type of engineering interview questions you will be asked is a great start.

If you have little or no experience with job interviews, it would be wise to take a course in effective job interviewing.  The instructor will show you how to prepare for a job interview and how to separate yourself from the other candidates.

Whether you are applying as a network, civil, mechanical, or electrical engineer, you will get a general idea of the type of questions asked at job interviews after reading this.  Just keep in mind that a lot of the questions being asked will be technical.  Some companies may even require you to take a test to make sure you are qualified for the position.

Network Engineer Sample Questions

The type of interview you are going to have can depend on who is conducting it.  If it is someone from the HR department, the questions will probably be more behavioral than technical.  And if it is given by a senior engineer, you will probably be asked to answer technical questions.  With that said, here are some example questions you might be asked:

Why do you want to be a network engineer?

Answer: This is a very basic question but try not to get too self-centered when answering this.  Try to give reasons that the company wants to hear.  For example, you can say because it makes you motivated and you like the challenge.

What do you think is more important these days, speed or security?

Answer: Sometimes you will be asked a technical question that necessarily doesn’t have a correct answer.  In this case, it is important you pick one or the other and state their strengths and weaknesses.

What is the difference between a switch and a router?

Answer:  A router is a layer 3 network device and a switch is a layer 2 network device.

What are the seven layers of the OSI model?

Answer : Application Layer, Presentation Layer, Session Layer, Transport Layer, Network Layer, Data Link Layer, and Physical Layer.

What is POP3?

Answer:  It’s used to describe how e-mail clients are used to interact with mail servers.

Civil Engineer Sample Questions

People who make great candidates for civil engineering jobs are excelling in calculations and designing, as well as working with teams.  Here are some example questions you may see at your job interview:

Do you work well with other people?  If so, why?

Answer: The obvious answer to this question will be yes, but you need to explain what makes you such a great team player.  You can say that you are helpful to others and it motivates you to accomplish a goal as a team. Have an example in story form.

What is your career goal as a civil engineer?

Answer: Companies want to know your career goals to see how committed and suitable you are for the job.

What are the steps involved in the concreting process?

Answer:  The major steps are batching, mixing, transporting, and compacting.

What causes a building to collapse?

Answer:   It can be due to a weak foundation, the passage of time, a natural disaster such as a earthquake, or demolition.

What is absolute pressure?

Answer:  The addition of the observed gage pressure plus the value of the local atmospheric pressure

Mechanical Engineering Sample Questions

Similar to network engineering, you will most likely be asked a lot of technical questions.  The difficulty of the questions will be based on the job you are applying for and the person giving the interview.  Below are some sample questions

Tell us about your previous job and employer.

Answer: If you had a previous job as a mechanical engineer, it is important that you are detailed as possible about your previous experience and projects.  This will give them a better idea of what you can offer in terms of skill.

What are the essential conditions of perfect gas?

Answer:  It satisfies equation of state and its specific heats are constant.

Why is a two-stroke engine usually preferred over a four stroke engine?

Answer:  It has the same output but it’s smaller in size.

How much resistance is offered to heat flow by drop wise condensation? –

Answer:  Nil

What is supercharging? – Answer:  Supercharging is the process of supplying a higher mass of air by compressing the atmospheric air.

Electrical Engineering Sample Questions

The electrical engineering field is known to be highly competitive so the interview process can be difficult.  Take a look at these sample questions:

What are your strengths?

Answer: This doesn’t have to relate to your job necessarily, but you should list strengths that are related with your work ethic.  For example,  you are responsible and motivated to learn more.

Why are AC systems preferred over DC systems? –

Answer:  They are easier to maintain and the change and the cost of AC transmission is cheaper.

What’s the difference between H.T. and L.T. cables? –

Answer:  High tension cables use more than 1000 volts and lower tension cables use less than 1000 volts.

What’s the DC voltage frequency?

Answer: It’s always zero

What’s the difference between phase and neutral?

Answer:  Phase is a electron carrier and neutral is not a carrier.

Interview Courses

Still not feeling too confident about your interview?  We offer a variety of courses to help you prepare better for your interview.  See below:

Interviewing Skills Level 1 – Learn about what to wear, how to prepare and what to expect at your next interview.

Interview, Resume and Networking Workshop – This workshop covers resumes, cover letters, interview skills, and much more.

How To Get Hired – For Graduates – If you recently graduated from school, this course is just for you.