Engineering graduate job interview

[GroundEffect]

I have a job interview with a company (can't disclose that due to possible security risks - it is a weapons manufacturer) as a Missile design engineer. I have just finished my PGDip in Aerospace Engineering, which puts me up to the equivalent of an MEng degree and this is my first interview since finishing my post-graduate studies and want some fresh tips on how to tackle it.

I know I really, really want this job as it offers a properly structured environment with the ability to have real responsibility from day 1 and a chance to further my already pretty decent academic background - and on top of that, they will put me through my Chartership. And as an aside to that, it's just fking awesome to be a fully-fledged rocket scientist

The interview takes the form of a group exercise in the morning and then an interview with two managers in the afternoon. I am fairly confident with the group stuff as I've always scored highly in them in the past but it's the actual interview that I've stumbled at.

Please help!

[GroundEffect]

Maybe it is, maybe it isn't

Thanks for the information so far. In previous interviews I've stumbled at the 'have you got any questions?' and the 'what do you see as your future within our organisation?'. The former is a bd because usually the questions I have before the day begins are answered in the briefing at the start of the event! The latter is now answerable as I know I want to be a chartered engineer and work my way up through the R&D department.

[GroundEffect]

In terms of skills, what am I looking to project to them? For instance, if they ask a question like "Why are you suitable for this role?"

I know I am a good communicator as I've worked on this feverishly over the years because I used to shy away in groups but now am perfectly comfortable. Also, I worked as a Private Tutor for 2 years. I guess this is something to highlight...but others?

[GroundEffect]

K87 said:

If they ask about your weaknesses then say communication and that you have highlighted this as a problem and did such and such to overcome it.

I have used that in the past. I don't know if it was well received though. That's what I hate about feedback - they never get THAT specific.

[GroundEffect]

DJRC said:

If they want to know your tech side then they will ask...but remember they will ask questions in your range. Above all else remember that...you know the answer. They are not trying to trick you or to confuse you, just the opposite...they would like to see the clarity of your mind.

shirt said:

sound advice. also don't try and cobble an answer together when they ask you something tricky. when interviewing grads i always asked something obscure to see if they tried to blag it or just admitted they didn't know.

Hmm...which is it?

DJRC said:

At all times this should be your single biggest thought in your head...clarity of mind. It will get you the job over and above every other thing on the table, that includes grade, experience and qualifications. I do have 2 slight peices of bad news for you though...missile design at MBDA is not rocket science and if/when you do become a rocket scientist type you dont go around telling people you are because you sound like a tt. Actually make that 3, whenever you try and tell anyone you arent involved in rocket science activity despite the fact you are in order to sound like you are trying to avoid telling ppl you are a rocket scientist ... you still sound like a tt. Or your wife tells you to stop trying to flirt with the waitresses. Sorry.

It's actually my girlfriend who likes to introduce me as a rocket scientist. I detest it but she says she doesn't like referring to me as an Aerospace Engineer or even an engineer in general as most of her peer group have no idea what that means.

[GroundEffect]

Clarity of mind. Clarity of mind.

Zeeeeeeeeen.

I will be ready for Tuesday

[GroundEffect]

Well, I went for the interview on Tuesday. It was a fairly typical assessment day (group tests in the morning and competency interview in the afternoon). I scored the highest out of everyone in the Group work and was in the 96th percentile for the online tests I had done prior to the event. For the interview itself my feedback was that I was highly logical, very focused and determined in what I wanted to do with my career, was articulate and good at explaining what I meant and showed great initiative...


And I didn't get the bloody job! Basically the HR girl told me the recruiters ultimately didn't choose me for either of the roles as they thought I was too much of a 'leader' and would be better suited to more specialist roles than the mechanical grad, such as an aerodynamicist. However, the issue I have with that is that a graduate doesn't just fall in to those roles - you need to work up to those roles through the typical avenues. I am completely in-between a rock and a hard-place now. I have been doing interviews for 2 years now (since I finished my undergrad and during my post-grad) and I am getting exhausted by it all. If they were coming back telling me I was st, then fair enough there's something I could work on but in EVERY occasion I've reached the (literal) final hurdle only to fall in some highly ambiguous way.

Losing hope.

[GroundEffect]

I did get the impression they were looking for sheeple. I was just willing to forego that as it appeared to be in every other respect my dream role. When I wrote that other stuff it was only a few hours after I received the decision and was still really deflated. Today on my drive home I re-wrote my CV in its entirety (from the passenger seat, obviously) accentuating the stuff that their feedback highlighted.

I applied to Alstom last year and got no where - I will apply again this year. The issue is I actually WANT a technical role. I am just, apparently, quite good as a leader. The reason I'm a good leader is that I saw it as a weakness and worked to improve it - volunteering myself as group leaders even when it was very uncomfortable for me etc. I was really flabbergasted that they saw my own strive to be as good as I can as something negative. I really doubt you'll find someone more passionate than me for engineering.

Their actual excuse for not hiring me was "You have such focus and initiative that you may not follow your line manager's wishes and want to work on something you see more suitable".

A) I can do what I'm told to do by a superior
B) What if I'm right? Why is it a BAD thing to be right?

[GroundEffect]

Strachan said:

Keep at it, best of luck you sound like a good candidate.
I will PM you some companies I know of in the central belt to look at to get experience.

That would be fantastic. Thank you.

[GroundEffect]

Otispunkmeyer said:

Question.... Have you thought about a PhD??? Might be something right up your street if you're like me and like to work on things no one or very few people have touched upon. You've been applying for jobs and not getting anywhere. How about doing a PhD... 3 years (ish) and when you come out the economy should have picked up and the PhD will of opened yet more doors to you (more doors than it closes). You do get paid decently to do them as well, providing you approach the right institutions. My supervisor for example has been able to secure huge amounts of funding for his projects so getting equipment and materials to actually do your research isn't a problem. He also gets memos from companies asking directly for any PhD graduates they can have to fill vacancies. Very useful!

I considered a PhD but to be honest, my exam results are only going to put off a project supervisor. I have always struggled at exams compared with group or continually assessed work. A lot of that was probably poor studying technique but I've just hated them all my life. I know I can understand the work but I bottle exams. Also, I'm not sure if it's for me - yes, I love working on new stuff and it sounds like you are a version of me a few years down the line but I've spoken to others and they've told me not to do a PhD unless I'm REALLY into the subject. And I don't even have the faintest idea what I'd do with it - or if anything I would find interesting would have much funding.

[GroundEffect]

zollburgers said:

I'm an engineer and I manage others. It is very frustrating to set clear objectives and agree on a programme of work only to have the person think they know better and spend their time doing useless work.

I'm not saying you will do this and only a bad manager will have this happen to them more than a few times from the same person.

The question I would ask myself is "why did they get that impression"? Is it because the people who interviewed you were short-sighted or is it other reasons?

You have no experience but appear very opinionated (as I am). Are you certain that you are right and others are wrong?

I'm not trying to piss on your bonfire, if you have something to offer you will get a job and if you are right then you will excel.

I've never had a problem with authority (as long as they aren't belligerent). I think where they got the idea from is that I showed how geared towards leadership I am; they seem to have got an impression that it means I cannot work within a group...and that's just not true. Within the group tasks at the assessment day I scored highest within the group tasks! How can that mean anything but I am good at it? And they also said I'm very logical...which is a great thing for working in groups - you can dissect ideas and such to find the most appropriate solution.

It appears that I was very close to getting the position but fell on the cutting room floor in the end. It's damn infuriating, especially with the feedback I've received doesn't give me anything to work on. And I'm even more down-trodden that I don't have any other interviews lined up and it being mid-summer, all the grads schemes are closing up for this year. I really don't want to lose another year of my career (I'm 23 now...I really need to get a move on).

[GroundEffect]

shirt said:

from reading your posts after the interview, i get the impression that either:

a] you think you're better than you actually are and so come across as smug or a "pick me!" kind of guy at interview.

b] there is some other aspect of your personality which the hiring managers do not want in their office.

the reasons you've been given for rejection are fob-offs and quite opposite to what you'd expect from a hi-tech engineering outfit. purely and simply, your face/attitude/personality didn't fit.

Perhaps. I know I was trying pretty hard and it probably did come across as a bit arrogant but it does come from an actual desire for the role and my exasperation at not having one at this point.

But anyway, I am back to where I was 2 years ago. Don't know how much more my mind can take of it, but I'll keep pushing.

A question to others who graduated and moved in to grad schemes: how many assessment days/interviews did you go through before landing a role? I've now had 8.

Edited by GroundEffect on Wednesday 20th July 14:47

Edited by GroundEffect on Wednesday 20th July 14:47

[GroundEffect]

So it looks like me trying to hard has ruined two years of my career. Bugger

[GroundEffect]

Well, thank you for the insights. I will take away what has been said and try and fix my personality...although I have no idea how I am supposed to come across more nonchalant about it.

[GroundEffect]

Thank you for the constructive replies. I will work on it for my next interview.

[GroundEffect]

We're discussing something damn important to me - my future, so forgive me if I type a bit more formally than normal (and I know I type way more formally than I talk - it's just habit after 20,000 technical reports).

[GroundEffect]

In a very short space of time things have turned around. I applied for a graduate job for a smaller company in Leicester last Friday, had a call from them on Monday morning (which actually woke me up...that was an original way to start an interview) which lasted 25 minutes as a basic prelim interview thing. Nice bunch of chaps. Then got a call back today asking to come down for an interview next Thursday with the Engineering Manager and International Engineering Manager from India. Fantastic.

The best of it is the place looks just right for me - they're all about folks looking to be project engineers and move up quickly. Also they have a wide array of industries they work in so I'll get to try my hand at loads of stuff.

Pretty happy!

[GroundEffect]

Karyn said:

GroundEffect said:

In a very short space of time things have turned around. I applied for a graduate job for a smaller company in Leicester last Friday, had a call from them on Monday morning (which actually woke me up...that was an original way to start an interview) which lasted 25 minutes as a basic prelim interview thing. Nice bunch of chaps. Then got a call back today asking to come down for an interview next Thursday with the Engineering Manager and International Engineering Manager from India. Fantastic.

The best of it is the place looks just right for me - they're all about folks looking to be project engineers and move up quickly. Also they have a wide array of industries they work in so I'll get to try my hand at loads of stuff.

Pretty happy!

Been reading this thread with interest.

Sounds good, about the interview invite... I take it you're feeling pretty confident about this one, then, to be talking about working there already?

Remember, confidence is one thing, but it's a fine line 'twixt that and arrogance.

I'm just more hopeful. Out of all the places I've applied for this seems the most suited to me. And the managers and engineers I've spoken to so far are very nice and people that I think I could learn a great-deal from.

[GroundEffect]

Yeah I'm consciously stopping myself from thinking I'm set. I know from past experience that I can cock things up. I've been running over in my head all day at my temp job what I could say to them given any specific questions. I got no sleep last night either because of it.

I really want this job

[GroundEffect]

Just got a call from a company recruiting for Ford. They're putting me forward for a role (temporary but still) designing Cooling Systems for them. Well chuffed as the auto industry is where I've always wanted to be