How to prepare for your first engineering job interview

The key to aceing any job interview is being prepared: researching the company, practising model answers, working out what you’re going to wear.

But if you’re applying for your first engineering job you’re likely to face some particular challenges that other applicants in other professions may not encounter.

Here are the key things you should remember to do when getting ready for your first engineering interview.

What sets engineers apart from many other professionals is their specific technical knowledge. Even if you’ve completed your degree already, a prospective employer is going to want to know your level of ability so be prepared for technical questions that assess your understanding of engineering concepts.

“Remember that the questions could relate to subject areas from any point of degree, not just most recent work,” says Elspeth Farrar, director of the careers service at Imperial College London, the UK’s biggest engineering university. “Be familiar with and able to talk about the concepts and the knowledge you’ve gained at all stages of your degree.”