1. What was the first thing you ever designed?
Some of the best mechanical engineers have been creating things their entire lives. Exploring a candidate’s history with engineering can reveal their passion for the field, even if they were using household items as a child to build something small.
What to look for in an answer:
- A long history of design and innovation
- The evidence they have been troubleshooting for a long time
- Passion for engineering
2. Why did you choose to study mechanical engineering?
This mechanical interview question gives the interviewer a chance to learn about the candidate’s interests in mechanical engineering. It helps reveal their passion for the field, and what interests them about engineering in general.
Do they want any job or are they looking to better society through quality engineering design?
3. What skills would you say are most important for an engineer?
How a candidate understands their role may differ from how you need them to function within the company. This question helps you gauge if you are both on the same page.
What to look for in an answer:
- Evidence they have a comprehensive understanding of the profession
- Confirmation they have thought about their role within the company
- Self-awareness about what assets they bring to table
4. Talk about your first engineering design
By having mechanical engineering candidates talk about their early design work, hiring managers are able to better understand the engineer’s history in mechanical engineering.
They also gain insight into their thought processes and some of their favorite engineering designs.
5. Why do customers buy a product?
Ultimately your candidate’s ideas are only of value to you if they translate into a sellable product. Asking them to get into the mind of a buyer will reveal whether or not your candidate has an understanding of what makes something appealing to a buyer.
What to look for in an answer:
- Indication they understand the necessity to translate complicated ideas to a tangible product
- Understanding of what consumers are looking for
- Willingness to adjust their designs to accommodate consumer needs
6. What is the top skill a mechanical engineer must have?
This interview question gives the mechanical engineering interviewee a chance to explain what makes a great engineer.
There are a variety of answers you may receive. These answers include strong analytical skills, problem-solving skills, math skills, creative design skills, or strong knowledge of engineering fundamentals.
7. What do you enjoy about working on a team?
No employee is an island, and certainly not a mechanical engineer. An engineer must work with other engineers on their designs and implementation, and with other internal teams who are managing the production and marketing strategies.
What to look for in an answer:
- The evidence they have experience working hand in hand with other teams
- Indication they are willing to accept feedback from other groups in the company
- Thoughtfulness about the importance of teamwork
8. Describe your process in checking for flaws
By asking this mechanical engineering interview question you will be able to get a better understanding of the mechanical engineer’s thought processes.
You can also gain insight into their daily workflows and problem-solving skills.
9. How do you keep from getting bored when doing routine engineering work?
A:
A lot of engineering work can get monotonous, especially if the engineer is designing similar products or components. This question helps you assess how a candidate creates innovation and excitement where someone else may grow bored and quit.
What to look for in an answer:
- Evidence the candidate persevered through mundane work to create interesting outcomes
- Thoughtfulness about how to motivate others to consider new ideas
- Understanding of the vast possibilities of engineering
10. How would you explain a complex design to a non-technical person?
An engineer that can explain complex ideas and engineering designs in easy-to-understand terms may be a good resource for a variety of reasons.
One of these is meeting with potential clients to win a bid.
They can also help a current client who’s been asking technical questions to understand the project engineering variables better.
