Mechanical Engineering Interview Questions 2023

For your information, the hiring process of mechanical engineers is not that different from other occupations and candidates still get interviewed before a panel. However, the field of mechanical engineering is demanding so employers must tailor the interview to find the right person for the job. Today, I’m going to talk about mechanical engineering interview questions and how to answer them like pros. 

Interviewers For Mechanical Engineers: Compilation

Interview is a standard part of the hiring process which means if you want to land a position,  prepare to take part in an interview. Via the interview, you will learn more about the company and the panel will learn more about you as well. Moreover, you can take advantage of the interview to include details not on the CV, demonstrate your skills and so on. 

Here, I have broken down mechanical engineering interview questions into types based on their complexity: basic, intermediate and comprehensive.

Basic Questions

To put it plainly, basic questions revolve around you so there is no need to think much as you answer them. The goal of these questions is to help the interviewer get a glimpse of your personality.

Can You Tell Me About Yourself?

A simple way to answer the question is to give an overview of your education, achievements, and so on. Feel free to include your experiences, abilities related to the job and even where you see yourself in the future.

What Are Your Strengths And Weaknesses?

For strengths, talk about things that you can do well and on occasions, it won’t hurt to mention some skills highlighted in the job posting. In the case of weaknesses, you should be honest but don’t forget to attach information on how you intend to conquer them. 

“In my previous role, I was given a lead role in the company’s internal project and I used the opportunity to hone my leadership skills. Additionally, I drafted reports and over time, I perfected my writing skills which I understand are some of the core skills in the new position. I however find public speaking intimidating and it sometimes makes me struggle during presentations. Fortunately, I recently enrolled for a public speaking course to alleviate the situation.”

Why Do You Want To Work With Us?

Your best bet is to demonstrate your previous successes and that you would love to do the same for the company.

“In my previous role, I managed a team of junior mechanical engineers and I learned that they have so much untapped expertise. After studying and gaining insights on how we can let them go their way, the company recorded a rise of up to 20% in employee efficiency. If the same strategy is employed in your company, I can assure you a 30% increase.”

Intermediate Questions

Now that the panel has known about you, they will want to learn about your experience, skills, how you approach problems, etc.

How Do You Manage A Tight Deadline?

Since companies can only meet their objectives if the staff properly manage deadlines, you must persuade the interviewer to believe that you can do that.

“I understand that deadlines determine whether a certain project will be a success or not. I prefer setting milestones for each project to track the performance in each subsection. Whenever I see we may run out of time, I will channel more resources e.g. personnel.”

Have You Ever Handled A Project That Failed?

Of course, everyone is not perfect and you may mention an inevitable failure so as to sound authentic.

 However, you should also do your best to point out where the problem was to give yourself an impression of someone who takes action after a failure.

“Yes, I was tasked with a mini-project that did not end well and forced me to go back to the drawing board. I noted that there is an importance of ensuring two-way communication between the team and those charged with governance.”

You may also find experience and background-related questions like:

• How do you stay updated with the latest trends and developments in mechanical engineering?
• Have you ever worked with a team? If you have, how did you ensure that your collaboration was productive?

Comprehensive Questions

Unlike previous categories, questions of the type test your knowledge and technical expertise in mechanical engineering. Questions will be tailored to fit the industry the company is operating and for demonstration purposes, here’s a list of questions for automotive businesses.

• How does an anti-lock braking system (ABS) work and what are its benefits? 
• Why is there a smoother drive in a CVT transmission compared to manual transmissions?
• You are tasked with designing a suspension system for a new compact car model, what are the factors you would consider in your suspension design?

Interview Cheat Sheet

• Ensure you read through the job description
• Do a quick research to learn a little about the company
• Arrive at the venue early enough
• Be confident
• Avoid negativity