Preparation: it’s the foundation for civil and structural engineering interview success
Preparation is essential for success at all stages of the graduate recruitment process and interviews are no exception. Step into the interviewer’s shoes and base your research and preparation on the following questions:
- why should we employ you?
- what interests you about the job?
- why have you chosen to apply to us?
These themes underlie most interview questions, so if you think about these beforehand you’ll be able to answer flawlessly on the day.
Tackling the competence interview questions
Nearly all first graduate interviews are structured around competence-based selection criteria: the skills and attributes you need to do the job, which are often outlined in an employer’s recruitment literature. You’ll therefore be asked to give examples when you used certain non-technical skills, such as communication or teamworking.
Try to give different examples to the ones you used in your application form and don’t just use examples from your degree course: think about your work experience, part-time jobs and extra-curricular examples too.
The recruiter's view
‘If you are enthusiastic about engineering, and can discuss it in an interview – you’re halfway there.’
Gareth Davies, director, Ramboll UK
Go in with the right attitude
Interviewers want to find out about you. Gareth Davies, a director at Ramboll UK, confirms this: ‘My first aim is to put the graduate candidate at ease. I ask what got them into engineering and what they find most exciting about the prospect of being an engineer. There are no wrong answers. It’s a chance to let their enthusiasm for the subject come across.’
Think of interviews as a discussion. ‘Come with a willingness to be open,’ says Gareth. ‘If you answer with a one-liner you make it difficult for an interviewer to read you. I’ve found that the more a candidate gets into a dialogue, the calmer they become.’ He also advises that you ‘listen to the entire question before you start formulating your response’. Interviewers may also test your knowledge of the company. Avoid regurgitating facts from the company’s website.
Don’t feel you have to be a passive respondent either. If there’s a particular skill or piece of experience that hasn’t been touched on, mention it towards the end of the interview.
’Do you have any questions for us?’
Interviews are your chance to find out more about the graduate job and employer: it's a missed opportunity if you don't ask a question. While you shouldn’t talk salaries, good topics to ask about include:
- graduate training and professional development
- working life/living in the area
- the company's goals
- their landmark projects
- how the company is tackling issues such as sustainability.
These questions show that you are genuinely interested in the job and are seriously considering the practicalities of taking it.
When asking the question, make it clear that you’ve already looked at their website and want to know more about the topic in more detail, eg 'I read on your website that...'. Asking something basic that they’ve already told you about in their recruitment literature is never a good idea.
Practical graduate interview tips
- Make sure you’re on time and dress appropriately. Smart is always best.
- Use a firm handshake: not a bone crusher and not a wet fish.
- Smile and use eye contact to engage the interviewer.
- Be confident, but not cocky.
- Don’t act a part – just be yourself.
