Why do you want to become an engineer?

chris85

Ok I have some interview next week for a graduate position and they want me to do a powerpoint presentation on this title as well as how the company can help me become an engineer.

some answer to this question would help. I am thinking along the lines of being able to help society through design. The good interview answers if you know what i mean.

Please help me get started as the job looks pretty good and I am travelling a bit to do the interview.

Cheers

godtabh

chris85 wrote: »

Ok I have some interview next week for a graduate position and they want me to do a powerpoint presentation on this title as well as how the company can help me become an engineer.

some answer to this question would help. I am thinking along the lines of being able to help society through design. The good interview answers if you know what i mean.

Please help me get started as the job looks pretty good and I am travelling a bit to do the interview.

Cheers

So you can afford beer and porn. Why else?

Seriously though.

Not sure if helping society is what I would say. What type of engineering is it?

kearnsr

kearnsr wrote: »

So you can afford beer and porn. Why else?

Better beer and porn!

I'd be looking at the projects the company has been involved with in the past as well as looking for every bit of information on the company that there is, and basing a presentation on that.

How do you become a good engineer - you would point to the excellent staff they have, the excellent jobs they've worked on, what you can offer, your experience, your area(s) of interest, where you'd like to end up & how that company alone can get you there etc. At least that's the angle I'd start off with.

chris85

kearnsr wrote: »

So you can afford beer and porn. Why else?

Seriously though.

Not sure if helping society is what I would say. What type of engineering is it?

Well one of the philosophies of the company is to be able to have the ability to change social aspects through there work. They are a very big international construction company. I am being interviewed as part of their fire engineering department.

I think they see how I can make a lasting impact as an engineer and not just do the routine stuff.

Voodu Child

Ive sat in on a couple of interviews. I'd be in a different field than yourself, but tbh, if I heard someone say they're doing it to help society, i'd laugh them out the door :pac: Talking sh1te like that is more suited to being a politican or lawyer.

Questions like that are more about getting a feel for what kind of a guy you are, your cop-on levels, attitude, etc. Are you in it for the money, do you have any kind of work ethic, are you going to do a runner as soon as another company offers you more, all that kind of stuff is what they're trying to get a handle on. Sometimes you can tell more about someone by the way they say something, rather than what they say.

Just tell the truth, people can smell BS a mile away. Talk about why you like engineering, problem solving, all that kind of jazz.

Darren1o1

chris85 wrote: »

Ok I have some interview next week for a graduate position and they want me to do a powerpoint presentation on this title as well as how the company can help me become an engineer.

some answer to this question would help. I am thinking along the lines of being able to help society through design. The good interview answers if you know what i mean.

Please help me get started as the job looks pretty good and I am travelling a bit to do the interview.

Cheers

I would speak more from an interest point of view. I was asked this question for my current job and I spoke about being interested in how things work through the appliance of science. I gave a progression from childhood and how it developed. Eg building stuff in lego as kid (designing strange planes etc), engineering/metalworking in school, interesting in how cars work, all the way to an interest in applications of theories learn't in college(maybe bring in an internship where you applied some knowledge). They are probably looking to see you have an interest in engineering apposed to something applied directly to them and their philosophies, although bringng them in would be definitely worthwhile.

godtabh

voodoo_child wrote: »

Ive sat in on a couple of interviews. I'd be in a different field than yourself, but tbh, if I heard someone say they're doing it to help society, i'd laugh them out the door :pac: Talking sh1te like that is more suited to being a politican or lawyer.

Questions like that are more about getting a feel for what kind of a guy you are, your cop-on levels, attitude, etc. Are you in it for the money, do you have any kind of work ethic, are you going to do a runner as soon as another company offers you more, all that kind of stuff is what they're trying to get a handle on. Sometimes you can tell more about someone by the way they say something, rather than what they say.

Just tell the truth, people can smell BS a mile away. Talk about why you like engineering, problem solving, all that kind of jazz.

Thats what I was thinking but didnt know what field the OP was looking to get into which could have influenced his answers.

I'm not sure how I would answer that question.

If I was to answer why I got into engineering I would say because I was good at figuring things out and how they worked and developed from there. Build up from that and use examples from college of how your problem solving skills have progressed and use an example of the companies work and how that how you would apply yourself to it.

Fremen

You might do well to tell them you like the idea of having a hand in a huge project which will directly influence thousands. Imagine what it would be like to have worked on the hoover dam, for example.

PR drones love that kind of crap.

godtabh

Fremen wrote: »

PR drones love that kind of crap.

Whats public relations got to do with an interview for an egnieering job?

Fremen

Whoops, I meant HR

Feelgood

I wanna be a brain surgeon.

godtabh

Fremen wrote: »

Whoops, I meant HR

oh right yeah

chris85

Cheers for the replies guys been a good help. The interview is on monday so looking forward to it in a way. Apparently it will be about 2 hours long :eek:

Doing up the powerpoint presentation, trying to get some good looking pics to help me and the right amount of text. Looking ok so far.

Dundhoone

What I think the best thing about being an Engineer is that I rarely have the same day twice. The variety of work you get to do is great. You get to be a salesman, accountant, manager and the technical guy. Your job can be a mix of indoor and outdoor work.

I cant think of any other profession that is as diverse.

Hot Dog

Because you get to make a difference, You don't want to be some data entry stooge putting bank statements through a computer, or some nobody behind a phone answering ridiculous questions every day. You can have part in designing something which can last a significant portion of a lifetime and have an effect on human lives.

Engineering is an ancient discipline, chronicling man manipulation of his environment for his improved happiness.

aquascrotum

chris85 wrote: »

graduate position and they want me to do a powerpoint presentation

F**king hell - thats extreme for a grad position.

Another good line to play on is that if the company is multidisciplinary you can say that you want to gather skills and experience from working with other disciplines and so have a more rounded knowledge of the construction industry. My last lot lapped that up

chris85

aquascrotum wrote: »

F**king hell - thats extreme for a grad position.

Another good line to play on is that if the company is multidisciplinary you can say that you want to gather skills and experience from working with other disciplines and so have a more rounded knowledge of the construction industry. My last lot lapped that up

They are big on the whole multidisciplinary design aspects. Thats exactly the way I hope i can lead the interview towards. I hope it doesnt go really technical as my head is full of my project info at the moment. There is someone from HR gonna be in the interview as well as a manager from the department im applying for so may be a bit of a mix.

Dundhoone

Well the psychologists think we engineers all tend towards aspergers syndrome and the consultancies all seem to want to hire engineers who can "sell" their services.

So the days of the nerdy math loving engineer are coming to a close!

folan

I will always be a nerdy math loving engineer. Pity Im crap at the math.

Last interview I was in, there was noone from HR, just the dept manager, and it was a bit harder cause it was all geared towards technical stuff.

Dundhoone

Dundhoone wrote: »

So the days of the nerdy math loving engineer are coming to a close!

NOOOOOOOO!

Darren1o1

Dundhoone wrote: »

So the days of the nerdy math loving engineer are coming to a close!

Gets my cap!

godtabh

folan wrote: »

I will always be a nerdy math loving engineer. Pity Im crap at the math.

Last interview I was in, there was noone from HR, just the dept manager, and it was a bit harder cause it was all geared towards technical stuff.

I did 3 interviews before christmas and each was totally different from the other.

One was with ESBI. Twice. With on average 4 people per interview. Went for one section for an interview and they liked me and HR wanted me to do another interview for a different section.

Had an interview with an old boss. In his office. Grand job.

Where I am working now the new boss took me to the pub for lunch. Liked the cut of my job and I'm here now

Don1

Fame, women and beer!

The truth: wasn't interested in anything, and engineering was the thing that I was least not interested in, if that makes sense. So yeah, happy out.............

chris85

Don1 wrote: »

Fame, women and beer!

The truth: wasn't interested in anything, and engineering was the thing that I was least not interested in, if that makes sense. So yeah, happy out.............

Theres fame? i thought we are the guys who get forgotten

Cheers for the help guys, the interview went well and hopefully hear back soon about it.

Don1

Yeah, the fame and women part may have been made up..............
There is always beer though.
"Genious is 1% inspiration, 99% persperation. That's why engineers sometimes smell a bit funny!"