What follows is a list of interview questions that
students have recently been asked at various
interviews and assessment centres. This list
includes questions that have been asked by several
engineering and finance employers including: Arup,
Atkins, Ernst & Young, GKN, Hoare Lea, Max Fordham,
Mckinsey, Mott MacDonald, Rolls Royce, Shell, and
WSP. Practice by answering some yourself. Further
down the page are extended questions that have been
asked in technical interviews.
Who are our competitors and how
are they different from us?
What do our customers want? Where are we based?
Name one of our products Why do you want to be a
[consultant]?
Would you specialise or be general?
What have you enjoyed most about your degree and
why?
What grade are you aiming for, and what is your
biggest obstacle to achieving this?
Why do you want to work for us?
Who else have you applied to?
When did you decide you wanted to be a [consultant]?
What do you see as being your day-to day work?
What will you get out of working here?
Where do you see yourself in five (and ten) years?
What systems are there in this building?
Why did you choose [Bristol] University?
Tell me about your summer placement
Why have you chosen to apply for this job function?
What is your favourite place/building and why?
What do you know about us?
What has recently inspired you?
What would be your ideal day?
What would you not like about a typical day working
here?
What people don’t you like working with?
What people do you like working with?
Describe a time when you have felt uneasy
Describe a time when you found yourself in a new
situation
What do you think are your main
strengths/weaknesses?
What skills have you developed at university that
are not related to your course?
Which of our offices would you prefer to work in and
why?
Give an example of a time when you have been in a
team and had to persuade the group
Give an example of when you have had to work to a
tight deadline
Give an example of time where you have had to deal
with a difficult customer
How do you see [your hobby] fitting in with your
job?
How is your essay writing, grammar and spelling?
How well have you managed your finances whilst at
University?
Have you given many presentations before?
For insider tips on interview questions we
thoroughly recommend visiting www.WikiJob.co.uk.
Technical Interviews
Some of these questions have tips underneath
them, so be careful not to accidentally read them
before you attempt the questions.
Q1) Two balls of the same mass,
same material and same size, except one has a hollow
centre. How could you tell which is which?
Tip: Talk about moments of inertia and moments
of area.
Q2) Draw the shear force and
bending moment diagrams for a simply supported beam.
How do these vary if the beam is now triangular in
shape like (i.e. largest depth at mid-span).
Q3) Explain how an aerofoil works.
Q4) A radiator delivers 1kW of
heating to a room. What would happen if the hot
water was swapped for cold water, and would it now
be taking away 1kW? Draw the thermal boundary layers
for both the hot and cold situations.
Tip: It depends on the relative temperatures
between hot water and room, and cold water and room.
Pick sensible temperatures for both and use Q=kA(dt).
Q5) An ice skater skates in a
circle and holds onto a rope. The other end of the
rope goes through a hole in the ice at the centre of
his circular path and is attached to a heavy mass
which is free to accelerate downwards. Describe the
path the ice skater will follow.
Tip: Mention that if (mv2)/r is satisfied, the
path will remain a perfect circle.
