[Sticky] How To Prepare For Mechanical Engineer Interviews?

Overview

Mechanical Engineer interview questions can be extremely varied depending on the interviewer, the company, and the nature of the role. Interview questions typically fall into one of three groups: behavioral, project, and concept questions.

Behavioral questions are questions about your personality and life experiences. These are consistent across almost all interviews, and really focus on the applicant as an individual and a teammate.

The other two types of questions can vary depending on the company and are usually more difficult.

Project questions are focused entirely on jobs and projects you've worked on in the past.

Since Mechanical Engineering is generally very project-oriented, expect to discuss specifically the:

• Goal of the project.
• Tools/resources you used.
• Specific jobs you did.
• And the final outcome of the project.

When answering, be mindful of the narrative you're painting and emphasize the experience and skills you learned or practiced.

• Describe a stress-strain curve, and how real stress/strain differs from engineering stress/strain.
• Why is a tube better than a rod in a frame?
• What is heat treatment and what are the benefits?

*The overview section was inspired and co-written by a Mechanical Engineer from Microsoft.*

Some Helpful Prep Resources

For Mechanical Engineering interview prep, the technical/concept questions greatly vary depending on the type of device(s) the company makes. However, below are some resources to help you get started (do not feel like you need to know every question from every guide, just look at what is applicable for you).  

• Attached is a pdf of a very extensive list of questions that can be helpful for interview preparation (created by Akshay Vaishnav) 
• wisdomjobs.com 
• InterviewPenguin

Reply any questions or comments you might have on MechE interview Prep (can be specifics or general Qs) below!