How To Stand Out At Your Next Engineering Job Interview

It's great news that the UK economy is moving again and that there are an increasing number of engineering vacancies on offer. All good news though don't let complacency set in. The competition for the best jobs around is still much in evidence. And if you really want that great role you will need to make sure that you stand out.

Paying attention to the; Knowledge skills and attitude advice is a useful first start. I always tend to class image and interview skills under the attitude banner. You don't have to be Miss or Mr Slick! Make sure that you have made some effort. If you are unsure what that means, ask your friendly recruitment consultant for advice on that company's dress code. Nerves can hit anyone at interview and clients do allow for that as long as you have prepared well.

With the basics covered what other advice should you take on board. The latest trend seems to be that interviewee's need to take charge…hang on; in my experience that doesn't work in the long term because you are not in charge of the final decision. Sorry a hard fact to swallow and true.

So what can you do? First key point that many people miss is; have a plan for the interview. Most of the candidates we interview who have an engineering or manufacturing background understand the value of planning. Especially if you need a specific result; big hint here.

Two of the main criteria that your interviewer is likely to use are; you're competence and your level of experience. Depending on the role and the organisation one might be ahead of the other. Ask your recruitement consultant to give you their take on this as it could be extremely helpful for you in formulating your approach. Why? Because you need to plan your interview in such a way that you ensure you put over your 'own' key messages.

Many engineering candidates can 'forget' to mention specific projects they have been involved in that could give them a final tick in the interviewers 'perfect criteria' box. In the engineering sector most candidates will have been involved in multiple projects and as a successful contributor to the team.

The easiest way to find out what might be important to your potential new employer is to carry out thorough research. You will be amazed at what this will uncover. With good old Google it is pretty easy to do. Scour their website. Follow them on LinkedIn, Twitter and facebook and look at the messages they are sharing.

You have formulated your plan and hopefully you have fully prepared? In my experience you can never do enough preparation. This is not a 'night' before activity. Spend time on this and make notes. Ask your significant other to ask you some relevant questions and practise your response.

Now here is something not every engineer is good at; selling themselves. Think of yourself as a product that someone is buying-which is what is happening by the way. Think about it. We buy products because we think we will be better for having them. They will make our life easier and provide years of good service. Remember this same 'need' is in your interviews mind. They need to understand what you can bring to their organisation and the potential you might have.

Till next time,

Mark

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