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Engineering Questions
5

Engineering Questions

Engineering Questions

(OP)
Can anyone come up with some decent questions to ask potential employees (to sort the wheat from the chaff!)
Doesn't have to be too complex, just need to check who's able to think!
This would be in the automotive field, in R&D with materials testing possibilities.

RE: Engineering Questions

"How many times have you failed your driving test".
With computers being a huge part of jobs now, maybe something to do with software?

Chris
Sr. Mechanical Designer, CAD
SolidWorks 05 SP1.1 / PDMWorks 05
ctopher's home site

RE: Engineering Questions

Eng-Tips has a whole section devoted to Automotive Engineering, divided into the following fora:

Automotive body engineering
Automotive electrical & sensor engineering
Automotive lubricant engineering
Automotive materials engineering
Automotive steering systems engineering
Automotive suspension engineering
Automotive tire/wheel engineering
Engine & fuel engineering
Transmission and Driveline engineering
Automotive Engineering other topics

Surely there exists material in the above for a few appropriate questions.

Norm

RE: Engineering Questions

Q:  If a car engine's oil pressure is 50 psi, and the projected area of a given engine bearing is 2 square inches, how is the bearing able to survive repeated application of forces measured in tons?

Q:  If a carbureted car descends a hill, retarded by engine braking alone, and then climbs an identical hill, using engine power to attain a symmetrical speed profile, does it use more fuel descending, or ascending?

(hand the candidate an intact unshielded Conrad bearing)
Q:  How do they get the balls in there?

(hand the candidate a coil spring and writing tools)
Q:  Please generate a written description of this object, suitable for purchasing more of them.

(hand the candidate writing tools)
Q:   Please write a program, in any language you choose, to display the word 'think' on a computer screen in a five by five array.  The word itself must appear not more than once in the program.

Q:  Say you have a machine part that's moved back and forth by a some kind of power device, say an electric motor.  All it has to do is go back and forth, between position A and position B, all day long.  You are designing the controller.  How many switches does the controlling device need?  How many binary digits are required to represent the state of the machine?

Mike Halloran
NOT speaking for
DeAngelo Marine Exhaust Inc.
Ft. Lauderdale, FL, USA

RE: Engineering Questions

Why are man-hole covers round?

RE: Engineering Questions

Why does your nose run and your feet smell?

I'm still pretty young to be hiring people so I can't help much.  When I've been asked questions during an interview they were always basic structural engineering principles and concepts.  I suppose if the applicant is applying for a higher position the questions should get harder.  A friend of mine told me about a little test the interviewer gave him while he was applying for a position there.  It covered some basic concepts and design.

RE: Engineering Questions

One of my employers ran candidates through a gauntlet, and required every interviewer to submit a list of the questions they usually asked, because ...  at lots of outfits, everyone asks pretty much the same questions, and (stupidly) explains the answers, so candidates appear to get smarter as they move around.

Chatting about sports, or shampoo (actually happened to me) is a waste of time.  

My personal guidelines for conducting a useful interview:

Ask questions.  Sketch illustrations to go with them.  Record the answers.  Do not explain.  Do not comment.  Do not indicate if the given answers are correct or not.  Customize a few questions to probe the candidate's claimed background.  

[ Yes, it puts the candidate under a lot of stress.  When you're working, you're under stress, and you don't have someone to explain the answers, or even the questions.  You need peers who can survive in that environment, too. ]

As soon as the candidate departs, spend ten minutes writing down your impressions.  File a polite, heavily edited version with HR.  Be very cautious about making actionable statements.

Keep your record with sketches, answers, the date and the candidate's name.  You may need it to defend yourself.

examples:

"Geez, why did you recommend we hire that girl as a receptionist; that's a sexist stereotype."  "Granted, but she claimed to be a programmer, was interviewing for a programming position, and I couldn't induce her to pick up a pencil and write a simple program.  She's not repulsive looking, doesn't smell bad, and speaks clearly.  You put a question on the HR form asking what I'd hire her for if not for the putative position, and I answered it honestly.  Remove the question from the form if you don't want it answered."

"Geez, why did you recommend that we not hire that girl?"  "She claimed to be a nuclear engineer, so I asked her what a moderator does.  She didn't have a clue.  And she didn't do well on the general engineering questions I asked, either.  Here are my notes.."

No, I don't have anything against women engineers; I know a couple whom I'd hire in a minute, for their brains.  Those two were memorable because I was challenged about them, and they clearly had no qualifications beyond helping us meet some EEOC statistic.

Your mileage may vary.







Mike Halloran
NOT speaking for
DeAngelo Marine Exhaust Inc.
Ft. Lauderdale, FL, USA

RE: Engineering Questions

MikeHalloran
I had to give you a star. There should be more like you out there.
So...How do they get those balls in those Conrad's? oops!

Regards

pennpoint

  

RE: Engineering Questions

Carburize,

I think I know the answer

RE: Engineering Questions

quark - I ask it of all new engineers -  I don't realy care what answer they come up with as long as there is a degree of logic in the reply.

RE: Engineering Questions

Is an acceptable reply : they aren't?

On at least two levels.

Cheers

Greg Locock

Please see FAQ731-376 for tips on how to make the best use of Eng-Tips.

RE: Engineering Questions

Give some consideration to the experience you are expecting in that position.  IE, do you expect interviewees to be fully knowledgeable in what you're doing?  Or is this new grads that you're interviewing?  Do you expect them to be familiar with software that you're using?

I've seen a few positions advertised where it was hard to imagine that anyone could fit the qualifications other than the previous job holder.

The 4-wheel-loads problem posted elsewhere might give some interesting discussion.

RE: Engineering Questions

greg - that would be fine provided the answer can be substantiated with reasonable evidence.

RE: Engineering Questions

I start with general questions about education,
experience, etc.  I ask about their car;  what
they like/don't like about it...what repairs/
maintenence/improvements they have done or
anticipate.  (It never ceases to amaze me how
many can be weeded out by not knowing what a
torsion bar is, or how a turbocharger works.)

I give them a small box with a few nuts, bolts,
fittings, small mechanical parts (some broken...How?)
and ask them to tell me everthing they can about
the object; mat'l, thread size/type, plating,
strength class, uses, method of mfr, etc....
I use the same box
so comparisons are easier.  I have some common
questions regarding a gear train, and driveshaft.
Do not answer any of your own questions....

Jr Engr/Recent grads applicants get a 10 min missing-view drafting exercise to check for visualization ability.

I've never used the man-hole cover question before;
I'd never even thought of the reason myself until asked
in one of my own interviews years ago....

The more you know, the more you
know you don't know....

RE: Engineering Questions

Do you have a Roark book?  [ "what's that?" = bye-bye ]

what edition?

what condition is it in?  [beat-up = hire 'em]

RE: Engineering Questions

MintJulep,
I know exactly what it is, know where two are located, and have used one on numerous occasions.  Did have quite a few diagrams (text book quality).
Do I get the job if I bring one to my interview?

I didn't get to interview that many new hires but my approach was to let them lead by starting with school subjects then asking about why their interest in our company and knowledge there of.  If they knew our company, where would they like to fit in.  Like arto I talked about tools of the trade and what they had to bring to the job.  If they retained reference books a big plus.  Like it has been stated the evaluation form really didn't have enough space for any comments to justify any statements or check marks.  I don't remember but one or two persons that I thought very highly of being hired.

Like most interviews the HR department governed the hiring.  One time they had given a job candidate an offer prior to his interviews with the various departments, myself included.   It got to where it was make work job knowing very well your input to the process was not considered.  The only part I liked being their escort and going out to lunch with someone the HR people really wanted to hire.  The escort part at times was very revealing as I really liked the curious ones, you could glean a lot from the ones who would ask questions?

RE: Engineering Questions

Pennpoint, not to put too sharp a, er,  point on it, but your stars are invisible.  

There are two correct answers to the manhole question.  One is, "Because the _holes_ are round, Dummy!".  The other is the converse of the reason why manhole _plugs_ are _not_ round.

I knew the company was in trouble when I noticed that HR only sent me people they didn't want to hire anyway.  The ones who grew their own sharkskin suits, just showed up for work one day.






Mike Halloran
NOT speaking for
DeAngelo Marine Exhaust Inc.
Ft. Lauderdale, FL, USA

RE: Engineering Questions

Unclesyd,

Not many people know what it is, and few still have ever used one.  I have one as a desk ornament.  Doubt I'll ever actually need to use one again, but you never know.

It's disappointing how few people can figure out what it does.  It's a pretty simple mechanical device, and all of the working parts are exposed.  The only person I've ever quizzed that actually worked it out was an electrical engineer.  Every mechanical engineer I've ever asked has given up.

RE: Engineering Questions

I have been asking candidates to solve a simple statics problem (although I don't tell them it is a statics problem) and a structural topology problem on a white board. You can tell if a candidate is not going to work out if he will not even come up to the white board!

The statics problem is an easy one: I ask the candidates to solve for the axle loads of a two axle vehicle knowing the mass, mass center location, and wheelbase. Some candidates go “I don’t know.” I always ask them to at least come up to the board and sketch out what they do know. Sometimes I ask them if they even know what kind of a problem it is (i.e. statics). Sometimes it is just an engineer being nervous and they get it and can do fine. I have has some candidates, however, even get through the problem when I added a third axle (statically indeterminate).

The structural design problem is a good one too. I like to see if engineers can visualize the stress patterns in a simple C-clamp like problem and know where the load paths need to go. One engineer who had Altair’s OptiStruct at home and was an expert user of the tool struggled a little but came up with a decent looking concept. He emailed me his result from OptiStruct after the interview. His result was the same as the one I guided him through during the interview. Hired him.

I am still looking for an engineering analyst with vehicle dynamics experience. I need a Greg Locock!

Best regards,

Matthew Ian Loew


Please see FAQ731-376 for tips on how to make the best use of Eng-Tips Fora.

RE: Engineering Questions

Matthew - your approach sounds much like that used by the engineering group leader who interviewed me some years ago for a piping stress analysis position.  He sketched on a notepad a simplified problem typical of what the position would encounter, gave a very brief introduction with an objective, and requested a conceptual solution.  In my case, it was a 3-D piping arrangement to be supported seismically.  Assuming that no space conflict issues exist, where would you place dynamic restraints?  (For the record, I passed the little quiz and was hired.)

I think it sums up as "I'll stipulate to the information that's contained in your resume.  Now show me how you think".

Norm

RE: Engineering Questions

Let the peers that the candidate may be working with guide you with questions. The new guy should have some knowledge of the specialty in question and the language of that specialty. Otherwise he is a fish out of water and possibly unqualified.

RE: Engineering Questions

Hand them a surface ground steel bar less than 1" in diameter, and about 3" long with ends machined squarely. Have two micrometers sitting on the table - one that measures to the nearest 0.001" and the other to the nearest 0.0001". Also have a pair of vernier calipers there too - the mechanical type, not the digital display. Ask the candidate to measure the diameter to the nearest 0.0001", and the length to the nearest 0.005". Observe what they do, and evaluate the quality of their answers. Do they know how to use micrometers? Do they understand what the tolerance on a set of vernier calipers actually is? This will tell you a great deal about their training.

Maui  

RE: Engineering Questions

Maui -
What about us aging interviewees that can't see verniers anymore?

RE: Engineering Questions

Arto, that's what bifocals are for!

Maui

RE: Engineering Questions

Friends,

There's a parallel Thread731-118856 that is dealing with ridiculous interview questions, whereas this thread is looking for good ones in earnest.  I have to post mine in both places.  It was ridiculous when it was asked of me, but it might be a good one for someone interviewing where a good feel for heat transfer is core:

"If I give you a piping-hot cup of coffee and a chilled container of cream, and you want the mixture to be as hot as possible 15 minutes from now when you will have a chance to take your first sip, should you mix them now or later, just before you sip?"

Good on ya,

Old Dave

RE: Engineering Questions

That's WITH the bifocals - I feel like I have Cookie-Monster eyeballs when I'm trying to read the lined-up lines. -Gotta get a dial indicator.


My best interview questions were the time I had "Scoutmaster" listed on the bottom of my Mech. Eng'r. resume, under community service. All we did was talk about campouts & scout stuff - cooking eggs in paper cups, etc.-through multiple interviewers.

The first guy introduced me to the next guy- "He's a scoutmaster" - it repeated all down the line.

I got down to the end, sitting with them all together with the Engrg VP & said "don't you want to ask me any engineering questions?"  they said "naw - you know all that stuff" -  & they hired me!

So - I guess the moral of the story is to include your hobbies on the resume, so they have something interesting to talk about & don't just ask you about eigenvectors!  
How about "tie me a bowline or a sheepshank?"   

RE: Engineering Questions

Unclesyd - even the electrical engineers at my uni would know what one of those were - we had a brilliant lab plotting and analysing the indicator diagram for a stationary gas engine, which had a hit and miss governor.

Cheers

Greg Locock

Please see FAQ731-376 for tips on how to make the best use of Eng-Tips.

RE: Engineering Questions

2
"...in R&D with materials testing possibilities."

You likely would want to include some questions about dye penetrant, mag particle, x-ray, eddy current, macro and microscopic, metallographic tests, etc.  When and why to use one or more of these tests?

Hand them a casting, a forging, a piece of hot rolled steel, cold finished steel.  Ask some questions about how these parts were produced and what type of tests should be performed to qualify them.

RE: Engineering Questions

MikeHalloran
Sorry Mike, the star is posted now (17 Mar 05).
I got draged away right at the moment I was to throw the star at you. When I came back to this forum I had oldhimers.
Could'nt remember a thing.
Great post being made by all.

Regards
 

RE: Engineering Questions

Sheel hire 400 graduates and by the end of the year they are down to 100.

You could hire three trainees on a three month probation and tell them only one gets the job.

I once knew of a human resources manager who kept his labrador under the desk. If the dog wagged its tail he hired the person. He was happy with his success rate. Canine instinct beats the hell out of one off tests. Isnt that what school, college and university is supposed to sort out?

What you are looking for is innovation, determination and inventiveness. You dont get that from tests. get them to doodle and then explain the doodle it will be just as haphazard as all your tests.

RE: Engineering Questions

And your point is?

I worked for a company that offered jobs to grown-ups, not kids. After moving half way across the country, after three months they sacked a significant %age

A few years later I went to work for someone else, moving half way round the world. Guess what, they sacked/terminated/retired 40% over the next 18 months.



Cheers

Greg Locock

Please see FAQ731-376 for tips on how to make the best use of Eng-Tips.

RE: Engineering Questions

stanier said,

"What you are looking for is innovation, determination and inventiveness. You dont get that from tests. get them to doodle and then explain the doodle it will be just as haphazard as all your tests."

Just the other day I was reading a blurb by a world recognized LEADER about management.  He was touting another famous management consultant.  He talked about this very thing and means for ferreting out whether or not the applicant has these attributes that mean more than knowing details about the job, not that knowhow and education are not important also.  Now I can't find the article.  I am afraid I've caught pennpoint's oldhimers.  Maybe it will come to mind and I'll post a few comments after rereading.

RE: Engineering Questions

metman:

I wish you success in the treatment of your oldhimers, because now you have me very interested in reading the article you mention!

RE: Engineering Questions

Just my thoughts, I think some questions regarding the basics are important.  Any other questions are really for getting someone to think under pressure (stress).  The answer of "I don't know" is never acceptable.

DRWeig, I like this
"If I give you a piping-hot cup of coffee... before you sip?"

Although, I have to admit that I have have been the interviewee more than the interviewer.

Two Questions:  First where do I find the hiring manager with the a lab?

Second; anyone in the Charlotte area hiring an electrical engineer with to much mechancial & sales experience?


RE: Engineering Questions

For me, "I don't know" is a perfectly acceptable answer.  I might then inquire how the candidate might go about finding the answer, in order to probe the way (s)he thinks and learns.

An educated guess would be okay if identified as such, but I would not hire a candidate who would synthesize an answer from nothing.  B.S. artists are not in short supply.

 




Mike Halloran
NOT speaking for
DeAngelo Marine Exhaust Inc.
Ft. Lauderdale, FL, USA

RE: Engineering Questions

I worked for a metallurgist while in school who said that a good answer is, "I don't know but I can find out."

RE: Engineering Questions

What I meant with the "I don't know" statement was left as that alone with nothing to follow it up.  metman nailed it on the head.  For me that response shows first that the person is not going make a WAG and also displays a drive to determine the correct answer and/or response.

RE: Engineering Questions

Hello everyone,  I was wondering if we could put a bit of a different spin on this question?  What sort of things do interviewers look for from the candidate?

I'm still an immature engineer and hope to have many more interviews in the future.  

I'm always wondered about the border between cocky and confident, good non-academic experience to bring up, how casual or professional to appear,etc.

I'd appreciate any thoughts at all.

Cheers everyone

RE: Engineering Questions

If he has had experience, ask him if he could explain his most significant accomplishment in some detail and then it is up to you, the interviewer to probe his answers in as much depth as possible to see if he was a real contributer or just a member of his team.

RE: Engineering Questions

MartPigFace:
"...just need to check who's able to think!"

In our lab at school, there was a sign on the wall that read, "One valid test is worth a thousand expert opinions."

Maybe subconsciously this thought in part led me to my first post on this thread (20 Mar 05 19:15).  In light of your specific needs, the interviewee's answers would allow you to weed out those who do not understand this critical principle.  You could taylor your questions so that the bright one(s) will ask appropriate questions about the component/product mfg process, application, and field survival/failure history before they respond with answers for what they consider valid testing.

One of my tenets is that an accurate definition of the problem is a large step in determinig the solution.  For example;  experience in failure analysis helps me to design for reliability.  Show the applicant some failed parts that exihibit classical failure modes and have them identify the failure mechanism.  you could lay several failed parts on a table/desk and ask them to choose which one exhibits fatigue, single cycle overload, wear induced failure, etc.  Does this pattern exhibit torsional, bending, combined stress?  You could select some excerpts from failure reports including photomicrographs, case hardness microhardness traverse, material qualification test reports, etc and ask them to explain the meaning of the results, microstructural anomalies, etc.

RE: Engineering Questions

In interviewing candidates for membership of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers I found that one knew within five minutes if the interviewee knew what they were talking about. The process involved the candidate  preparing a written submission. A panel was formed of experts in the particular field presented. Questions were posed specifically at the written submission. As soon as there was any indecision or vagueness we would concentrate on that area.

Another technique was to ask leading questions with the aim of encouraging the candidate to speak freely. A bit like trying to communicate with a teenager. You cant lecture or ask direct questions you just have to let them speak and judge from what they say as to their depth of knowledge and how they present it to you.

We old timers have to remember that we live in a different Millenium. Now information is readily available and the skill set is knowing how to use it rather than in the past having to remember knowing all the information and a couple of textbooks off by heart. Now we look for articulation and the smarts to read and understand something that is varied and fast moving.

If you want someone to do a routine job dont look for the smartest as they will soon become bored. If you need inventivess and an entrepreneur dont expect them to carry the information in their head.

RE: Engineering Questions

I was interviewed by an engineering manager who asked a question something like this:


Material A is more expensive, per pound, than material B.
You need a certain volumes of either A or B.
Using the specific gravity of A and B (given), which material would be less expensive.
           

RE: Engineering Questions

Ask them why they think they would be an asset to the company if employed.

Pick the one with the best answer!

RE: Engineering Questions

That tends to identify the extroverts, sales-oriented types and those who have extensive current interview experience over those otherwise qualified individuals who are more modest in their self-descriptions.  I'd guess that this line of inquiry might be more relevant to some positions than others.

Norm

RE: Engineering Questions

debodine,

I like your handle:  I will have to visit the "handle" thread to see if you talk about it there.

You said:

"metman:

I wish you success in the treatment of your oldhimers, because now you have me very interested in reading the article you mention!"

All is not lost.  I still have a few marbles left.  Enjoy:

http://www.chally.com/news/powell.html  A Chally Focus Article...A Leadership Primer from General (Ret.) Colin Powell, Secretay of State.

RE: Engineering Questions

Manhole covers are round so they don't fall into the hole.

I think asking the applicant why he thinks he or she will be an asset to the company would be an excellent way to bring out their iniative and how well they prepared for the interview. You should probe their response to judge their truthfulness and sincerity. How they would think on their own in response to the above question should give you an insight on their though process to come up with solutions solutions to problems. I think if you as the question, you will be surprised at the range of response you will get.

RE: Engineering Questions

metman:

Yes I discussed my handle in the "handles" forum.  I hope you are a Beverly Hillbillies fan, because if you are you will enjoy my discussion of the origin of my handle in that forum.

Thank you for finding that article...General Colin Powell is one of my favorite leaders to read.  Such good info I just had to give your post a star!

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