Got my first interview tomorrow. What will they ask?

[rvk2]

Hi everyone. I am an electrical engineering graduate and I have an interview tomorrow with Hamamatsu Photonics. This company makes photo-electronic components.

This is my first interview after graduating with my bachelors. For those who are already working in the field, what kind of questions should I expect to be asked? They said they will be giving me a test to take. Though I'm confident and know my concepts, I'm still slightly nervous because I don't know what kind of questions they'll throw at me. I can solve complex circuit problems, but don't know how I would react if they throw something I never covered in a course. Would anyone care to share their experience or give me some tips? Would appreciate it a bunch!

 

[stevez]

They might ask about prior work experience.

No one person can know everything but I suppose there are some basics that in a broad sense, everyone ought to know. When faced with a question that you can't answer you probably ought to be honest but by all means do not be apologetic. Don't babble but you might describe how you might handle that on the job. They may be looking for some very specific skills, ready to go - or they may just be trying to see how you think. Quite often the things we learned to do in college are such that we might never use them again but we did learn to think and how to solve problems. You may never know what they are looking for - don't loose sleep over it. Do your best and don't be discouraged if you don't land the job.

 

[Nigel Goodwin]

This is completely true! - I once asked an applicant if he farted a lot!, he got the job, but he lied when he said he didn't!

Unless you've done a course VERY specific to their field, I would expect their questions to be more of a general electronics nature. A collegue of mine went for an interview and one thing they asked was for him to draw and label a bridge rectifier with four seperate diodes.

 

[rvk2]

lol why would you ask that? poor guy probably pooped his pants when you asked that.

 

[HiTech]

Here are some real world Do's and Don'ts:

1. Dress appropriately for the type of position you are applying for (business suit for exec., shirt/tie for research or engr., etc.)
2. Do not discuss employee benefits unless they bring up the topic, and even then, minimize your questions on them.
3. Do research the company NOW and know some basic info. that can help you answer questions on their mission, product, and customers, etc.
4. Don't over sell yourself with too much talk, yet provide necessary, pertinent information
5. Don't dwell on your lack of job experience being a graduate, maximize your time in explaining your talents, knowledge, and eagerness
6. Do try to work in the concept of you being a "team player" as most companies welcome that mind set
7. Don't let them trap you into discussing wages unless you are offered the position in the first interview (doubtful). Tell them that you are prepared to put forth 110% in return for a rewarding experience with them and that you would expect the salary package to be on level with that type of position. Wages can be "negotiated" more in detail during a second/third intrvw.
8. Do inquire from them as to an approximate date of hire, and how much time they will give you to acclimate to the position.
9. Do send a followup letter of conversation & thanks immediately after the interview, and mail it that day, keeping it brief and noting any key issues they may have doubts on of you or spent considerable time discussing with you. Reinforce your capabilities in those areas but keep it brief. No more than 1/2 page letter is sufficient.
10. Do be polite, repeat their names aloud, as they introduce themselves, be natural, and leave a positive impression of self-confidence and flexibility.

There's always the chance that a company can choose a candidate that might not do that well on an exam in trade for someone that they feel is the right fit for their organization... with hopes of allowing you time to brush up on knowledge, etc. Browse the internet for more advice as there's lots of it out here. Also, there are web sites that provide sample letters. If you are offered the position, even if it's over the phone at a later date, you should still write a letter of acceptance and of gratitude to them. I hope all this helps you land a good job.

NOTE: I don't know your location, but here in the states, there are soecific questions an interviewer is not allowed to ask a candidate such as those dealing with race, religion, family, marriage, political, etc. They do get around it though by wording questions that will have you answering in such a way that it "suggests" the obvious. It's best to avoid even talking about religion and politics. Leave that for the lunch room once you're hired and even then avoid it since it often comes back to bite you or change worker relationships. Avoid the two topics like the plague!

 

[mister_e]

the best one i ask and people freeze all the time is:
Why should i choose yourself?

 

[mramos1]

Just be yourself. All the advise here is 100% dead on..

They are probably looking for a team player first off, someone that will fit in with their group (what else, you think they want a headache, someone to slow things down, and then they to have to build a case for HR to get rid of you?).

Now your knowledge in areas can be a plus as you will come onboard faster for them, so don't bank on Mr. Personality.

Dress professional, act professional, be respectful (and listen) but not weak (like stevez said). Let them lead.. Sure you will do fine.

They might focus on an area where their company needs strong people or their specialty. If they know you are out of school, they will not expect you to know their business/product. But that is a plus.

On electro-tech-online it is asked a lot, did you google and read up (on them in this case)?

When I hired, I asked general things in the area of electronics (not in what our company made), I watched how the person acts and responds. The confidence level told me a lot even if they did not get it all right.. Then, at the end, I asked a couple loaded questions (maybe to show I knew what we did, maybe to see if they researched us).

What location of the world are you interveiwing?

And relax, don't stress, it is just a job. I have one and I can think of at least 10 other things a day I would rather be doing.

Funny one.

I had a kid come in once with a briefcase (thought this is a bit much) then he opened it and unwrapped 1/2 built circuits to show me and tell me what they were doing to do (they were commercial grade boards half stuffed). I did not hire him, figured shrinkage and lack of focus on our projects.

Now if you DO NOT want the job:

If asked if you fart a lot, do the best you can to let one go and say "I WOULD NOT call it a A LOT". And Nigel, OK, I have messed with a few people, but never that question. Heck in the States they would probably sue me.

And why should I hire you? Don't say "Cuz I hang wifd da boyz on Electro an they aint got nutin on me".

Mentioning an episode of Myth Busters might not help either

Good luck RVK2

 

[rvk2]

I'm being interviewed in New Jersey.

What makes me nervous is not the fact that I might screw up on the attire or the personality.

I am scared of the testing....I don't know what to expect. What if it is something that I never covered in college? What if they give me a really complicated problem to solve? These are the things I am not sure of. What kind of questions are they going to ask me on the "test"? What makes me really nervous is that I was never a good test taker - I did excellent on the homework assignments and worked hard on the projects, but the surprise questions on the test is what always get me.

Hopefully they won't grill me too hard.

 

[mramos1]

Without knowing what they do, could not guess. And if someone here knew what they did, it would still be a guess.. Unless someone here worked there.

Just be you. I have hired people because I thought they had something the others did not. Opening the door on that comment.

Sometime it is better to hire someone with no experience (excluding the basics), they are not ruined yet, you can train them your way..

 

[oldtimer]

Why are you frightened of the testing,if you have a degree then you should know the answers unless it's one that is specialised.

I was a director of a small company and I was asked to interview a prospective employee because the person who usually did them was on holiday.

I just showed him round the work area and introduced him to the other workers who described the work they did then I asked him questions. He became a great asset to the firm and took over from me when I retired.

 

[mramos1]

So rvk2..

They want you! Think of it that way. Oldtimer is right too. I was thinking what do I ask them. Show them our big world first.

I did show everyone around the plant (thinking about what I was going to ask them (as I wanted to get that first impression from them and think about it) and it was a great delay)..

And I saw the plant everyday (so a walk in the park for me). Then I said to myself what do I ask them?

Don't pull out a briefcase of projects.

So be yourself and you will be fine...

 

[Nigel Goodwin]

lol why would you ask that? poor guy probably pooped his pants when you asked that.

Because the guy he was replacing DID have a problem with wind

 

[mramos1]

OK, in that case it is a very fair question.

I know the new guys we would get in, the old guys would send them to the stockroom for double 0 wire, etc. And the new guys got to do all the wire wrapping, debugging. Used to upset the stockroom people though.

 

[stevez]

Keep in mind that this is YOUR opportunity to evaluate them. That means, in my opinion, that you ought to interview them. Keep careful mental notes on how they handle themselves as it will speak volumes about what you might expect on the job. The interviewer ought to know that a candidate might be by default, in a subordinate position and could feel intimidated. Impossibly tough questions don't add value and in my opinion, only serve to inflate the interviewer's ego. As already stated, don't be apologetic. Humble and respectful -yes. Don't cower.

 

[Dean Huster]

"Why do you want to come to work for us?" is a common question.

Tests are often not a test of knowledge but to establish some points for discussion. No, you may not have correctly figured the delay time for two parallel runs on a circuit board, but the question may generate a lot of questions they'll ask about PCB layout and design which you CAN answer.

Dean

 

[BeeBop]

Because the guy he was replacing DID have a problem with wind

"A farting horse never tires; the man with gas is the man to hire."

Seriously, though, most of you who have hired, sound pretty reasonable, and intelligent. It seems to me that these days, most companies do not screen prospects themselves, but hire outside people to do this. The problem is that the outsiders do not have knowledge of the field. Human resource managers, who only hire on 'other signed authorities,' like the authority of a university, or reference, seem to me, incapable of doing their job.

If I sound a tad bitter, it probably has to do with the fear of returning to my own country, and seeking employment. I'm thinking I will end up creating my own job.

Anyway, I expect to hear the good news, rv2k, when you finish your interview today!

 

[mramos1]

Electrotech just died a couple times and came back up.. I lost a post when I went to advanced....

I had an EMAIL notification from this thread. I was excited, figured rvk2 got the job.

I came here and saw what BeeBop wrote something and I said. That is true...

Beebop is so right. My largest customer a couple years ago had a head-hunter website. He hit a few million in income and move to a bigger hosting company. Loyal is not the word. We did all the work to get him there. We covered his cost. Counted on him.

Anyway, he received a percent on their first years pay. And is hooked into all the HR departments. They pay him for ads on top of that and he gets ton of other ads from the little guys.

It was in the medical field, he worked from home and was not in the field.

So rvk2, how did you do?

 

[HiTech]

I think he parked in the CEO's reserved spot and never got past the receptionist's front desk!

 

[mramos1]

I think he parked in the CEO's reserved spot and never got past the receptionist's front desk!

Has been quiet in here.. Maybe they put him to work that day

 

[oldtimer]

Dean,the answer to your question is, I have to earn a living and I'm trained in your field of endeavor.