69gto96z

iTrader: (13)

I will be graduating in may, and have an interview Thursday for a Mechanical Engineering position. This will be my first big interview, and I have NO clue what to bring with me, or if I should take anything. I have interned at two places during my college career, and do have some pictures of models and things I have built. What would you guys recommend?

dh007

iTrader: (2)

Man congrats !!!
I would bring nada since you do not know what they want unless you have done your home work

Bad Chad

iTrader: (94)

Make sure you wear a nice watch....



Congrats, take a lot of hard work to get there

05 GSXR 1XXX

iTrader: (16)

^ lmao I was thinking that while reading his post!!

I'd bring yor pictures and models, proof of intern.

Wear nice long sleeve, slacks dress shoes..

Good luck!!

69gto96z

iTrader: (13)

I do not know exactly what they are looking for, but they design and build a whole line of CNC machines, and also have programming software to run them. The job description says that SolidWorks experience is a must, and I do have some screen shots of parts I have modeled. I have a decently nice watch I plan on wearing, it has some miles but shouldn't be too noticeable with the shirt I will be wearing. Thanks for the congrats! I am so glad it is coming to an end, I am ready to make some money, pay my college debt off, get a new truck and start all over from the ground up on my car, and swap an ls motor into it

Also, I am kind of skeptical on taking pictures of models I have made, because technically they are the property of the company I am working for, and I do not want that to reflect badly on me.

1BADCTS

iTrader: (17)

I would definitely suggest putting together a work portfolio that covers some pics of models/prototypes.... And even a picture of you holding a trophy after winning a school competition! I've hired roughly 20 engineers for my team over the last 5 years, half of them straight from school. Trust me, pictures are a good thing.

If you interview in a room with a marker board, don't be afraid to get up there and sketch out some things if it helps in answering a design question.

Good luck!

kpeterson

Congratulations on your degree and being invited to an interview. I finished a BSME in 1986 and just getting an interview was a big deal at that time (at least in San Diego).

I would recommend enthusiasm and a positive attitude as important things to bring. I have interviewed many recent graduates over the years and a disturbing trend that I have observed is some pretty big egos among engineering students and recent graduates. Engineering is a difficult subject and anyone who graduates is entitled to some degree of pride. BUT you will now be entering the world where rather than other students, you’ll be side by side with other engineers. Many of these people have been solving problems and making their employer’s rich since before you were born. In school the curriculum exposes the student to a broad base of topics. In the workplace most engineers will need to know a great deal about a very focused topic. Another frustrating characteristic is the mindset that 90% right is good. In industry a product can fail and lives can be lost because .0001% of the project was wrong. A slipped decimal point will no longer get partial credit.

My friends at General Dynamics once told me that the consensus there was that an engineer would not likely contribute much of value until he (or she) had five years of experience.

In the mechanical engineering field being a “hands on” person is often a big advantage. It sad to see how many mechanical engineers have never held a wrench, operated a lathe or mill or run a bead with a welder. Knowing how to accurately use measuring equipment is another skill that many MEs don’t have when they’ve finished school. If you’ve put together a solid performance car some interviewers will want to hear about what you did and why. If you’re bringing a portfolio of your projects and drawings then photos of your “technical hobby” can be included. If you’ve never had the funds to do things right on your car projects then I’d skip the photos at this point. Examples of anything “half assed” will not help your chances of being hired.

Before an interview doing a bit of research about the company and its products never hurts.

Good luck and be prepared to be paid for 40 hours while working over 50 hour /week.

Kerry P.

whitesmokels1

iTrader: (4)

What he said ^

If they called you in for an interview, they already think you are most likely qualified for the job. Now all you have to do is not mess it up. You should portray yourself as someone that is likeable and would be a good addition to the team. Believe it or not, when I interviewed for my job, we ended up talking about my LS1 swapped '79 Camaro and working on a farm repairing heavy equipment during the summers the most.

Also, you may want to pick out a couple of stories about solving a problem during your internships and reherse them.

69gto96z

iTrader: (13)

Awesome guys, thanks for the pointers! And please keep them coming. I am open to any and every suggestion and tip I can find. My degree is actually in Mechanical Engineering Technology, so I do have some hands on from school. However, I like to think of myself as being bread for engineering lol. My hands on experience goes back to when I was old enough to understand what tool was what, and hand my dad tools and help him with his car as I grew older. My Christmas presents since I was a kid weren't video games, they ranged from electronics kits, to lego mindstorms robotics kits, chemistry kits, and things along those lines. I bought my first car at 12, a 1969 GTO, and me and my dad restored it. Yes I bought it, not my parents, my dad let me work for minimum wage at the company he works at, and I worked there up until I was leaving for college. One controversial thing I have for a portfolio is a beer pong table I built. I know it is not "professional." However, it is full LED underlit, with designs CNC'ed into it so light shines through it. It has automatic ping pong ball washers in it that I designed and made on a CNC mill. I started with an idea, put it on paper, modeled it, and built it. Every person who has ever seen it praises me for how nice it is, and I have had offers of $400+ from people wanting to buy it. I am definitely going to include some car pictures in the portfolio. I have gotten to the point where if there is something I want to build or do to my car, I will spend the time to model it first, before I ever turn a wrench on it. It is not necessary, but however I feel a sense of accomplishment from taking ideas, to drawings, to the final product.

I know it will take years for somebody to reach their engineering potential, but being around it my whole life I do think I have a head start over the average Joe coming out of a Bachelors program.

Again guys, thanks for all the pointers!!! I am reading every post and taking in everything I can.

hiram007

iTrader: (19)

1BADCTS and kpeterson hit it right on the money. Since the interview you will attend is for a job that leans heavily on the design side and specifically wants someone with SolidWorks experience, a portfolio is a must along with copies of your resume just in case. Your internships will definitely help as far as the techincal terms that get thrown around in the industry. And dont worry about using still photos from an internship, legal issues only come up if you use the design to benefit the company you will work for by using confidential information. Since this is more of a show and tell in an interview, you should be fine showcasing everything you have done up until this point. I was in the same boat as you back in 2006, I was shitting bricks because I had my first interview for a "real job". Always remember that your first impression is your last impression. You've busted your *** to get this far, dont screw it up lol jk you'll be fine. And congrats to another fellow ME grad

TruBloodTransAm

iTrader: (24)

Don't listen to the guy who says to bring "nada".

Get your hair cut a few days in advance, clean shave the morning of your interview. Dress sharp, clean shoes. Bring your OWN pen (and not some cheap Bic either) and a nice leather bound folder with a few extra copies of your resumes (not on cheap recycled paper either). You don't know how many managers you will be meeting, they appreciate it when you show up prepared.

You're going for an engineering interview, not some dumbass marketing major interview. You want to show precision and attention to detail (what engineering is about), and that you are always prepared.

You're welcome, and good luck.

1965GP

iTrader: (2)

I say leave the watch at home... If you act like you dont need the job you won't get it. You do not want to give the image you could walk out at anytime.

I'm saying be confident- not cocky.

Do lots of research on them and their competitors.

I agree on the hobby- these guys are going to ask what you do with your free time- impress them.

There are questions they cannot ask - (are you married, do you have kids, do you own a home etc). If the answers to these questions benefit you and make you look more qualified/stable volunteer the info.

If you are straight out of school go to men's warehouse and buy a good outfit. What I thought was nice in college is not what I would wear to an interview today.
Good luck. As others have said if you got the interview the job is yours to lose.

1965GP

iTrader: (2)

2nd on multiple resumes- for the job I had 6 separate interviews a lunch and a dinner all in the same day. Come prepared for anything and don't let anything throw you off your game.

hiram007

iTrader: (19)

A watch isnt too bad of an idea, I had one with my class ring. He should be fine as long as it isnt a rolex and flaunting it around

69gto96z

iTrader: (13)

Its a $30 polo watch

hiram007

iTrader: (19)

^^^ lol, youll be ok, I had a guess watch

69gto96z

iTrader: (13)

I am curious though, how would a watch show I don't need the job?

AGRV8D

iTrader: (19)

look for the "watch" thread... LMAO

69gto96z

iTrader: (13)

There really is a "watch" thread? I did a search just to check and found nothing.

1965GP

iTrader: (2)

To some people a 'nice' watch can be $20k plus. I had a buddy wear a breitling (spelling?) to an interview cause he thought it made him look proffessional.....gave off wrong vibe for the position he was going after