This article will help you to prepare for your next civic engineering job interview by helping you to understand the commonly asked job interview questions for a civic engineer.
Civil Engineer Job Interview
Civil engineers day to day job duties include the design and managing, in collaboration with others, of construction projects. The company you are applying for may specialize in bridges, buildings, foundations, transport infrastructure and a specific niche such as culverts used for drainage
So, it’s fair to say, that most of your job interview questions will be based on your engineering and design knowledge and expertise
10 Civil Engineering Job Interview Questions
1. What is your experience working as a civil engineer?
2. How do you decide if a new project proposal is worth taking on in terms of cost, risk and profit?
3. What is your approach to working with a new client to plan a new project?
4. Do you have experience of analyzing surveys, testing and mapping data using computer modeling software?
5. Give me an example of creating blueprints using computer-aided design (CAD) What are the strengths and weaknesses of this approach?
6. Give me an example of checking the effects on the environment prior to a project start? What do you have to consider?
7. How would you prepare bids for tenders?
8. How do you ensure the accuracy of technical drawings?
9. What steps do you take to ensure projects are following government health and safety processes?
10. Do you have any questions for me?
To prepare for a civil engineer job interview give as many real examples while quoting engineering models and theories
If asked any problem-solving question, the process for solving the problem is more important then the answer, so focus on this element of the interview answer
There’s a love hate relationship with job interviews. We love that we have the chance to prove ourselves to a new employer, and hopefully get a new job with a big new salary…but we hate the job interview; its scary, horrific, terrifying
These job interview articles will teach you how to pass the job interview by explaining how to answer tricky job interview questions
How to Answer “why did you leave your last job?”
Do you feel awkward when you are asked the ‘why did you leave your last or current job?’ interview question?
Most of us have learnt that employers respect loyalty and that they want to employ someone who will be committed to their organisation. So, when we are asked the reason for quitting the current position, our toes curl up!
How to Answer the Interview Question
First thing first – this isn’t the year 1920! Company loyalty, as you are thinking, no longer exist; you don’t get a gold watch when you retire after 50 years of working for one organization, boy and man.
Most people will have 3 different careers in their life. Many of us will be working in a job in the next 20 years that currently doesn’t exist. It is common for employees to work for a company on average for just 5 years before moving onto the next, often better paid, position
So, what I am saying is …that it is OK for you to apply for another job
This job interview question is asked for 2 reasons
1) the employer has staff retention problems (and if they do I would ask questions to the interviewer about the reason why, before accepting a position with them)
2) they want to understand your character; are you ambitious, motivated by money, enjoy managing short-term projects or do you have values similar to the organisation?
In short, they are looking if your character matches who they perceive to be the best fit.
To answer this job interview question you simply need to be honest. You can fake it, yes, but you might not enjoy the organisational culture once you have accepted the job offer.
Step 1 – Start by explaining what you like about your previous/current position “I am currently in charge of…”
Step 2 – give the reason for you leaving “I specialize in X and want to work for an organization who mainly works in this area…”
Step 3 – make it relevant to the employer “that is why I applied here, as you are the world leader in…”
These 3 steps create a strong structure for the job interview answer, framing the reason for leaving the previous employer, as a positive, while highlighting your unique selling point.
The teamwork interview question is important as we all, in one form or another, work within a team.
This includes contractors, self-employed or outreach staff. We may complete the duties alone but we are always part of a bigger project.
It’s surprising how many job applicants struggle with this job interview question. The way to answer it is to give a teamwork example – wrong! Well, yes you are correct but to impress an interviewer you need to give more than an account of a previous teamwork experience
How to Blow Away The Interviewer
Remember the job interviewer isn’t just wanting to hear the team task, they want to know what your part within the team dynamics was; leader, creator, mentor, doer, communicator, problem-solver?
As well as identifying your role, you need to set out the scene. So many interviewees simply jump into the task without explaining the reason for doing the task – by stating this problem you can create intrigue; with intrigue, you have an engaged audience
How to Answer the Interview Question
Step 1 – explain the problem. Make this sound exciting! The opening credits to a film do this really well; the beginning is mysterious, you don’t know what will happen but you want to find out
State something like “the company was just about to go bankrupt” “customers were all complaining” “no-one knew what to do”
These opening lines are so ambiguous, that your audience – the interviewer, will want to listen to what you have to say
Step 2 – give more detail about the problem, explain in enough detail (but don’t get carried away as there is nothing more boring the listening to all the details of a problem) what the actual problem was
Step 3 – explain what you did to achieve the solution or objective; what was your role; what action did you take; how did your idea make a difference?
Step 4 – finally end with a positive outcome. Did you make a profit, create a new piece of technology, decrease overhead cost?
This storytelling technique is not only interesting but shows the employer what you can offer to their team. The key here is making it clear what you did – the skill set you are offering the new employer
How to Answer “Tell me about yourself”To Increase Job Offers
This is one of the most common asked interview questions, but its the easiest job interview question to answer
Personally, I love this open job interview question, as it gives you the chance to say anything you want to say. Don’t miss your chance smack the employer in the chops with a couple of unique selling points!!
Ok, so most people mess up this opportunity. But today I will teach you have to start the job interview with a big bang by smashing this first introductory job interview question
How to Blow Away The Interviewer
Employers follow a set of rules when interviewing potential employees. Rule 1 make the applicant feel at ease by asking as simple open question designed to get them talking
The interviewer isn’t expecting anything of substance here. They predict that you will stumble over your words, stutter and simple mess up until you get the confidence to start talking with confidence
So, to stand out, all you have to do is start with a killer job interview answer that will influence the rest of the job interview…resulting in more job offers…resulting in a higher salary
How to Answer the Interview Question
Don’t be an idiot and start talking about how much you love your pet dog! This has actually happened in a job interview I was leading on
The interviewer isn’t expecting fireworks, but the answer must be related to the job position you are applying for
To answer this question you need to think of 3, industry-related, unique selling points. What is you are offering that others aren’t? What can you bring to the business? What knowledge or expertise do you possess?
Think about it when you are buying a house the estate agent doesn’t start off talking about all the little irrelevant details. No, they tell you about the 3 key strengths of the property; location, price, the converted loft! You need to get your interviewer interested in you from the get-go
Once you open with a killer line then you can give some extra details. Explained what it is you can bring to the organisation, discuss those additional skills (you may be an expert in excel, project management or customer service
You may choose to talk about your work ethic or values. Once you have sold yourself you need to end with a summary “If I was offered the job it is these 3 things I would bring to the company; A, B and C”
Employers are looking for a new style of employee for 2020. Ok for the basics; to pass the job interview you need to have the required qualifications and the experience for the job you are applying for – you cant be a doctor without the training, right?
To be offered a job interview, you have already gone through the application process, so your skills, qualifications and experiences have met the minimum criteria for the job position. But at the job interview, you need a new approach for 2020
How to Blow Away The Interviewer
Inspire – to get offered any job you need to inspire your interviewer
The problem with interviewing 6 applicants with similar skills and experiences, is that they all say the same thing, give similar examples and ….put the interviewers to sleep
To leave a lasting memory… inspire your audience. You need to show them a positive future. You can do this very simply by explaining how a new technology, that you have researched, can change their business saving overhead costs or creating a new product.
The psychology behind this is simple. People are more motivated by what you can offer then what you have achieved. Many interviewees focus on their previous successes, whereas if you create an image of how you, once employed, can make a profitable difference within their current business setup, you will create desire
The power of rapport
Research has proven that people are more likely to hire people who they believe are similar to themselves
The truth is, that the best teams are made up of different people, different temperaments, different personalities. But in a job interview, the employer doesn’t think about this. Instead, they think at a basic level – do I like this person? And if they like you, because they can see themselves in you, you are more likely to score higher during the job interview process.
Creating likeability is easy. Simply check social media for your interviewer’s interest and talk about how you share the same hobbies during the interview introduction. That is level 1 – basic rapport building.
Level 2 takes this a little further. Research the company mission and values, and talk passionately about what you believe in (strangely what you value will link very nicely to the company mission) But ideally you need to take rapport building to level 3
This final level requires a bit of practice. First, you need to understand that each person has a unique perspective on the world. What I mean by this is that two people can listen to the same job interview answer and create a different opinion about the interviewee….even though they heard the same words! What the hell is that all about?
Because our past experience shapes our reality each of us has a differing perspective in each situation. Someone who was bullied by the big kid at school we view a “bigger” person as more threatening than a person who, at school, hung out with the “big” kids.
Our motivations and stresses affect how we view the world. Some people see the galls half full, or half empty. There are problem solvers and firefighters, goal setters and action takers
All these small elements, and more shape people’s reality and underpin how they will view you the interviewee. So how can you understand this complexity of humanity? The answer is you don’t need to – unless you want to spend 3 years in higher education studying psychology. Instead, I share with you a quick cheat; a short cut to rapport building
All this complexity comes through in the language people use. Proactive people, for example, are likely to say “let’s go for it” whereas a reactive person would say “we need to take time to think about what has happened” Goals setters will use future achievement language “take action” “objective” “possibilities” and those who are motivated by problem-solving would say “avoid” “exclude” “get away from”
To influence somebody, in this case, the interviewer, all you need to do is copy the language – the actual words they say, in your job interview answers. This creates a short cut in their mind to their decision-making process. In short, they will want to hire you but consciously understand why
There is a psychology to job interviews that many people are unaware of.
By accessing the interviewer’s subconscious mind you can influence the job interview outcome. One key psychology of persuasion that is always in play is the psychology of authority – people are more likely to be persuaded by someone they see as an authoritarian
Why You Should Act As Though You Already Have The Job
In the job interview, the interviewer has the power. This is because you, the interviewee, want something from them – the job offer!
Actually this is untrue, it is you the interviewee with the power because the interviewer wants something from you – your skills and experience. Remember you have been asked to interview from, on average, 300 applicants. They like you, they want you.
You have the power and you can exploit this to increase the number of job offers you receive.
Act As An Authority
In the job interview, you need to be the master of the industry or at least be seen as the master.
Quote industry regulations, industry policies, industry advancements and new technology and state industry declines and barriers.
Build on what the employer states. As an example if they discuss a new piece of industry technology or a development idea, explain where this idea has come from or where the technology has advance from. Also give the pro’s and con’s to key statements.
This will help you create an identity as an industry expert. Once a powerful identity has been established, whatever you state next will be taken as the truth – because we believe what experts say. This includes when you explain how you will be best suited for the role.
Take Work Away From Them
Basically, we employ new staff members because there is too much work.
To build on your authority, explain how you will be able to complete the task, project, company objective without needing to create more work for the employer.
When the employer is discussing the role and/or job duties, reference how you have worked successfully on a similar task and what you will do to make this new task a success.
You can also reference previous mistakes, explaining the lessons learned (this creates the task objective to be harder than they may have previously believed which creates a subconscious desire to hire an expert – you!)
FREE With Every Purchase of The 73 Rules for Influencing the Interview
Act as if you Already Have the Job
Throughout the job interview, you need to act as if you already have the job.
When giving an interview answer, the mind creates images of that answer – the interviewer will imagine you doing whatever it is you say you are doing.
By tweaking they way you word your answers you can create stronger emotional images of you working collaborative with the employer in a success manner.
Change “I would do…” to “I will” – this creates images of you working for the organisation.
Change “I” to “we” to create the thought of collaboration – this works great when talking about future successes “…by doing X we will be successful”
Explain what you will add to the team “by using my knowledge of X I will achieve Y within 2-3 months”
Online job interviews are more coming ever so popular with more large employers and recruitment agencies using a video platform as a time-saving device in their recruitment process.
However, video job interviews is a difficult task for any fresh recruit. There are several tips that you can implement to increase your chances of a job interview.
Be warn the interview questions may be the same but how you communicate online differs from a face to face job interview.
The Basics
We need to cover the basics.
Ok, check you have a good internet connection (you need both good upload and download speed)
Prepare your interview answers as you do with all job interviews. Not sure how to do this? Simply use the search engine of this site to find commonly asked interview questions (you can check this by sector)
You still need to dress appropriately and think about your USP your Unique Selling Point
Control the Environment
The environment for the video job interview is key. It is easy for the interviewer to become distracted by your background, interruptions and poor internet quality
You need to create a blank background. You can do this by panning the camera in on a wall you sit in front or by using a sheet to create a blank canvas
Ensure to tell your house mates not to enter the room (this seems obvious but is a common mistake) and turn of your phone
This is simple advice but this is key. A distracted interviewer doesn’t listen to your interview answer, which means you don’t get the job offer
Avoid Using Online Platforms on your Mobile Phone
Using iPad or camera phone can be a major mistake for a video interview. The small screen size of an iPad is considered too small to engage a candidate. Instead, you should use a LED monitor which is big enough to clearly show the foreground and background of the space of the candidate.
A good-sized screen will allow also you to thoroughly scrutinize the body language of the candidate which is important to analyze his behavior during the interview.
Pace Your Communication
When you practice this, and you do need to practice this technique. You need to talk twice as slow as you do in normal life and leave longer gaps between sentences.
A lot of communication is lost on a video interview. Even though the interviewer can see on the screen a large percentage of body language, gestures and facial expression (all key non-verbal communication) is lost or missed
Due to this, you need to increase your verbal communication. Watch your pace, speed, volume and increase your chance of tonality, gaps in sentences and delete any “filler” words.
Tips to help a career professional ace the job interview
We all love a good story
When asked interview questions, don’t be tempted to answer your question as a list of achievements, as many interviewees do, use a story to sell yourself. Interviewers become bored of hearing list, while a story is intriguing and exciting, you can use a compelling story to build up suspense and make you, the main character, come out on top.
In your story highlight what you personally did to achieve a target or to complete a task. Add to the story, what others thought about you “My Manager said that I was the only one to…” use numbers and percentages to sell yourself “I had a 95% success rate…”
Sell Yourself
Why do you buy certain products? The advertisement tells you how you can benefit from buying this product; they don’t discuss the products faults. You need to use this procedure during your interview, explain how you will benefit the company and what you have to offer. Don’t discuss your faults and answer any potential negative questions with a positive answer.
When to ask questions
Many job hunters think that employers have an unwritten rule and we can only ask questions at the end of the interview – this is not true. By the end of the interview, with some questions you wanted to ask, the interview has moved on so much, that your questions can seem pointless.
Ask your questions throughout the interview, this will show you have confidence and allows the interview to turn, naturally into an employment conversation rather then a set of questions and answers.
Influence the Interviewer
Use a career coach to help you understand how body language, hand shaking, language patterns and mirroring can influence your interviewer.
You can quickly learn how to gain instant rapport with an interview and how matching body language and verbal language can make a positive impact on your interview outcome. Everything you need to know about influencing the employer is in the Secrets of Employment e-book.
Do you Job Hop or Have Gaps in Your Employment History?
Are you a job hopper? Or do you have big gaps in your employment history? Employers are more interested in how productive you are, again use a story that sells your strengths and don’t ever apologies, as this will weaken your interview answers.
What ever you have undertaken, several jobs, gap year, volunteering, education – talk about what you have learnt and achieved form this experience.
Be an Industry Expert
To give the interviewer confidence in your knowledge and ability, become an industry expert. This is good for two reasons, the first, by being an industry expert you will fully understand the industry and will be able to answer questions confidently. Second, an industry expert will know which company won the new contracts and which employers are best to work for; this will help you choice the employer you feel would suit your working personality.
Practice Makes Perfect
Don’t struggle to answer questions, by thinking about the answers on the spot, think about the job role you are applying for; what would your duties be in this new role? What skills and qualities do you need to complete your daily task? Your interview questions will be based on these answers, from this you can predict what you will be asked and prepare your answers.
Many people use an interview coach to help them prepare for the interview and to complete mock interviews.
Think about the type of interview you have to attend and what, if any task or presentations you will have to complete. Not all interviews rely on just a one to one interview question and answer session. Learn what type of interviews you may have to attend and how to overcome interview fears.
