The next big thing after you finish your engineering education is landing your first job. Every pupil who has put in their efforts in getting the best of their years at an engineering college would want to be hired by a company that they really adore. However, the nervousness about facing an interview
can’t be denied.

Most candidates would spend sleepless nights, mock-answering possible questions in front of the mirror. It’s not unreasonable though, as an engineering candidate may have to face particular challenges that other candidates may never face.
To the rescue of young engineering applicants trying hard to get through their first job interview,
here are five tips that will work wonders in preparations.

1. Revision
   Engineering job interviews are much about technical inquisitions than anything else. The source of your technical knowledge as an engineering prospect isn’t mostly apart from what you learn through your degree years. It’s best if you were in a habit of reading engineering magazines and journals while you were trying to absorb the concepts in your syllabus. You really won’t face difficulties getting through pre-interview revision.
   A few days before you’re looking ahead to attend a job interview, you must schedule a revision through the topics included in your degree syllabus. It’s best to consider the entirety of topics as you won’t know from which domain your interviewer would ask you questions. Most students do the common mistake of revising only the topics that were learnt and practiced recently. This may make your interviewer feel that you have a poor conviction towards the field of engineering.
2. Tricky Questions
   A job interview is not like an academic examination that seeks to know what you have memorised through your classes during the semester. It is more about what essence of knowledge you have acquired while learning the concepts. An interviewer would purposefully put you in unfamiliar scenarios just to test you how you would apply your knowledge to practical situations. However, you don’t have to panic thinking about the perfect solution.
   
   No interviewer would expect an edgy solution from a fresher who’s applying for their first job. The primary purpose of putting you in a tricky situation is to understand how calmly you can deal with an unforeseen challenge. Engineering is a field that works towards developing real life solutions to real life problems. Companies are interested in hiring candidates who can tackle new challenges tactfully by coming up with innovative ideas. The best you can do is offer a solution that mends different ideas innovatively.
3. Company Research
   Companies have a sharp eye for candidates who are trying to get a job out of desperation, and those who are planning to build a career. There’s a basic difference in these two types of candidates. An engineering prospect trying to build a career is more prepared than a candidate who’s merely trying to start earning. In case of the latter, interviewers may hold a view that such candidates would switch jobs more often than the planners. A company will always prefer a candidate who has aligned their career goals with their goals as an organisation.
   
   Researching a company is quite easier in the present time given the online presence of most players. You can simply begin by visiting a company’s web portal and noting down their current activities. There are a number of things to mind as you go through their pages. You can go about understanding the culture, missions and values of an employer. As you read between the lines you’ll get a knack of what skill-sets the company would appreciate in a client during an interview.
4. Presentation
   It won’t be too hard for you to get through this part if you have really enjoyed the practical sessions during college. An interviewer will appreciate it if you mention your project involvements in the resume that you carry into your interview. The boldest evidence of how you put your classroom knowledge into practice is your project participation. You may be asked to elaborate your actual role in the team effort.
   
   If you have had some work experience while you were still studying, it would be a cherry on the pie. All you need is to articulate your experience presenting the examples of how you have put your engineering skills into action. Do not hesitate to mention your participation in extra-curricular activities. Your interviewer will get a glimpse of your time management skills from that. It’s an account of how you took out time from studies for things that were simply recreational.
5. Do not pretend
   It’s very human to go to whatever extent possible to have a desire fulfilled. In an interview, candidates often fall for the lure of projecting themselves as smart prospects with some super powers to tackle any situation that comes their way. It just reflects your ill-preparedness. Also treating interviewers like children at a magic show will annoy them to a great extent. It’s better not to be deemed over smart in your first attempt.
   
   Being yourself is the key. Employers and interviewers know what to expect from you as a fresher. They will not fall for your tall claims or outright lies. Indeed, telling a lie in your CV will put you in a difficult situation. Even if you succeed at getting hired, you will be caught when you fail at accomplishing a task assigned to you based on your claims. Companies may barely think twice while taking action against a defaulter. And you don’t want to be flagged in the beginning of your career. Taking these simple tips into account, hope you feel better prepared to face interviews with employer you have always dreamt of.

This article about preparing well for your first engineering job interview is presented by ARMIET Engineering College, recognised as the most promising educational institution in western India.