Interviews can be tough to figure out, not to mention nerve-racking experience. However, with the right, universal advice you can ace your interview and improve your chances of landing your dream power engineering job. Because we place Power Engineers and Power IC Developers into new power management roles every day, we’ve come up with a few tried and true interview tips for power engineering jobs.
Attitude is Everything
Remember one of the most important things to be aware of the day of your interview…your attitude. A welcoming, pleasing positive attitude brings out not only the best in you, but the best in those around you as well. You will certainly make a lasting impression on others by how you make them feel, so make sure and show your enthusiasm for the company, opportunity, and team. Ralph Waldo Emerson once said, “Nothing great has ever been accomplished without enthusiasm.” Being able to effectively relay this for the opportunity, as a whole, can catapult you to the top of the power semiconductor list, or any list for that matter.
Research the Company, Industry Interviewers
It would help if you spent a considerable amount of time researching the company, their specific industry, and the interviewers. If you have been working in the power engineering field for some time, then odds are you have a good idea of the players in the power IC or power management field. However, try to find out as much as you can about the company’s history and current projects. The power engineering company’s news or blog page can afford a treasure trove of information regarding recent events or milestones within the company.
If you have an experienced, savvy power engineering recruiter working with you, then they will most likely offer up information on who you will be meeting, but barring this you should use LinkedIn or other social media tools to try and find out more about the individuals with whom you will be meeting with on your interview. The goal of your research is to get an idea of the person’s background and to also find some common ground such as similar interests, previous power engineering companies, schools, or projects. Finding such information will arm you with some great icebreakers that will ensure the interview remembers, and hopefully, feels you are qualified to work at their company.
Dress to Impress
Interview attire for power engineering jobs is always a topic of hot debate. While some power IC recruiters will recommend that you attempt to emulate the dress code that you will be expected to adhere too if you obtain the job, it’s always a safe bet to dress as formal as within your means. Men should wear a suit and women a pantsuit or other attire that is business formal. Being the best dress person in the room on the day of your interview ensures that you’ll be well remembered, as well as, that you respect the interview process and are a highly organized individual.
Give a Firm Handshake and Look Your Interviewer in the Eye
The only thing worse than receiving a limp, “dead fish” handshake is giving one. When you meet your interviewer for the first time, provide a firm (but not hard) handshake and look your interviewer in the eye. These activities psychologically portray confidence in yourself and your abilities to the other individual. Additionally, a firm handshake instills trust and helps solidify a connection with your counterpart.
Bring Several Copies of Your Resume
If you know how many individuals you will be interviewing with, bring one a resume for everyone, plus one copy of your resume for yourself. This offers convenience to your interviewers as they may not have had time to print off a copy of your resume before you show up for your interview. Also, it’s better to have these in a professional looking folder and not merely in a hanging folder or as loose sheets of paper. Purchasing a leather or suede business portfolio or binder won’t cost too much and will make a positive impression on your interviewer.
Bring a Portfolio of Your Projects
If you have been a part of many power engineering projects, but couldn’t fit them all into your resume, it’s a great idea to bring supplemental information about your patents and projects. While general knowledge around any given aspect of power engineering is okay, having direct experience with a successful project in the same element is substantially more impressive.
Show Up ONLY 15 Minutes Early
Much like the interviewer who showed up to her interview with Microsoft one month early, sometimes we get a little too excited about the meeting. Showing up late to an interview is obviously unacceptable, but showing up too early could show that you are too eager to land a new power engineering job. While you may think that showing up to an interview 45 minutes early is being punctual, showing up too soon is just socially awkward and does not make for the best possible first impression.
Be Ready for the ONE Interview Question
An experienced interviewer in the power engineering field will place the most considerable amount of weight on just one question: “tell me about your greatest accomplishment.” This is an important question to ponder before your interview for a power engineering job as the extent to which you answer it will determine how detailed and through you can recall projects. Having a right answer to this question will show that you have accomplished much in your career thus far as well.
Power Engineering Jobs
There are many other pieces of advice you may come across when preparing for power engineering job interviews, but these comprise as the absolute essentials. When appropriately followed they will drastically increase your chances of receiving a job offer and landing the next step in your power engineering career. If you are currently seeking a new opportunity confidentially, contact a Power Semiconductor Recruiter at Charles Brown Recruitment today, or apply to one of our hardware design jobs today.