Practice 30 Civil Engineer Intern interview questions covering design fundamentals, site analysis, and technical problem-solving.
Question 11 of 30
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Sue is a Recruiter and Talent Sourcer with over 13 years of experience sourcing and interviewing candidates for a variety of roles and industries, including Architecture, Engineering, Construction, Manufacturing, Supply Chain, Financial, e-Commerce. She
When interviewers ask you this question, they are trying to get at your true character as it relates to motivation. Interviewers will use it as a way to probe not only your ability to take initiative but also your willingness to do so. They are looking for you to discuss an example of a time when you took initiative to determine the type of work environment you might be best suited for and other influential factors.

Sue is a Recruiter and Talent Sourcer with over 13 years of experience sourcing and interviewing candidates for a variety of roles and industries, including Architecture, Engineering, Construction, Manufacturing, Supply Chain, Financial, e-Commerce. She
Use the STAR method when answering this question--talk about a Situation or Task (S-T), the Action you took (A), and the Results achieved (R); and talk about what motivated you to take initiative and stand out as a leader. The best answer would also involve others, but it can also be simply taking personal initiative on your own--where you took action independently without prompting from others.

Sue is a Recruiter and Talent Sourcer with over 13 years of experience sourcing and interviewing candidates for a variety of roles and industries, including Architecture, Engineering, Construction, Manufacturing, Supply Chain, Financial, e-Commerce. She
"During my internship project, I took the lead in researching several different engineering best practices at our competitors. I decided to capture this information by compiling the external information, along with our internal data, to write up a best practice white paper which is still in use by the firm today. In fact, that white paper earned me the CEO Award at the end of my internship. I was the only intern to ever receive that award."

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Written by Sue Oberliesen
30 Questions & Answers • Civil Engineer Intern

By Sue

By Sue