Engineer Mock Interview
Practice 34 Engineer interview questions covering technical problems, design scenarios, and project experience.
Question 25 of 34
What is your overall career objective? Do you see yourself working in engineering ten years from now? If not, what do you think you will be doing?
How to Answer
Example Answer
Community Answers
Allison Atkinson is a technical and academic writer, leveraging her Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering and Master of Arts in English.
Engineering careers typically follow a management trajectory or a technical trajectory. The management trajectory focuses more on scheduling, communication, and coordinating the 'big picture' efforts of engineering projects. By contrast, technical specialists become experts in one area of engineering, such as cables, semiconductors, bridges, or pavement design. As an entry-level engineer, you may not know for sure which path you plan to take, but you should be able to articulate a narrative that shows your ability to think long-term. The sample answer is for a Civil Engineer interviewing for a Railroad Design position.
Allison Atkinson is a technical and academic writer, leveraging her Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering and Master of Arts in English.
"Since this is my first engineering job, I'm excited to learn about all aspects of working for a railroad. I really enjoy technical design and I know my education and AutoCAD skills will be critical to designing new rail alignments, putting together plans and specifications, figuring out all the drainage, etc. However, I also know that I enjoy talking to people, writing, and looking at the big picture, so I could definitely see myself moving into management or even business development in ten or fifteen years. "
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Anonymous Answer
I really enjoy the engineering role as an individual contributor. I enjoy having the "hands-on" aspect and being able to design or fix a product, make an operation more efficient, or create a process to benefit a customer and see the direct impact of my work.
Amanda's Feedback
I can sense your enthusiasm for hands-on engineering in the way you've responded to this question. However, you can make this answer more impactful by sharing where you see that enthusiasm taking you in 10 years' time. Share with the interviewer if you see yourself advancing into a team leadership/managerial role, working in a more specific engineering area, or doing something else. This helps the interviewer understand how the role you're applying to fits with your overall career goal.
Anonymous Answer
I have been managing and training teams for quite some time. The executive team in North America has literally decided for me my path for quite some time. They have decided for me where I go. In April I was asked by the _____ CEO to be an individual contributor and go back to the ______ brand in a business development capacity and to work on creating more innovation centers like NIAR and Purdue globally.
Marcie's Feedback
So it sounds like in the past your career path has been determined by your current company's executive team. But what about your future career path? What do you want to do in the future? What are your career goals?
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