I’ve conducted hundreds of interviews throughout my career in the engineering world, ranging from internship and entry-level to principal development and senior leadership positions. I’ve seen the best and the worst; those who were truly impressive and those whom I need to skillfully find graceful means to end the interviews early. 

What’s the winning formula? While it’s different for different types and levels of position, there are a few key qualities that I see can make a candidate awesome. 

Articulate communication  – Whatever your job is, chances are you’d need to work with people around you to get things done. If I need to struggle to understand your responses to my questions, I would really think twice about your suitability for the job. It’s not about how eloquent you speak, but how clear or organized. Now of course – in the technical world, exceptions are there but you are one big step ahead if you get this down.

Passion – I love candidates who project passion about their work. Passion brings out the energy of a person; it inspires everyone around and it’s a key element to drive one’s success. 

Self-motivation – If you have demonstrated plenty of initiatives in driving your education and career thus far, chances are that I would have much more confidence in you making a difference for my team and company.  It’s a much more productive experience for a manager to coach and support an individual who takes their growth and destiny in his/her own hands. 

On the contrary, what are the few key traits that would be red flags?  

(To be continued…)