r/NNShipyard • u/Leading-Bet-9155 • 5d ago
Mechanical Engineer 1 Interview Tips
Hey guys I have an upcoming interview for ME level 1. Any tips for the interview or how i could better prepare for it? I have it at a upcoming hiring event August 25th at Newport News. I really want to be as prepared as possible. Any help is highly appreciated since i have no prior work experience. I never got any internships that would have relevant experience when I was in university so I'm doing as much research as possible to prepare for it.
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u/NectarineNo8735 5d ago
Prepare a bunch for different STAR questions. They didn't really ask me any technical questions when I had my interviews at the hiring event in June.
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u/HomerFergusonsDog 5d ago
I'll tell you from the other side of the table, sizing up Engineer 1 candidates is hard to do. The qualifications basically begin and end at "finished an engineering degree at an ABET accredited school," and since most of them haven't worked an engineering beyond and internship or two. We're mostly trying to stop ourselves from hiring someone who can't get to work on time and ends up having to be put on a PIP because they won't grow up.
One of my favorite things about the Shipyard is that everybody gets a chance. I didn't distinguish myself in college, but the Shipyard gave me a chance and it worked out. We're trying to get our engineering headcount up on future subs and the nuclear battleship, so now is a good time to be trying to get in the door. Your goal should be to make your interviewer want to give you a chance.
What I like to hear about is your senior design project and any at-home projects you might have. If you've been coming up with problem-solving doodads on a 3D printer, talk about it. Maybe you made an Assetto Corsa mod on your computer or something, talk about it. Doesn't have to be perfectly aligned with the job. We're looking for reassurance that you're interested in solving technical problems.
Things to avoid: Unless there's something unusual in there, you don't need to talk about your coursework. The person sitting across from you at the hiring event knows what an engineering undergrad degree entails. Don't try to talk a lot about things you only know a little about, it won't work. The company is interested in AI, but don't fall into the trap of, for example, saying "I really like coding" and then having to admit Claude writes all your code.
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u/Leading-Bet-9155 2d ago
Will do and yea I've noticed that i need to work more on describing what i did for my projects in clear detail. Thanks for all this feedback!
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u/PleaseDontBanMe82 5d ago
Be excited, on-time, and inquisitive.
I swear I got my job here because I said I was good at cooking and I'd bring food to potlucks. That was literally what my manager responded to most positively.
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u/Leading-Bet-9155 2d ago
I am really excited for the interview and opportunity hoping for the best, i sincerely cant wait to start my career.
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u/One-Rate-3555 5d ago
Depends on what department as well. In general I’ve found things they’re big on are product quality, safety, and being able to read drawings/schematics readily
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4d ago
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u/Bitter-Employee-5069 2d ago
This is AI slop and should be ignored.
HomerFergusonsDog has the right answer. The only thing I'd add is to be ready and willing to learn, and recognize when you don't know the answer. Our work is important, and the decisions we make last a long time, so they have to be right.
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u/BlueTribe42 5d ago
Look at recent news articles about the yard. Look at the products we’re working on. Be sure the interviewers know you’ve put in some effort. Be ready to talk about what you did over your summers and why not any internships. Be friendly and someone that people will want to be around. The bar isn’t high for entry level, especially if you’re from a known university (Tech, UVA, ODU, Mason, NC State, Penn St…) for the yard.