Sam
What interviewing practice resources are there for non-software positions?
Hi everyone,
I’m a part-time PhD student in Mechanical Engineering, with a Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering. I previously worked at Boeing as a Systems Engineer and was recently affected by layoffs. I’m now actively seeking new opportunities in systems engineering—particularly in the automotive, healthcare, space, and broader aerospace sectors.
I hold INCOSE (International Council on Systems Engineering) certification, a Python certification from Nucamp, and bring strong experience in Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE), Simulink, and MATLAB. My work has always been guided by a systems thinking mindset and a passion for solving complex problems.
As a U.S. Person (though not yet a citizen), I’m currently unable to work in some companies/ roles—but I look forward to the day I can serve in those areas too. I’m counting down the days until I can fully contribute to this country in the ways I know I’m capable of.
My main question is how I can prep for interviews with companies such as SpaceX, Tesla, etc. I know there are websites for hard-core software engineers to get advice from people from Meta, Amazon, Microsoft, etc. But I am not aware of such a thing for the systems engineering world.
If you know of any opportunities or connections that align with my background, I’d truly appreciate your support or advice. Thank you for taking the time to read this!
2 answers
Monica Barrett
Monica’s Answer
As someone who has interviewed many candidates for many types of positions, I will recommend some techniques for preparing yourself best for interviewing.
First, you want to look closely at the job posting and highlight what sound like the most critical business needs are, then consider your skills in comparison. There are many resources online for finding sample interview questions such as, tell me about yourself, tell me about your strengths, tell me about your areas of development, why do you want this job, etc. Prep for an interview by thinking about how your skills will benefit the company you're interviewing with and craft your answers around that. One technique is to write out the question, then write out a full answer which provides the potential employer with the reason as to why you will be an asset to their organization. Too often, candidates focus all of their answers on why a role is good for their own career. By aligning your skills and knowledge with what the company needs, you will stand out as a candidate.
If there are questions you hope the employer does not ask, be sure to focus time on writing out a good answer to these. Do not read answers verbatim from your prep materials. But by spending time creating answers to the questions, you will be able to answer more confidently. If you are asked about weaknesses, provide a serious answer but also include what you do to address that weakness. For example, a true weakness might be that you tend to feel anxious in meetings, but that you overcome that by doing a lot of advance work to be well prepared for the meetings.
If you are asked for examples of your previous work, always remain positive in your answers and remember to preserve confidentiality as it applies to your previous roles. Employers want to hear about your work and gauge how well you would fit into their culture. If you are in a technical interview, be upfront about what skills you possess and those you do not. If you are asked a technical question and don't know the answer, provide the steps that you would take to handle this scenario in the real world. Many employers know that the right person who meets the majority of the requirements can be brought up to speed on areas where they lack experience.
Best wishes in your search and I hope the above general guidance was helpful.
Hi Monica,
Thank you so much for your guidance. I learned a lot by reading your post. Thank you!
Sam
Minghao CHEN
Minghao’s Answer
I am really grateful you took the time to answer this question.
Sam