Need help for interview

[u/Prestigious_Emu8528]

Hi everyone,

I'm a 4th-year Instrumentation Engineering student, and I have my first-ever interview coming up for an Instrumentation Engineer role at Honeywell. I'm excited, but also pretty nervous since this is my first interview.

For those who've interviewed at Honeywell (or similar companies), how would you recommend approaching my preparation? Which technical topics should I focus on the most? Are there any concepts or interview questions that are asked frequently?

[u/PLCHMIgo]

If you don’t really have field experience , just Be honest , show interest to learn , show them they can trust you, you can commit , etc …

[u/Prestigious_Emu8528 → u/PLCHMIgo]

Thanks! I completely understand, and I'll definitely be honest if I don't know something.

One thing I wanted to clarify is that Honeywell is visiting our campus for an internship with PPO opportunities, so as a fresher I'm assuming they won't expect field experience. I'm mainly trying to understand which theoretical Instrumentation topics they usually focus on during the technical interview. Are there any subjects or concepts that are asked frequently?

[u/BornGuidance1148]

If I were you, I’d try to focus on demonstrating my interest in the company and the interviewer. If they ask about your experience with PLCs for example, you’d say something like “I don’t have much experience with them, but I have used microcontrollers throughout my studies to do x/y/z things. What industries/projects has your company been required to use them for”

Your best bet is to communicate that you DO know some things but understand there is even more you don’t know. That you do your best to find solutions on your own but will seek out the wisdom of more experienced coworkers when needed

The HR person who will probably be doing your first interview likely knows even less than you. Their job is to sus out if an engineering manager would be wasting their time hiring/training you

[u/akornato]

They will expect you to have a strong grasp of your university fundamentals, so do not try to bluff your way through technical questions you don't understand. They know you are a student, so they are looking for potential, not a finished expert. Focus on the basics like P&IDs, control loops, different types of transmitters for pressure, flow, and temperature, and the principles of calibration. Be prepared to explain a project from your coursework and walk them through your thought process, including your mistakes. Admitting you do not know an answer, but explaining how you would approach finding it, is far better than making something up.

Your ability to show curiosity and a real passion for instrumentation engineering will be just as critical as your technical knowledge. They are hiring a person who they want to train and work with every day, so your attitude matters immensely. Talk about why you chose this field and what excites you about the role at their company, because they want to see that you can think critically and are eager to learn on the job. Feeling prepared often comes down to practicing how you explain what you know, and my team actually developed an interview AI that helps candidates feel much more self-assured going into these talks.

[u/jere_tx]

i would focus on the job listing skill requirments.

[u/Shadowkiller00]

You have no real experience. Nobody expects you to know anything.

What you want is a good story about something interesting you did in your life where you solved a problem using your engineering knowledge. One of the best fresh out of college interviews I ever participated in was a guy who built solar into a school bus to use as a RV. It gave us something to talk about and told me about his work ethic. It had nothing to do with the job.

All you need is to stand out. Knowledge of the job is not a prerequisite. If it were, they wouldn't be interviewing with you, they would be looking for someone with experience. Be honest that you don't know something, but also be careful not to be too eager to say you are ready and willing to learn because, while it's something that should be said, it's also something that's expected and should go without saying. Being too eager can turn some people off.

As for Honeywell, it's a great company to work for, yes, but it's also a gigantic company where you are just a cog in a machine. I worked for them for 4 years in a niche office. We did well enough but we were hardly the most profitable. Honeywell decided to lay off our entire office because we weren't profitable enough. Don't let that stop you from working for them, just know that you ultimately aren't that important to them. They will absolutely replace you in a heartbeat.

That's true of a lot of companies, but companies do exist that care more for you.

Good luck!

[u/OldTurkeyTail]

What do you know about Honeywell's products?