You’ve been invited for an engineering interview at Stryker and now you need to prepare. Start here with tips and advice from 3 Stryker engineers around the globe.
Aleksandra
Staff Mechanical Engineer
What was the engineering interview process like for you?
I went through several rounds of interviews. The initial interviews focused on my technical problem-solving skills and while I was not expected to know everything, the interview questions helped me articulate my approach to the problem and demonstrate that I did have the knowledge and skillset needed for the role. It is important to have the skills to know how to identify key information to execute on a deliverable. The second round of interviews was with my future manager and HR - I think we talked about everything! From really high level to really detailed project descriptions, as well as who inspires me in my daily life!
What engineering interview tips do you want to share?
For recent college graduates, I would focus on revising basic concepts. While it’s good to impress with in-depth knowledge, it’s just as important, if not more so, to be able to nail the basic fundamentals. Be comfortable being able to explain basic concepts in your area of focus – I know it may sound obvious, but it can be surprisingly tricky to articulate the meaning of something you haven’t revisited in a while, it also helps you get a solid start and avoid drawing a blank during the interview!
For more experienced engineers, teamwork is crucial to thriving in a multinational company as globalization brings us all closer. Show that you are capable of integrating yourself into being a key team player and how you have been able to utilize team strengths to complete projects. Be able to describe how you manage different aspects of a project, from planning to execution, and how you’ve used your problem-solving skills to make sure a project succeeds. Engineers and scientists can often make the mistake of getting too much into the weeds about the specifics of the project details – be sure to also focus on your skills portfolio and what you can add to the team.
Any advice for a potential engineering candidate?
Show your passion, your interviewers will be holding not just the current role in mind but thinking ahead to future projects where you could excel. When they see what you are passionate about – you will be the first person that comes to mind when a relevant project begins to take shape in the future!
Sunny
Senior Portfolio Manager
What was the engineering interview process like for you?
As I came through Stryker’s graduate program, the interview process was multiple rounds spanning a number of months. However, although long, each individual round was manageable. There was nothing in there that college didn't prepare me for, and all the interviewers were friendly and made it as stress-free as an interview can be.
What engineering interview tips do you want to share?
Both having come through the process myself, and now sitting on the other side of the table as an interviewer has taught me several things. Two huge components of any interview are confidence and your ability to articulate your thought process well. The good thing is both of these things come with practice and preparation. For example, when the interviewer asks a question like, ‘tell me a little bit about yourself’, it’s an opportunity to direct the conversation in a direction you're comfortable with. Talk about what got you into engineering, your proudest achievements, what motivates you, any relevant experience that got you to this point in your career, etc. Keep it concise and high level so the interviewer can ask follow-up questions on what intrigues him or her.
Any advice for a potential engineering candidate?
Make a list of potential questions, a list of achievements you want to highlight and form answers to suit. Practice these answers out loud, over and over again. Then in the interview you'll just need to think how you can make those pre-practiced answers suits the actual questions that come up. Doing this level of preparation will give you confidence and having the answers at the tip of your tongue will remove any "ummms" "ahhhs" or any awkward silences.
Sumit
Senior Principal Engineer
What was the engineering interview process like for you?
The process for me started with a simple conversation on the role description and what it required. As my background was not in the medical technology field, Stryker’s openness to accept candidates from different backgrounds really stood out to me – they were more interested in my accomplishments and solution-oriented attitude. I interviewed with different managers and technical leaders and talked through things like concept development, basic engineering, projects I had previously worked on and my future goals.
What engineering interview tips do you want to share?
Focus on your current job profile and on projects where you’ve made an impact. Know the details such as material, specification and how you arrived at those specifications. It is about correlating and building the story from start of the project, how you got the requirements, how you converted those requirements into engineering terms, and finally the challenges you faced and how you solved those challenges.
Any advice for a potential engineering candidate?
Clearly illustrate your current role and projects to convey your efforts and accomplishments. Consider how you relate to Stryker’s mission, values and culture and share why you are passionate about a career with Stryker.
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