Applied online, was then offered a face to face interview over the phone. Attended the face to face interview which involved technical questions and general competency questions, after which I was offered the job.
I applied online. The process took 2 months. I interviewed at Mott MacDonald in Dec 2021
Interview
I had two online video interviews (Microsoft Teams) before I was given my offer. My first interview was with two senior acoustic engineers and it lasted 90 mins. The interview was split into three stages (why you want to Mott Macdonald, technical knowledge, and strength-based questions). The questions were read from a script and the interviewers were restricted from helping too much when I got stuck on some technical questions. The second 1-hour interview was with two technical directors. This interview was more conversational and enjoyable than the first one. Prior to the interview, I was given a week to prepare a 20 min technical presentation about assessing noise in highway projects, which I then had to present during the interview. After the presentation, I had to answer some technical and strength-based questions.
Interview questions [6]
Question 1
What acoustic measurement is the most appropriate for measuring background noise?
You measure SPL values of 75 dB and 72 dB when a pump is turned on and off, respectively, in an outdoor environment. What is the noise level of the pump itself?
What would you do if your manager suggested that you move from your current project, which you have been working on for a while, to a new exciting project?
Can you explain a technical engineering concept to us? How would you change your answer if you instead had to explain the same concept to a client with no technical background?
