Engineering Company Interview Process
Compound Machine Design Project

Goals:

• To simulate a competitive job field.
• To foster individual and group responsibility/accountability.
• To practice giving and/or following instructions in a team setting.

Objectives:

• Students will work together to complete an engineering design project.
• Students will work together to meet a deadline.

Explanation:
We will soon be studying simple machines.  There will be an interesting twist to the simple machine unit, though. You will be working in a specially structured lab group that will be splitting a grade on a major project near the end of the unit.

First we will form lab and study groups.
A random sample of 1/4 of individuals in the class will be given the title of company president. The remaining students in the class will be engineers looking for employment.  Each president is starting an engineering firm and will have 3 job openings in their company. The presidents will interview all eligible engineers for employment in their company.

Deadlines must be met!!!
Your grade will be based on your entire company’s performance.  The whole company loses if one employee turns in late work.  Late work will lose 10%.  Early work will be accepted.
 

This activity will either be fun or it will be a source of stress……you choose!!

 
 

Hiring suggestions to company presidents:

• Hire people who will do their share of the work and get it in on time. Ask them and yourself “will he/she be a hard worker or slacker?”
• Hire smart and creative people.
• Hire people with good credentials. (good grades, responsible, a good record of performance, listens in class)
• Hire people that you can work well with.
• Hire people that can work well together.
• Rank all people who interview so that if someone turns you down, you can offer someone else a position.
• You cannot fire individuals since they will be under “contract” to do the work. The teacher does have the right to hire/fire without notice.
• Don’t be mean.
• Be smart and don’t show favoritism (toward friends). Be focused on hiring the best people who you can also work well with.

Suggested interview questions to ask:

• What are your grades in each class?
• Are you a hard worker? Why?
• Do you turn things in on time? Why/Why not?
• Do you consider yourself creative? Why?
• Do you have any references?
• Why should our company hire you?
• What are your strengths? Weaknesses?
• Do you get sick often?

Qualities of a good employee:

• Gets work in on time (you definitely don’t want them to get the work in late)
• Listens in class (if they can’t listen in class, chances are that they won’t listen to you when the time comes) (this also means they can focus better on accomplishing the task)
• Good grades (this means that they will understand the material in order to accomplish the task)
• Creative (this assignment will definitely require some creativity)
• Friendly (these people are much easier to work with and are team players)

Note:  Once you have hired your employees, you can turn the management role over to an employee (but I wouldn’t recommend that).
Remember: A good leader is patient and uses the strengths of his/her subordinates!

 

Suggestions to Engineers:

• Do more than 1 interview.
• Interview with company presidents who you can work well with.
• Interview with presidents who you believe will be good leaders.
• Sell yourself!   Why should he/she hire you?  Will you be a worker or slacker?  Why?
• Be prepared.  Know your grades.  What are your strengths and weaknesses?  Be honest.  Have a letter of recommendation from somebody important ready.
• Dress nicely for the interview.
• Speak clearly and make eye contact.
• Don’t get mad if you don’t get hired right away or by the company you expected.  Bill Gates (Microsoft CEO and world’s richest person) even said that “life isn’t fair” and he is right.  Unfortunately, favoritism does happen in the work place.

Note:  If you don’t get hired or you are absent, the teacher will place you in a group.

Your credentials:
You can make up a phony degree from the college of your choice.  Some examples of degrees are a BS-Bachelors of Science in Engineering Degree (4 year B.S.) and a MS-Master of Science Degree (1-2 year after a B.S.).  Examples of good engineering colleges are Perdue, ODU, VT, UVA, MIT, etc.

Note:  The teacher does have the right to hire/fire/relocate without notice.

 
 

Employment Contract
 
 

Company name:______________________________

I agree to work for this company until the project is completed.  I realize that I am part of this engineering firm and will share the grade with all members of the firm.

Employee signature:____________________________________________

Employee printed name:_________________________________________
 

I agree to employ the above mentioned individual until the project is completed.  Furthermore, I release my right to discharge him/her from my company before the project’s completion.  I realize that he is part of this engineering firm and will share the grade with all members of the company.
 

Company President signature:  __________________________________

Company President printed name:  _______________________________