I applied through a recruiter. I interviewed at VAA (Plymouth, MN) in Aug 2020
Interview
It took about a week to hear back after applying. I was contacted on a Wednesday afternoon that I had an interview that same week on Friday. By Friday afternoon, I was required to get four references submitted online, take a personality test, and fill out an employment application on their website. This process before the interview was the most intensive I have experienced for the amount of time given.
I was excited for the interview and felt prepared; I felt I fit the job description well and their projects were exactly what I was interested in. Unfortunately, the interview turned out to be the most difficult interview I've ever had. I personally thought the interview was technical heavy for an entry-level position; the interview lasted around an hour and 15 minutes and the first 45 minutes or so were exclusively technical questions. One of the interviewers made belittling, back-handed comments and rebuttals towards several of my answers. I left the interview frustrated and confused, especially when I was told I didn't have enough experience for an entry-level position (I had several internships during undergrad).
Overall, it was an intensive, confusing, and disheartening interview experience.
Interview questions [1]
Question 1
From start to finish, how do you design a bridge?
Tell us about your capstone project. Describe all of the analysis and design checks along the way.
Why didn't you take graduate-level courses during your undergraduate degree?
Have you built anything on your own? (Referring to doing woodworking or other construction related hobbies)
Why do you want to be a structural engineer?
Your references had great things to say about you, why?
What kind of structural engineering interests you the most? Why?