Interview questions for hardware

Verification engineers design and implement testing methodologies to ensure that products perform according to specification. When interviewing verification engineers, suitable candidates will have in-depth knowledge of mechanical and electrical engineering. Be wary of candidates with poor analytical and troubleshooting skills.
When applying for a position as a hardware engineer, an employer may hold one or more interviews to assess your fit for the role. This provides the employer an opportunity to learn more about you and determine whether or not you are the best candidate for the position. Understanding which questions they are most likely to ask and preparing effective responses may help you make a positive impression. In this article, we discuss the most common hardware engineer interview questions, why companies ask them and sample responses.

1. Do you have experience in a leadership position?

This is a common question an employer may ask when you are applying for an engineering position. Hiring employees with leadership experience allows an employer to assign them on projects or as a leader of a small team, and can also show the potential for career progress through internal promotion. Sharing the experience you’ve had—either as a formal leader or in a role where you took a leadership position without a corresponding title—can demonstrate your potential value to the hiring professional.
Example: “While I have never served as a department head in my previous work experience, I always take the opportunity to assume leadership positions on projects when possible. Most recently, my employer pitched with a potentially lucrative client, and assigned my team to develop a potential marketing plan. I took on the leadership role on my team, guiding our brainstorming and delegating tasks. My employer chose our package to present to the client, and we signed them following our formal presentation.

2. What Roles Do a Hardware Engineer Perform?

This question tests whether you are familiar with the roles performed by hardware engineers.
Tip #1: Think fast about several roles done by a hardware engineer
Tip #2: Prove you’re knowledgeable about your roles

3. What is a heat sink and why are they important?

Technical questions can be an important part of a hardware engineer interview, as a company may use them to assess your knowledge in the field. When answering a question on the purpose of a type of component, it can be beneficial to explain what the said component is and the uses it may provide. This does not only demonstrate your knowledge in the field but an assurance that you know how to apply it practically as well.
Example: “A heat sink is a thermal component which helps regulate temperature in a piece of hardware. It accomplishes this by increasing the surface area of a component, allowing for more efficient liquid or air cooling to keep temperatures low. This is an important consideration when designing a piece of hardware as it avoids overheating, which can lead to malfunction.

Tip #1: Define fault tolerance
Tip #2: Give a clear and complete answer to prove your familiarity

Sample Answer

Fault tolerance refers to the property that enables a system to function continuously even when one or more components malfunction. Nonetheless, it is important to identify where the failure has occurred promptly to correct it and restore full functionality

4.How does multitasking differ from multiprocessing?

Another area where an employer may question a candidate for a position is in their understanding of the processes completed by the hardware they work on. This question provides the opportunity for you to show your knowledge of how computer devices work. As with questions about components, it can be beneficial in your response to explain not only the basic definition of the processes but also their practical application as a hardware engineer.
Example: “While similar, there are key differences between multiprocessing and multitasking. In multitasking, a CPU executes more than one task at the same time, allowing you to run concurrent tasks, switching between them as needed so quickly that you can operate each of the tasks concurrently.In multiprocessing, a device has multiple CPU units running at the same time, which may be used to complete several tasks or to complete a single task at a higher speed.**”

5. What is fault tolerance and why is it important?

An employer may also ask you questions about industry terminology in order to further assess your knowledge and its application. When responding to questions about terminology, demonstrate your understanding of what the term means and why it is relevant as a hardware engineer. This shows the hiring professional that you are comfortable using industry terminology your peers may also use in the workspace.
Example: “Fault tolerance is the ability for an operating system to continue working and responding in the event of a hardware or software failure. When designing a piece of hardware, it’s important to design with fault tolerance in mind in order to create a stable and dependable product. Higher fault tolerance reduces the potential for critical failure, allowing the devices you design to operate more effectively.

6. What is the most challenging part of your job as a hardware engineer?

A computer hardware engineer faces many challenges. Some of these are minor, while others are substantial and can severely impact the productivity and effectiveness of the engineer’s performance. The interviewer will ask you about your challenges to better understand some of the things you have overcome. It will also provide them with an idea of how you categorize these challenges. Make sure that the most challenging thing you identify isn’t something minor. The hiring manager prefers that you handle minor issues as a standard part of your daily job and don’t consider them a challenge.

7. What is Architectural Risk and How Can You Mitigate It?

This question is meant to assess whether you are familiar with architectural risks.
Tip #1: Define an architectural risk
Tip #2: State how you can mitigate it
Sample Answer
An architectural risk is a possibility that architectural design might fail to satisfy the requirements of a project. Failure may include substandard quality designs and inefficiencies unapproved by the sponsor. I would mitigate architectural risks by making sure to capture requirements correctly to avoid design flaws and the following standard and accepted software design procedures