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Systems Engineer Interview Questions

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  1. Describe a past project you worked on that involved systems engineering. What was your role? See answer
  2. Have you developed a disaster recovery plan? What are the key factors in a successful plan? See answer
  3. What does DNS mean? How does it work on an internal network? See answer
  4. What kinds of documentation have you created in the past? See answer
  5. When systems engineers design a workflow infrastructure and make updates, they need to make sure that all of the different elements of the system work together harmoniously. A small error can cause major issues as the system develops and users interact with different features. Systems engineers work with a team to check for errors and make improvements. This question helps interviewers identify candidates who have experience in quality assurance and know the best practices for producing a fully functional system. See answer
  6. Imagine you are working on a major application project and there’s a conflict between two different tech teams. How do you resolve it?
  7. How can poor documentation impact the overall function of a system?
  8. What is your process for testing operational systems before and after deployment?
  9. As a systems engineer, you will work with software and other tools that undergo regular updates and integrate new technology. How do you stay informed about evolving systems engineering processes?
  10. How do you explain complex technical concepts to company stakeholders when explaining long-term systems strategy?
  11. Describe the basic steps for tracking the workflow cycle in an existing system and identifying inefficiencies?
  12. What virtualization tools are you familiar with and how have you used them in the past?
  13. Are you comfortable troubleshooting software and hardware to resolve bugs and other issues?
  14. What role does automation play in systems engineering and how do you improve automation when developing new systems?
  15. Do you have experience with software installation and configuration?
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6 Systems Engineer Interview Questions and Answers

Q:

Describe a past project you worked on that involved systems engineering. What was your role?

A:

Systems engineers generally work on the development of in-house IT infrastructure, which can range from reporting applications to internal networks and web servers. As a result, a systems engineer can be a technological jack-of-all-trades with a variety of past experiences. One candidate will have different strengths from the next. Questions like this will give you a better understanding of a candidate’s expertise and how well their skill set will fit your organization’s needs. What to look for in an answer:

  • Areas of expertise
  • Past experience on specific projects
  • Technical communication skills

Example:

“A project that I’m proud of is a reporting system overhaul I was involved in with a major financial company. I oversaw the development of a distributed processing system that improved report processing time by 50 percent.”

Q:

Have you developed a disaster recovery plan? What are the key factors in a successful plan?

A:

Systems engineers are also involved in creating recovery plans and redundant systems designed to survive different scenarios like natural disasters and power failures. If you’re looking for a systems engineer to work on disaster planning, it’s a good idea to talk about past experience on similar projects. Disaster recovery plans need to take into account physical and electronic assets as well as the ability to deliver customer services in the event of losing a location. What to look for in an answer:

  • Past experience with disaster recovery planning
  • Understanding disaster planning requirements
  • Ability to take into account multiple factors while making a disaster plan

Example:

“I helped develop a disaster recovery plan for a VoIP service company. They needed to create a redundant data center that could continue providing voice service in the event of a power outage.”

Q:

What does DNS mean? How does it work on an internal network?

A:

DNS stands for Domain Name System or Domain Name Server. It’s a service that looks up IP addresses based on a domain name like google.com or www.microsoft.com. Many local area networks will have a local DNS server that provides DNS service to employees. Often internet service interruptions are actually a loss of DNS service, which prevents web browsers from connecting to websites using domain name URLs. This question will test a systems engineer candidate’s working knowledge of network technology. What to look for in an answer:

  • Knowledge of internet and network infrastructure
  • Knowledge of network troubleshooting
  • Ability to communicate issue in simple terms

Example:

“DNS is a network service that makes it possible to connect to internet or local addresses using domain names instead of IP addresses. A web browser requests the IP address from a DNS server and then uses that address to make a connection.”

Q:

What kinds of documentation have you created in the past?

A:

Systems engineers often serve as managers or consultants for technology projects and develop documentation in those support roles. They might help create requirements or planning documents at the beginning of a project, or they might oversee the writing of end user documentation for software. If you expect a candidate to have these skills, it’s a good idea to explore their past documentation experience. Pay attention to the types of collaboration involved in the documentation they’ve worked on. What to look for in an answer:

  • Past experience with technical documentation
  • Written and verbal communication skills
  • Collaboration and planning experience

Example:

“In my last role with a software service company, I was involved with creating project plan documents for outside clients on a regular basis. I worked with our sales and development teams.”

Q:

Imagine you are working on a major application project. There’s a conflict between two different tech teams. How do you resolve it?

A:

Systems engineers have a set of skills that often put them in a position to work with multiple technology teams in large organizations or complex projects. Disagreements on specific technical questions can arise that require advanced conflict resolution and persuasion skills. Asking this question can give you a good idea of the candidate’s experience and skill with these situations. What to look for in an answer:

  • Negotiating and persuasion skills
  • Past experience handling inter-departmental conflicts
  • Professional communication skills

Example:

“I’ve seen projects stall because of inter-department disagreements about how to proceed. In one case, I recall a series of meetings during which I successfully helped two teams find a compromise that worked for everyone.”

Q:

When systems engineers design a workflow infrastructure and make updates, they need to make sure that all of the different elements of the system work together harmoniously. A small error can cause major issues as the system develops and users interact with different features. Systems engineers work with a team to check for errors and make improvements. This question helps interviewers identify candidates who have experience in quality assurance and know the best practices for producing a fully functional system.

A:

When interviewing candidates, look for responses that indicate an aptitude for systems engineering through these qualities:

  • Teamwork
  • Attention to detail
  • Established routines and methodologies

Systems engineers may have their own techniques for upholding quality standards, but here is one example of a successful answer:

Example:

"Whenever I add to a system or make any changes, I have other members of my team test its functionality in different ways and explore possible issues that could have resulted from the update. Having others interact with the system helps me find common pain points and apply more specific testing procedures. I record their feedback and document my plan for moving forward with the workflow after resolving and issues and noting my solution in the system documentation."

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