How Can I Prepare For Electronics Engineering Job Interviews? – Do’s

Got a call letter for an interview in electronics? So lucky you are! You indeed deserve congratulations for being the deserving candidate for that particular post. But before you start building castles in the air, there is one more constraint before you attend the interview. That is preparing for an interview.

Without wasting your time, here I am going to recommend you a few basic things to read, which would help you in good preparation. You can refer books or websites or magazines or blogs like ElProCus.

1. Company Website

The first and foremost thing to read while preparing for an interview is the details about the company. This includes the company profile, different projects handled by the company. This would assist you in good preparation.

2. Textbooks in Electronics

This idea of reading textbooks might sound boring. But don’t worry; provided that you won’t have much time before the interview, I am going to suggest you mug up the whole book. All you have to do is to have good knowledge about basic concepts in subjects related to electronics and that can be gained only from textbooks.

The basic electronic topics for which most of the electronic companies hire are digital electronics, embedded systems (Microcontrollers), control systems, VLSI, and communication networks. So here I am going to list basic books related to each of the topics which would help you in preparing for an interview.

So here are the few textbooks relevant for subjects related to electronics.

a. Digital Electronics by S. Salivahanan

This book provides a basic yet in-depth knowledge about topics relates to digital electronics like logic gates, logic circuits, memories, flip-flops, counters, and many more. This is an ideal book to gain knowledge about digital electronics at the ground level.

b. Integrated Electronics by Jacob Millman and Christos C Halkias

This book can be referred to be as the ‘bible’ of electronics. Starting from basic concepts in electronics like semiconductors, electronic components like diodes, BJTs, FETs, MOSFET to the application of these components like amplifiers, oscillators, generators, and many more, this book provides in-depth knowledge about every topic. Not only that, but it also gives a basic concept of solid-state power electronic devices like TRAICs, DIACs, SCRs, etc. Apart from these, it also contains problems with real-time variables which can be solved by students.

c. 8051 microcontroller and Embedded Systems by Muhammad Ali Mazidi and Janice Gillispie Mazidi

This book provides basic and detailed knowledge of microcontrollers and embedded systems. This covers every description of 8051 microcontroller – its architecture, programming, instruction set along with sample applications and interfacing examples, and much more.

d. Feedback Control Systems by U A Bakshi, SC Goyal

This book contains basic concepts of control systems like open-loop and closed-loop control, transfer functions, PID controllers, frequency domain analysis, and many more. At the end of each chapter, it contains review questions, which are very useful to the readers.

e. Electronic Measurement and Instrumentation by U A Bakshi, A V Bakshi

Starting from basic measurement instruments like voltmeters, ammeters, multimeters to data acquisition systems, transducers, signal, and waveform generators, this book provides a basic, simple and precise knowledge about every topic related to measurement and instrumentation.

f. VLSI Design by K Lal Kishore and VSV Prabhakar

If you are lucky enough to get a call letter for the interview in VLSI design, this book would assist you in enhancing or revising your knowledge about VLSI design. This book contains basic details about VLSI design like fabrication, design of integrated circuits, circuit design processes, VHDL modeling, and many more.

Apart from all the above books I have mentioned, there is one more book for those who want a quick revision of all the basic concepts in electronics. That is:-

Basic Electronics by B.L.Theraja

This book contains a brief yet precise knowledge about topics related to many electronic subjects like basic electronics, circuit components, digital electronics, fiber optics, and many more. This book provides a simple and basic understanding of concepts in electronics.

3. Magazines

Apart from the textbooks, which provide you with only basic knowledge about electronics’ topics, I will also suggest you refer magazines for a quick review and catch up with the latest development in electronics around the globe. You can also read a few blogs and websites online which can assist you in gathering basic information about topics relevant in preparing for an interview.

a. Electronic For You

This magazine can be called as South Asia’s most popular electronics magazine. It covers everything related to electronics like the latest technologies related to electronics, simple circuits for beginners, information about the latest electronic gadgets, and much more.

b. Everyday Practical Electronics

This is a popular UK based magazine that contains information about the latest projects in electronics, advice from specialists, circuit design techniques for electronic hobbyists.

c. Nuts and Volts Magazine

This magazine can be seen as a guide for hobbyists, enthusiasts who want to know about circuit designing. You can refer to this magazine for getting a basic knowledge of design and modeling techniques.

4. Websites/Blogs

If you are not satisfied with books or magazines and just want a quick revision of the relevant topics, you can always opt for online reading. The best way is to read articles on websites or blogs. Here I suggest you few important websites/blogs which can help you in getting a precise and quick revision of the basic electronic concepts.

1. www.elprocus.com

This is a popular blog related to electronics, which is supported and run by the team of Edgefx technologies. Here in this blog, you can read many articles related to basic and advanced concepts in electronics and can help you in revising and enhancing your knowledge. This blog can be seen as a basic platform for technical education.

2.  www.engineersgarage.com

It is a popular website for electronic enthusiasts. This website contains everything related to electronics from projects to articles. The articles on this website are related to the latest topics in electronics and different project ideas.

3. www.howstuffworks.com

This website is a good platform for science and technology. It contains articles about many important topics in electronics. It contains basic and in-depth information about relevant topics, in a simple language.

5. Sample Interview Questions

Apart from all the above stuff I have recommended to read, which can help you in getting a quick revision, I would like to suggest you review your knowledge. The best way to do so is by having a quick overview of a few sample or old interview questions. There are many popular websites like Freshersworld and many more that provide with sample and previous interview questions which can provide a reference for preparing for an interview in the electronics domain.

However remember, these interview questions should be seen as the ultimate ones and may change. All you can get is a basic idea about important concepts related to the topics.

Phew! Done! So much to read, just for preparing for an interview, isn’t it? Well, I hope none of you is a couch potato and can spare time to revising your knowledge by reading any of the above items which I have recommended.

If you are going to give interviews for the research field and interested in having a quick revision, I would recommend you to study the textbooks. If you are going to give interviews for private companies as a designer, I would suggest the magazines and websites. If you don’t have enough time in preparing for an interview, you can always have a quick revision as well as revival with the sample interview questions and online articles.

So what would you generally prefer? Select anything and before you rush to prepare yourself, just inform us about your selection in the comment section below.

Photo Credit:

Electronics for you magazine by Flickr