Civil Engineer Intern
Posted Sep 8, 2026 · We last checked this listing on Oct 6, 2026
Likely interview questions for this role
Written from this job description, not a generic list. Each one notes what the interviewer is really checking.
About your past
Tell me about a class or team project where you used CAD or structural analysis software. What did you produce?
What they are checking: Whether they have hands-on tool experience that will let them contribute to a design team quickly.
Describe a time you worked on a team where people had different roles, like a design team with engineers and technicians.
What they are checking: Whether they can collaborate across skill levels and roles, which is how this design team is built.
How do you stay safe and follow quality rules when you're new and still learning how things are done?
What they are checking: Whether they take safe work practices and quality control seriously from the first day.
What would make this internship a success for you by the end of the summer?
What they are checking: Whether they have clear learning goals and genuine interest in power delivery engineering as a career.
What would you do
You finish a calculation and the result looks off, but you can't find the mistake. What do you do?
What they are checking: Whether they check their work and ask for help at the right time rather than turning in something doubtful.
Your supervising engineer is busy and you've been given a client standard that seems to conflict with what you learned in school. How do you handle it?
What they are checking: Whether they know client standards usually govern and will ask instead of guessing.
About the work
What do you know about the civil and structural side of a substation, and what parts of that work interest you most?
What they are checking: Whether they have looked into what substation civil work involves and can connect it to their coursework.
Walk me through how you'd size a spread footing for an equipment stand. What loads would you consider?
What they are checking: Whether they can apply basic foundation design concepts like dead, wind and ice loads to a real structure.
How would you build a bill of materials from a design, and how would you check it for errors?
What they are checking: Whether they are careful with quantities, since a wrong bill of materials causes expensive delays on site.
Have you heard of the National Electrical Safety Code? How do you think it would affect a civil or structural design?
What they are checking: Whether they are curious about utility codes and understand that clearances and loading shape civil design choices.
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Practice this out loudThe full job description
As published by Leidos.