Controls Engineer Intern (Summer 2027)
Posted Oct 2, 2026 · We last checked this listing on Oct 6, 2026
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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 project where you used data to find or fix a problem.
What they are checking: Data analysis skill, which the internship lists along with controls work.
How would you explain a controls problem to a maintenance technician or operator?
What they are checking: Technical communication skill with people on the floor.
Tell me about a time you got stuck on a technical problem. What did you do?
What they are checking: Persistence and knowing when to ask for help.
Why are you interested in controls engineering in manufacturing?
What they are checking: Whether their interest is real and fits a summer spent in a foundry.
What would you want to have finished by the end of the summer?
What they are checking: Whether they think in terms of delivering a project, not just gaining exposure.
What would you do
A machine stops and the HMI shows a fault. How would you start troubleshooting?
What they are checking: A logical approach to troubleshooting rather than guessing.
About the work
What experience do you have with PLCs, either in class or at work?
What they are checking: Whether they have basic PLC exposure to build on during the internship.
Explain how a sensor signal gets from the field to a PLC and then shows up on an HMI.
What they are checking: Understanding of the basic control system chain they will troubleshoot.
What do you know about industrial networks like Ethernet/IP or Profinet?
What they are checking: Awareness of the networks the posting says they will work with.
How would you work safely around energized equipment in a foundry?
What they are checking: Seriousness about electrical safety and lockout before entering a plant.
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As published by Charter Manufacturing.