What's the best way to showcase your CAD skills in an aerospace engineering job interview?

The following suggestions are for the freshers which one should be aware of some of them if not all: 1. First & foremost is that CAD is for Computer Aided Design rather than Computer Aided Drafting 2. Knowledge in GD&T 3. Good grasp on reading of a drawing including the understanding & correct interpretation of different symbols 4. Basics of aircraft structures, systems & design concepts 5. Good exposure to tool training in CATIA V5 as it is extensively used in Aerospace industry though knowledge on other tools is not necessarily required 6. Knowledge on part body, assembly, sheet metal design, surface design & drafting of aircraft components 7. Knowledge on manufacturing processes of both metallic and composite materials to certain extent

Ensure you have a strong grasp of the foundational concepts and functionalities of the CAD software relevant to the aerospace industry, such as CATIA, SolidWorks, or AutoCAD. Be prepared to discuss how you've used these tools in the context of aerospace engineering, focusing on aspects like 3D modeling, simulations, and technical drawings.

Example to showcase your CAD skills: Explain how a virtual 3D environment enabled you to solve engineering challenges but also how you did contribute with your expertise on working methods and made them available for colleagues. Then how you investigated the impact of your project other departments like manufacturing and how you added value for them.

The way one's skills are presented to showcase contributions made in one's career makes all the difference during the preparation of portfolio. This is more important for the experienced candidates to ensure that his/her portfolio makes it as a differentiator compared to experienced candidates for the same job. One should not forget that "A picture is worth a thousand words". It is recommended to choose an appropriate data presentation format to convey one's project's outcome than a mere written description. It also makes it easy for the candidate to explain to the stakeholders with the help of such format during the interview. Knowledge of script language appropriate to a given tool is an essential pointer & differentiator to one's skill.

Create a digital portfolio that highlights your best CAD work. Include a variety of projects that demonstrate your skills in designing, modeling, and problem-solving. For each project, provide a brief description, the objectives, the CAD tools used, and the outcomes. If possible, include before-and-after images, design iterations, and any relevant calculations or analyses.

You may want to create a portfolio or personal website accumulating your CAD/CAE projects. Showcase your skill by adding pictures/ videos from whatever software was used for a project with a brief description of your approach to that problem along with your results. For instance, if you're using FEA software, be sure to show your meshing, boundary conditions, and stress contour plots.

Be ready to discuss your design process and decision-making in detail. When presenting your portfolio, explain why you chose certain design paths, how you addressed specific engineering challenges, and what CAD features you utilized to achieve your goals. This demonstrates not only your technical proficiency but also your critical thinking and problem-solving skills.

Highlight any projects where you had to think outside the box or apply creative solutions to complex problems. This could involve innovative design concepts, unique applications of CAD tools, or novel approaches to traditional aerospace engineering challenges. Creativity is a key trait that can set you apart from other candidates.

Some interviews may include practical CAD tests or challenges to be solved on the spot. Be prepared for this possibility by practicing under time constraints and familiarizing yourself with the types of quick tasks you might be asked to perform. This could involve making a quick design, modifying an existing model, or demonstrating how you would use specific CAD functionalities.

It covers the preparation of Resume/CV. 1. Be clear about the finer differences between them 2. Desist from 'copy & paste' of the objectives from others 3. Latest photo and DOB are must 4. The first paragraph, containing 'who you are', 'what's your years of experience' and 'what are your skills' etc., are to be mentioned precisely & concisely 5. If professional's support is sought for preparation, be careful about the contents and clear about each of them as they are known to bloat certain aspects to make it impressive 6. One can make use of different templates available in public domain as long as it coves the above aspects 7. One can have a master template but certain aspects can be re-arranged, while applying to a job, based on the JD