Its important to prepare for an interview in order to improve your chances of getting the job. Researching questions beforehand can help you give better answers during the interview. Most interviews will include questions about your personality, qualifications, experience and how well you would fit the job. In this article, we review examples of various manual machinist interview questions and sample answers to some of the most common questions.
This job is quite repetitive. What will motivate you to work hard, in a long term horizon?
You have a few good options here. One of them is saying that you enjoy doing what machinists do, that you have a passion for your work, and believe you won’t lose motivation easily.
Another one is pointing to goals you have in your personal life (buying new house, providing for your family, or starting a family, etc), saying that the goals you have outside of work motivate you to try hard–since you want to keep the job, and the income. One way or another, they should feel that you have a good reason why you go to job, that you know what you work for…
Technical questions or practical test or an exam
In one out of five cases, you may actually deal with some technical questions, or you will have to complete a written exam. What is more, some companies (the probability is again 1:5, or even less) may test your skills directly with the machine.
They will take you to one of their machines, program set, and let you to operate the machine in a process of production of a certain semi-product.
However, there is no way how to prepare for this task in advance. You can prepare only for the tests. If you know that you will have to complete a written machinist test as a part of your hiring process, or are applying for apprenticeship and will have to pass the Machinist Apprentice Exam, I strongly recommend you to check out this test preparation kit for Machinists. It’s a paid product but worth every penny, considering that if you fail the test, you won’t get a job (and won’t earn anything)… Ready to pass your test? Fine! Let’s get back to the questions.
What is the most challenging manual machining project you have worked on?
The interviewer is trying to gauge the machinists experience and expertise. This is important because it will help the interviewer determine if the candidate is qualified for the position.
Example: “ The most challenging manual machining project I have worked on was a prototype for a new type of medical device. The tolerances were very tight and the material was very difficult to work with. In the end, we were able to produce a high-quality product that met all of the specifications. ”
Why do you want to work as a machinist in our company?
Most people will simply choose the offer that pays the most money, and there’s nothing wrong about it. When you interview for a job, however, you should refer to other reasons. You can still say that the salary offer is good, but you should add other things to your answer.
For example, you can say that you see a huge potential in their final products, in the things they specialize in. Or you can say that you really like the place of work, the working environment, or the technologies they have in place, believing to grow professionally in such a company.
Another good option consists in praising the locality, saying that you have excellent traffic connection with the place. Nobody wants to spend three hours daily in traffic, traveling to and from work…
* May also interest you: How to handle interview nerves – We always do better if we are relaxed. Learn how to get rid of stress and ace your interview.