Advice for Interview

[Hitch]

No swearing in the interview either

Cant add anything more really to whats been mentioned already.

Id concentrate on the reasons why do want to join them, and why do you want to weld...
"I dont know, just fancied doing it" wouldn't be a good answer.

Good luck though

 

[Eric1]

Hey,

I have been looking up the company and going over interview questions most of the day. Trying to take on board everything mentioned on here.

Knoba, thank you. So alot of what the interviewer is looking for is a good, positive attitude, rather than my overall knowledge of welding ? They basically want to see that I am willing to learn and that I have an interest in welding ?

Hitch, As said above I have been working on a good, planned out answer to the 'Why do you want to weld' question.
Basically trying to word it in such a way that I portray to them my great intrest in welding.

Another thing that has been bugging me today was the fact that the apprenticeship advert stated Pipe fitting, Fitting and Plating as well as welding.
I gather from this they will likely ask questions about all of them as well ?

Sorry If Im going into too much detail over this interview haha.

 

[Ducati]

Can I add a little to the excellent advice given by all the others Eric.

Try to be as natural as you can on the day, ie be yourself.

Be attentive, listen carefully to any questions, don't blurt out an answer, take a second or two to understand the question and compose your answer.

The apprenticeship you are aiming for will entail using both your academic skills and practical skills, the interviewers will, I expect, be looking for evidence of both.

The academic side will more than likely be covered by your schooling etc.

However you may not have similar evidence of practical skills.

Sit and jot down things you have done in the past that would demonstrate your practical skills, abilities and problem solving.

For example, this could be some of the following, or similar.

Model making, metal work / woodwork projects at school or home, helping family / friends with mechanical tasks, and so on, things that will show an aptitude for working with your hands, the ability to think a problem through, the willingness to learn.

If you, or friends and family, know of a friendly local employer, no need to be in welding or even engineering, see if they could put you through a mock interview.

I mention this due to having been coerced into doing the same many years ago when my children were at school.

The head at the time tried to prepare his charges for all the eventualities that the big bad world would bring

He developed a good rapport with local employers, large and small and conned us into undertaking mock interviews for a cup of tea and some bikkies

Joking aside, I think that preparing pupils for what could be one of the most important steps in life after school, interviews, is sadly overlooked.

Enough waffling from me

Hope all goes well and you end up like this

 

[knoba]

So alot of what the interviewer is looking for is a good, positive attitude, rather than my overall knowledge of welding ?

Because this is an apprenticeship; I'd say the emphasis would be on attitude, to a greater extent, than one's knowledge.

cumbriasteve
I have not applied for this because it's a job and I want a wage, I have applied because it's what I WANT to do'

...that's a real nice closer!

Is this the advert, Eric?

Modern Apprenticeships

Four individuals are sought to undertake a Modern Apprenticeship in Welding, Fitting, Pipe-Fitting and Plating.

Applicants who have undertaken a one-year college based training course in an engineering-related subject or discipline would be preferred, although applications from school leavers are encouraged. Successful candidates will be required to attend Technical College throughout their 3/4-year apprenticeship.

Applicants will preferably possess GCSE qualifications in Maths, English, Physics and Technical Drawing.

 

[Robotstar5]

Another thing that has been bugging me today was the fact that the apprenticeship advert stated Pipe fitting, Fitting and Plating as well as welding.
I gather from this they will likely ask questions about all of them as well ?

I think you are dwelling too much on knowing the answers to a lot of technical questions on the skills mentioned above, after all the interview is for an apprenticeship to teach you the subjects!. I don't think they will be asking you how to tackle a vertical Tee fillet

They will be looking for someone with the aptitude/willingness to learn the skills they require as an apprenticeship is a big investment for a company and they want someone who will "stay the course" and continue with them when you come out of your time.

Another thing is computer skills, you obviously know how to work one as you are on here it might help to mention you are "computer literate" with whatever word processing, spreadsheet, etc. skills you have as PC's are a part of pretty much any job with technical aspects - even the machine loader/operators where I work have to know how to enter data on a PC!.

You are obviously taking on board all the suggestions/advice from the previous posts, so best of luck

 

[cumbriasteve]

Eric..I am following this thread and think you are starting to go into 'panic mode', convincing yourself you need to know as much as a qualified tradesman.

To clarify and hopefully return you to reality, when I was interviewing for apprentices I looked for someone who got off their **** and was proactive, rather than what seems the modern way of sitting back expecting things to come to you.

A keen friendly and polite person who showed a desire to listen and learn was always selected over someone who threw some qualifications on the table with a 'look how good I am' attitude.

As long as you can give a VERY brief outline of the trade, you have evidence you have prepared, and hell's teeth you are proving that to all of us, coupled with a willingness and desire to be involved and learn then you will doing all you can.

More often than not the candidate that is picked has been remembered more from the way they came across at the interview than the accuracy or knowledge levels of any questions.

Relax, Revise and don't try to fill your head with too much, I guarantee when you come out you will realise you failed to use half of it.

Finally, I think the local employment offices do ' interview skills' briefs, not sure how good they are or if available on short notine.

 

[Eric1]

Thank you Ducati, appreciate it.
I'll try to remain calm and composed during the interview, and take my time with the questions I get asked.

Knoba, Yeah that is the advert right there. Would you say its mainly a welding apprenticeship, that just covers Pipe fitting, Fitting and Plating?
I know what to say regarding welding when they ask 'Why do you want this job' but because it involves Plating and Pipe fitting, how would I go about answering the question ? Should I mainly talk about welding and briefly mention the others ?
I think Im confusing myself.

Thank you Robotstar, Ill try to show that the best I can. I feel that I will be fine once I go over the questions and once I resolve the small issue above.

cumbriasteve, again than you for the great advice.
As said above, Ill try to convey my intrest to them and show how keen I am to learn.

Thank you,

Eric.

 

[Rudi McAnichal]

when I was interviewing for apprentices I looked for someone who got off their **** and was proactive, rather than what seems the modern way of sitting back expecting things to come to you.

Reinforces something I read in a newspaper article a couple of years ago, from an engineer who takes on a few apprentices each year. He always drops in a friendly question along the lines of “What have you got planned for this weekend?” The candidate who answers “Nothing much” is not likely to be taken on. The one who says something like “I go round to my gran’s house on Saturday mornings to mow her lawn, we’ve got a game of football arranged for the afternoon, and I’ll go to my mate's place on Sunday because we are doing up an old motorbike…” has a good chance of getting the apprenticeship.

 

[rtbcomp]

Don't make the mistake a friend of mine made..........

Interviewer "What job do you think you'll be doing in 5 years time?"

Mate "Yours"

End of interview, and no job.

 

[knoba]

Would you say its mainly a welding apprenticeship, that just covers Pipe fitting, Fitting and Plating? I know what to say regarding welding when they ask 'Why do you want this job' but because it involves Plating and Pipe fitting, how would I go about answering the question ? Should I mainly talk about welding and briefly mention the others ?

I honestly don't know, Eric. Here's a link for a "Modern Apprenticeship in Engineering". Give Lorraine Andrews a call (number at bottom of page) and ask her about the details of the course and whether they'd be relevant to the apprenticeship you may well be undertaking.

It's also a good opening question to ask the interviewers.

They may not ask the question "Why do you want this job?". But, Lorraine should be able to point you in the right direction, or give you enough information, from their course syllabus, to help you answer it.

Talk about what the interviewers want to know. Be prepared to display some basic interest in all subjects including an interest in health & safety. You'll not know what the questions are going to be, until they are asked.

When it comes to asking your questions; base some of your content on the information you have just received (displays; listening, comprehension & analysis), and some, on pertinent questions that have not been covered. Take a pen & note-pad with you, detailing a list of relevant questions, and pick off the most suitable one's, according to how the interview goes. Try to mirror the interviewer(s) in terms of; tone, types of questions, subjects, difficulty, dress, body language, etc.

You are there to see if they are a viable proposition for you. They are there to see if you are a viable proposition for them.

What happens if you are not offered the position. There will always be elements of uncertainty, Eric. So the trick is not to worry about it, but to work with it. Be prepared, and, be flexible...

Everything will be ok, because we are the engineers, that make it ok.