job interview q's

[nick182]

hey guys,

i have a job interview tomorrow to work alongside this chap.. He sounds pretty old school and too the point. What questions do u think i should prepare for? Would it be just like any ordinary job interview?...
ive been studying just incase he throws me a curve ball.

Anyways, heres the job advert.
Electricians wanted for local contract starting April 10. Full time. 17th edition, Inspection and testing prefered but not essential. Salary negotiable

Also, if u were hiring would u even think about hiring someone who has

• Level 2, 2330 C&G
• Level 3, 2330 C&G
• 17th Edition
• Part P and
• Pat testing qualifications?

Inc CSCS card... And some experience in domestic/commercial self employed work.

any input would be great...

regards,
Nick

 

[rmaynard]

Well done for getting an interview, times are hard mate and its a struggle to get anywhere. Do you know what the job involves as most questions will be tailored around a certain job, they will probably want to know about your experience aswell

 

[nick182]

thanks mate, it was a hard interview to get.. i really had to push the guy to give me a time :/

 

[oldtimer]

What ever you do if you are asked where do you see yourself in 5 years time I replied winning the lottery with a nice house in Tuscany well one seen the funny side the other was so ---- anout it . Plus I was told if you are no good we can get rid of you I said yep but that cuts boths ways if your not any good I can get rid of you.

I got the job and 3 months later over a beer the manager said that was my show stopper comment about being no good and you blew it out the water so I never said it again

 

[Adam W]

If he's an old school one man band tradesman I doubt you'll be expected to turn up in a suit with a copy of your CV in your briefcase and answer standard HR questions such as describing a time one of your ideas was put into practice, or a time you've exceeded a customer's expectations.
It would be worth coming up with a few relevant, intelligent questions to ask him, and might even be worth considering which direction you are going to lead the interview in case he doesn't seem to know - if you can make the 'interview' flow a bit better he might think it has gone well.

Chances are the guy is going to employ someone who he thinks he's going to get on with rather than someone with an armful of qualifications, so concentrate on trying to get along rather than mentioning your qualifications. In fact if he doesn't ask I'd try to avoid the subject.

 

[alarm man]

as ot says,a bit of humor tailored to suit the interviewer of course can go along way after all you will be working with other lads etc and the best thing about site work is the banter, you have to fit in,also clue up on h&s issues its a big big thing these days..

 

[nick182]

well the job interview went alright last week. I was meant to find out today if i got the job or not as it turns out he needs me to come in so he can assess me before he can give me an answer.

i guess thats a good thing. I can atleast put it down to experience if i dont get it I supose.. Im not really confident as i should be.
But here goes.... Gulp! im so totally bricking it..

How did u guys start out? Ur all time served I bet? I did my level 2 and 3, 2330, 17th Ed, Part P and Pat Testing and have spent the last year as self employed.. its been ok so far. I mean i cant really expect work to just roll in asap but i have had some experience on the domestic side of things.

This guy, who i hope to be my new boss says most of the work will be 90 per cent supervised and wants a 17th ed electrician with 2391 preferred but not essential. He just got a large contract working in a block of flats doing first fixes..
i hope i am prepared for it as i have not done it before... ahwel... carpe diem as they say

wish me luck
Nick

 

[VoltzElectrical]

well the job interview went alright last week. I was meant to find out today if i got the job or not as it turns out he needs me to come in so he can assess me before he can give me an answer.

i guess thats a good thing. I can atleast put it down to experience if i dont get it I supose.. Im not really confident as i should be.
But here goes.... Gulp! im so totally bricking it..

How did u guys start out? Ur all time served I bet? I did my level 2 and 3, 2330, 17th Ed, Part P and Pat Testing and have spent the last year as self employed.. its been ok so far. I mean i cant really expect work to just roll in asap but i have had some experience on the domestic side of things.

This guy, who i hope to be my new boss says most of the work will be 90 per cent supervised and wants a 17th ed electrician with 2391 preferred but not essential. He just got a large contract working in a block of flats doing first fixes..
i hope i am prepared for it as i have not done it before... ahwel... carpe diem as they say

wish me luck
Nick

there's nothing difficult about wiring flats, you'll be fine if you get the job.

Hope you do, we need some good luck stories on here.

Here's wishing you well fella.

 

[nick182]

well i didnt get the job..
but he did get 2 days free labor out of me without even saying thanks. Im pretty sure he already gave it to someone else but they probably couldnt start till 2morro..

:mad2:

 

[alarm man]

well i didnt get the job..
but he did get 2 days free labor out of me without even saying thanks. Im pretty sure he already gave it to someone else but they probably couldnt start till 2morro..

:mad2:

i thought interviews were based in an office not working on a site...how did you give him 2 days of your time for free?

 

[nick182]

i had the interview then a week later he rang and asked if i could come on site so he could assess me... post #7

 

[alarm man]

i had the interview then a week later he rang and asked if i could come on site so he could assess me... post #7

sorry,missed that bit,but if he did have you on site im sure he would have all the correct paperwork in place incase something went wrong as you dont actually work for the company,and he could have at least paid you for the 2 day interview!! i expect he would have you sing for your supper too,

 

[Knobhead]

The last interview I did was downright bizarre…

Location: the roof of Bradford university.
Skill test: would I make off a 25mm 4C SWA to a gland already mounted in an enclosure? So dressed the cable and stripped back, took one look at the gland and then refused to make the cable off. GRP enclosure with no earthing in sight.
Had to wait while he made the cable off, then we went to the pub across the road for a chat. Then back to his house for a meal and for him to down load the pictures I’d taken.

I didn’t want or get the job.

 

[oldtimer]

i thought interviews were based in an office not working on a site...how did you give him 2 days of your time for free?

Sorry to hear that but my veiw is this 2 day thing is a product of the current economical climate ie when things are tight it tends to breed pompus SOBs who feel they have the power of the universe behind them . So chin up and if you are asked for 2 days for free again just decline or if they insist then request that they pay your 2 days wages to a charity of your choice that will stop the freeloading Ba$tards

 

[nick182]

Its turning into a slanging match now.. I dont get paid because i didnt ask to get paid apparently.. I hate this... I always seem to have to fight to get paid whether it be from a customer or an employer... Its just doing my head in so bad.

But seriously though... Am i in the wrong here? In the interview he said i would know by tuesday if i had the job or not.. Monday night he msg's me to say that he is concerned about the experience that i have had so he asked if i could come in for 2days so i could be assessed. I said sure no problem..

In the interview he asked how much would i like to get paid.. I said regarding my level of experience £10p/h which i dont think is too bad.
Anyways, job done n dusted I nicely asked if there was a chance of getting paid for the work done. His reply was "i thought wed/thurs was free so I could assess you"
There and then i knew i should of asked before i went in to find out if it were payed work but i didnt really want to screw my chances of not getting the job but i held back because in my mind ofcourse id be getting paid.. why wouldnt i??

I had to travel an hour and 45mins to get there for 730am and work till he said thats enough for today. Even though the job was advertised 40mins away from home.
And now im writing up an invoice and taking it to county court.

In my mind he already had someone for the job but just couldnt start till friday so thats probably why he had me in doing all of this fiddly crap that he didnt want to do. Its not like i learned anything anyway. I was drilling holes most of the time getting **** flunged at me from the bricklayers working above..

should i just count this as another write off or follow it through?
I dunno.. Courts never really go in my favor anyway...

regards,
nick