Manufacturing Training Program Engineer 

How did you get your current job?
The company came to recruit at the Mississippi State University Career Fair.

What was the application process?
Submitted Resume, On Campus interview, 2nd interview with company vice presidents at the corporate office, 1st Offer–then a Personality test, Drug Test, Management Potential Test.

Did you have to interview for your current job? If yes, what did the interview process entail?
On Campus interview with a head hunter, 2nd interview with company vice presidents at the corporate office (4 separate interviews, each with 2 people interviewing).

If you can remember, what questions were you asked during the interview?
I was asked situational questions such as “What would you do if, on a Friday before a long vacation, you had to make a shipment. You are not allowed to ship without contacting the customer to confirm there is room in their warehouse. Your employees have been unable to contact the customer all day, and they want to leave to begin their vacation. Several men have flights to catch. You need to have them here to load the truck when it arrives. What do you do? Do you ship without customer approval, or make your employees stay until you can get him on the phone?”

They also asked where I saw myself in 5 years, 10 years.

Do you feel your employer properly prepared you for your job? Explain.
No–but I feel I was prepared before taking the job through prior work experiences.

Was there training for your current position? If yes, what did it entail?
I went to a 3 day orientation on company policies, but was not trained in technical aspects of my job.

Do you feel your educational background prepared you for your job? Explain.
yes, absolutely. I worked in 2 internship/co-ops during college which exposed me to manufacturing, working with operators and supervisors, and trained me in project management.

If applicable, do you feel your internship experience helped you prepare for your job?
Yes–see previous answer please!

If someone wanted to go about getting a job similar to yours, what would you recommend for him or her to do?
Finish college with a GPA above 3.0 and work on networking within the industry. I would also focus more on work experience (do a co-op or internship) instead of grades. I would recommend that because when you interview for a business as a recent graduate, the company is interested in what YOU can offer THEM. I believe this is easier in an interview if you have projects or experiences in the workplace that you can explain while talking about engineering concepts they support.

What skills do you think a person should have if they want to pursue a position like yours?
Social skills–be able to joke/laugh with coworkers. Most people are stressed in their job and are more willing to work with you if you aren’t all business.

Technical skills–if you know what you are doing you need less help and less training.

Do you feel that you need a certain level of education or training to be successful in your job?
Yes

What advice would you give to someone who was about to start work in your position/ line of work?
Effort means everything. Do not give up or become discouraged at a few small setbacks. Be ambitious.