Construction Worker Interview Preparation Guide

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WE MAKE is a well known construction company and you have some really impressive buildings to your credit. You work mainly in concrete and cement structures but also provide services in glass fittings, pipe laying and installation of electrical systems

My numeracy skills are fairly good. I can easily calculate required percentages of various construction materials to be added in the mixture. I am also well versed in calculating cost estimates based on the given market rates and client's construction plan

When I joined as a construction worker I had very little knowledge of mixing materials. Over the past 4 years I have learnt a lot about the types of building materials, their specifications and required quantities to generate specific quality and compositions of construction blocks as per demand of the target structure

Questions assessing your knowledge of what the job role in that company entails and how your career path would pan out are designed to find out how committed you are to the career you've chosen and whether you have a realistic understanding of what the day job is like. Follow-up questions might include 'What do you think you will be doing day to day?', the classic 'Where do you think you'll be in five years?' and 'What do you think you will find most challenging in the role?'.This is another instance when you need to have done your research:

☛ Your answer should partly be based on what you know about the company - whether it a contractor or consultant and the type of projects they work on, for example.
☛ You should also bear in mind the typical career path of people in your role, such as a professional qualification, and relate it back to the training and development in that company. In five years' time, for example, would you usually be chartered?
☛ Take into consideration which areas are growing within the company and why - or why not.

In my previous role I have been mainly responsible for cement mixing, loading and unloading of material and spreading concrete mixtures to dry and form structures. Fine tasks might vary a little but I believe the core duties I have mentioned are all required by the position in question as well and my experience will give me an edge over other inexperienced candidates

I believe I am best at cement spreading. Being a perfectionist I do not stop until the assigned surface is consistent and smooth

I enjoy installing various systems into constructional structures specially the electrical ones since I find them very amusing and like to see how they work. The part I find difficult is when the plan changes after half or full has been done. Design modifications usually involve breaking down of a portion of construction and when redone its neatness is compromised

☛ Please describe your present job responsibilities. Which do you find most enjoyable? Which are most difficult, and why?
☛ What was the best idea and the greatest accomplishment you contributed to your present employer? To previous employers?
☛ What would you like to have accomplished in your present job that you have not? What interfered with this accomplishment?
☛ What do you know about our company and the position we offer?
☛ What particular strengths and weaknesses do you feel you would bring to the job? What would others say?
☛ What do you think it takes to be successful in this job?
☛ What elements are important to you and to your subordinates in attaining job satisfaction?
☛ How does your previous experience relate to the job you are applying for?
☛ What are your short- and long-term objectives for your career?
☛ What have been your biggest frustrations in your career?
☛ What are some things your present company and department might do to become more successful?
☛ What are your hobbies and interests? How do they contribute to, or balance, the work you do professionally?
☛ Tell me something about yourself.
☛ How would you describe your personality to me? How do most of your friends and associates describe you?
☛ How would your spouse and children feel about your accepting this opportunity with us?
☛ How would your current employer feel, and what could you expect from him or her?
☛ What distinguishes you from other applicants; why should we hire you?
☛ What is it that you would like to do here at our company?
☛ What is your current annual compensation?
☛ What did you dislike at your last job?
☛ Why are you considering leaving your present job?
☛ Are you in a position to accept this job immediately? What would be involved in your accepting this position?
☛ What sort of pay do you expect?
☛ Why should I hire you?
☛ What are your plans for the future?
☛ Describe the characteristics that you feel would make for an ideal boss over our open position? Over you in particular?

There are many questions employers cannot ask an employee. If confronted with any of these, or if you simply do not want to answer a personal or awkward question simply say, "Please explain to me how this question applies to the position." Usually the interviewer will change the question. However you do not have to answer any questions that make you uncomfortable.

Strong federal legislation bars employers from discriminating against any person on the basis of sex, race, age, national origin, or religion, or disability, or against workers age 40 or older. (Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title VII, and the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967, and Americans with Disabilities Act of 1991 Title I)

Typical illegal questions include:

☛ How old are you?
☛ Where were you born?
☛ Do you hold a citizenship in other countries?
☛ What is your medical history?
☛ What is your religious affiliation?
☛ Do you have children?
☛ Have you ever changed your name?
☛ Have you ever been arrested?
☛ What holidays to you celebrate?
☛ Do you have a disability?
☛ Do you have a history of substance or alcohol abuse?
☛ Does your spouse work and where?
☛ Have you ever declared bankruptcy?

☛ What would you like to see in your ideal candidate? What do you think it takes to be successful in this position?
☛ What are the responsibilities of this position, and which do you regard as most important?
☛ Describe a typical day for someone holding this position.
☛ What are the results expected of this position? What accomplishments will be expected?
☛ What are the limits of my responsibility and authority?
☛ What problems/opportunities exist with this position?
☛ What make me right (or wrong) for this position?
☛ What support will I receive to help me fulfill my responsibilities?
☛ What are the strengths and weaknesses of my subordinates? What guidance and support do they expect of me?
☛ Who will be my superior and what are his or her strengths and weaknesses? How does he/she manage people? What type of individual works best under this manager? Who else within the company may I speak to about this manager?
☛ Are there any current projects in progress for which I will be responsible? If so, what is their status?
☛ What criteria will be used to evaluate my performance? When are performance reviews scheduled?
☛ What are the goals of the corporation? What are the goals of my department? What are the goals of this job?
☛ Tell me about the department. Who are my peers? What are their strengths and weaknesses? What is the company culture or atmosphere?
☛ What are the best and worst aspects of this job and this company?
☛ How do you rate your competition?
☛ Why did my predecessor leave this position?
☛ Why did you come to work here and why have you stayed?
☛ Where is a person likely to advance after performing this job well?

Review this list of frequently asked interview questions for construction workers:

☛ How familiar are you with reading and interpreting blue prints and/or electrical drawings?
☛ Describe some of your most recent projects.
☛ Have you ever been injured on the job? What happened? What would you do differently now to prevent the injury from happening again?
☛ Have you/your company ever caused/been involved in an accident that caused someone to receive hospital treatment or be hospitalized?
☛ What is on your personal check-list to ensure you are ready to leave the job daily?
☛ How have you demonstrated safe work practices in your former job?
☛ How strong are your math skills?
☛ What would you do if a customer had a problem with the quality of your work?
☛ Have you ever walked off of a job? If so, for what reason?
☛ Give me an example of a time when you had little or no direction in solving an issue. What happened? What did you do?
☛ Tell me about a suggested you made on the job that was implemented.
☛ What procedures do you follow to prevent injuries on the job?
☛ How do you prioritize the necessary tasks of a job?
☛ Tell us about the biggest roadblocks you have encountered during a project. How did you resolve them?

This question could also be phrased as 'why should we hire you?'.

☛ Your answer should partly be based around your skills (such as teamwork), and your enthusiasm for the industry, the job and the company.
☛ If you have studied an industry-related degree, consider what you can offer in terms of your technical knowledge: during your course you should have been exposed to the latest thinking in terms of sustainability and methodology. While you should not make out you know it all, your knowledge should add some value to the team.

Earlier on in my career, I fell from a high rise building that I was performing construction work on. I had been too sure of myself and decided not to fasten my harness because I was "only" 20 feet above the ground. I fell down and landed on my behind. I was lucky not to break my back. But from then on, I realized that even if one is 2 feet above the ground, a harness is essential.

Working as a railroad laborer requires that candidates be able to meet sometimes demanding physical conditions. These include: lifting up to or over 50 pounds, standing for long periods of time, carrying heavy items for distances, wielding tools such as saws and hammers and the ability to bend over. Sample interview questions that directly probe these points include, "Are you able to stand for eight hours, other than your legally required breaks?"

There is nothing more important than being able to read and interpret blueprints and electrical drawings. This is because all activities of a construction worker depend on these two. If one cannot read and interpret these, one cannot plan and execute construction activities.

Last year it so happened that our contracting supervisor had to go on leave and I took charge of the team for 15 days. I understood, translated and implemented the blue print plan effectively while he was gone and on return he was very happy with my work

Questions assessing your knowledge of what the job role in that company entails and how your career path would pan out are designed to find out how committed you are to the career you've chosen and whether you have a realistic understanding of what the day job is like. Follow-up questions might include 'What do you think you will be doing day to day?', the classic 'Where do you think you'll be in five years?' and 'What do you think you will find most challenging in the role?'.This is another instance when you need to have done your research:

☛ Your answer should partly be based on what you know about the company - whether it a contractor or consultant and the type of projects they work on, for example.
☛ You should also bear in mind the typical career path of people in your role, such as a professional qualification, and relate it back to the training and development in that company. In five years' time, for example, would you usually be chartered?
☛ Take into consideration which areas are growing within the company and why - or why not.

Situations such as these arise often. Construction workers all have their own specialties and there are times when we do not get much direction. In a situation such as these, I make use of my own judgment as much as possible along with keeping in contact with customers to ask for periodic feedback.

Interviews with railroad laborers should explore the candidate's previous experience in the construction field. General questions can ask about previous positions, specific projects and training or on-the-job instruction. Specialized questions should probe the candidate's personal role in such projects. For example, "Please describe your responsibilities and tasks you regularly completed when you worked on the Johnson Railroad project."

Major responsibilities of a construction worker include: breaking up concrete using jackhammers, operating drill machines as needed, shoveling construction material into cement mixers, positioning and aligning concrete and steel structures, signaling heavy machinery operators for correct placement of portable structures and setting up and removing of scaffoldings for support.

Interview questions should be used to determine if candidates have any experience operating specialized construction equipment. This equipment might include vehicles such as forklifts, bulldozers, excavators or trucks. Ask the candidate if he has a license or has received specialized training or certifications: "Please tell me more about your training and experience with bulldozers." A qualified candidate should be briefly asked to demonstrate his expertise by using the equipment in question under supervision.

It is not always possible to satisfy everyone. However, it is our job to make sure that they are happy with what we do. If a customer has issues with the quality of my work, I confer with him to determine what went wrong and then take all measures to ensure I correct it.