A Maintenance Mechanic keeps machines working well. You are likely to encounter technical, behavioral, and basic questions in your interview. You need a high school diploma as well as specialized training in your field of interest. It is important to demonstrate, passion and skill in this role as well as physical ability.
Use the below questions to prepare for your interview. We cover both general and technical questions. The answers are a guide and you can tailor them based on your industry.
1. Why Are You Interested In This Role?
Your organization insists on excellence which I enjoy implementing in my work and thus think that this will be a great working relationship. I would also like to be part of the expansion plans that the company has in place. It will be a great avenue to expand my skills while contributing to the excellence of the organization. The management team has great reviews as well as the company is a top leader in the industry.
2. What Are The Roles Of A Maintenance Mechanic?
I expect to plan and schedule preventive maintenance procedures on machines in the company. I will also inspect and identify any issues with buildings, systems, and equipment to ensure they are operating at an optimum level. I will also plan and schedule any necessary repairs and keep a log of them. I will manage plumbing and heating systems in the organization. I will also ensure that production runs run smoothly and that optimum levels of production are achieved without machine downtime.
3. What Are The Qualities That A Maintenance Mechanic Need To Be Successful?
Great attention to detail is a key skill to have as a maintenance technician. It will assist in identifying any issues with the systems, buildings, and equipment. Problem-solving skills will then come in handy to address the issues identified. You also need to be in great physical shape to manage the work. You also need to be willing to learn as you will get to handle a lot of issues mostly out of the scope of what was learned in school. These are skills I have worked at developing and will make good use of in this role.
4. What Major Challenges Did You Face During Your Last Role? How Did You Manage Them?
The major challenge faced in my last role was budget constraints. The organization needed a lot of work done on a limited budget. I had to work with what was available which meant the department had to handle every task possible including those that would require helping hands from non-technicians. For some of the maintenance work, I had to convince management to consider revising the budget so that the work can be done to the required standard. I explained the costs that would face the company if preventive measures are not done as required and the effect on production machine downtime would have.
5. Describe Your Daily Routine As A Maintenance Mechanic?
As a maintenance technician, I get to work on time and do my routine inspection. Every day before handling any other tasks I walk through the facility and inspect generators, equipment, and power lines to ensure they are okay. In case a machine needs a fuel refill that is handled at this point. I then go back to my office and find my tools and start working on any projects that I had the previous day. I also inform the procurement department of the materials that need to be purchased to enable the department to run well. Throughout the day I lookout for any issues that may be raised and handle them as soon as they arise. Before leaving work, I plan any pending tasks to be handled the next day. I also document every work that has been done for the day and reviews any routine maintenance work that needs to be done within the month by external providers and liaise with them to ensure that they come on time for that.
6. Describe Briefly About Your Experience?
I have three years of experience working in the manufacturing sector. My role entailed ensuring the machines are running well and no downtimes are experienced in production runs because of breakdowns. I am good at problem-solving and I have a keen eye for details which has made me successful at what I do. I hope to use these skills here to make my work enjoyable.
7. What Kind Of Strategies And Mindset Are Required For This Role?
A technician needs to be practical with a can-do attitude and the ability to work well manually. They are responsible for offering solutions when a machine fails and therefore they need to be proactive and offer fast solutions. I have worked with these strategies and mindsets and it made the work run smoothly.
8. What Is The Biggest Challenge You Foresee In This Job?
The main challenge I foresee in this role is time management. The organization is big and has more machines than in my previous workplaces. I will need to meticulously plan my schedule and ensure that no area is overlooked in the process. I will work with my coworkers to identify the problem areas that may require more work so that due attention can be extended to them.
9. How Do You Stay Motivated At Work?
I like to see production runs going smoothly as this is evidence of the work that I handle behind the scenes. This keeps me motivated to continue with my daily work. I also like to learn new things about the machines I am working on to improve my knowledge and also be able to do my work better. Over the years this has helped me in handling the work faster as I know much more about the machine being handled.
10. Describe A Time You Failed In This Role And The Lesson You Learned?
In my past role, due to budget constraints, a machine was not serviced as required. Management required that we work with the available resources which were insufficient. Eventually, it broke down and it caused delays in production by two days. This was caused by my lack of speaking up about the impact a breakdown may have. I learned that it is good to share the effect a shortcut may make in the long run and let the management decide which route to pursue.
11. Why Do You Feel You Are Qualified For This Role?
My background, experience, and personal attributes make me a great candidate for this role. In particular, my enthusiasm to see machines operating efficiently and my curiosity to learn will be a great asset to your organization. I enjoy this type of work and I am committed to ensuring the organization’s equipment and buildings are well taken care of.
12. Share With Us Your Greatest Achievement
I am proud of the work I do and it has earned me several accolades. In particular, in my last role, I was awarded employee of the year and got the CEO’s award for excellence. The CEO’s award was considered the highest form of honor in the organization and it was rare that it happens. I became the exception. I believe this was a result of my hard work, dedication as well as attention to detail while ensuring I achieve excellence in every task that I handle.
13. How Do You Prioritize Your Duties In A Day?
I like to plan my tasks based on urgency and importance. I like to tackle urgent tasks first. These are mainly the issues that if not handled immediately may lead to a bigger breakdown. I then move to the other important tasks and then finish off with the less important tasks. This way nothing is overlooked in my work process.
14. What Are The Main Preventive Measures You Undertake?
I make a schedule of my routine maintenance work and keep to it. I do routine inspections of equipment and buildings. I conduct regular cleaning of the equipment and buildings. I lubricate any moving parts with grease or oil to minimize tear and wear. I also adjust any controls to ensure energy efficiency as well as optimal performance. I replace or repair equipment parts as soon as possible. This has helped arrest any issues at their infancy and therefore prevented huge breakdowns from happening and shutting down operations.
15. Do You Have Any Experience In Plumbing?
Yes, I am a good plumber too. These are skills I taught myself in the workplace as I started work in a place with a lot of plumbing issues and I worked with the in-house plumber in solving them. This made me gain the necessary skills and I can say I am a good plumber.
16. Describe For Us Your Ideal Supervisor.
My ideal supervisor is approachable, supportive, and confident. They know the way things are done, are able to show you the way, and can also handle the tasks. I love to work with a supervisor who invests in developing their team members and is also able to offer constructive criticism. They are interested in ensuring that team members are growing and can deliver excellence in their work.
17. Have You Ever Managed A-Team?
Yes, I have. In my previous role, I managed a team of four which included two plumbers, an electrician, and one person who would help out the technicians but had not specialized in any technical work. I would also manage casual laborers when the need arises as per the required work in the organization. In this role, I was responsible for ensuring that every individual has the necessary resources to perform their work. I also ensured that stock levels for maintenance materials are replenished on time. I was also responsible for the overall quality of their work as I would answer to management as to why they did not perform as per the required standard.
18. How Do You Maintain Cordial Relationships With Contractors, Coworkers, And Management?
I realize that in my work I need to collaborate with people from different departments in order to succeed. As such, I ensure that I handle everyone with courtesy. I am naturally respectful and do maintain good relationships with everyone. I also like to work with people as it is through the interactions that you get to learn a lot. It also makes it easier for them to point out the areas where they may experience issues in the equipment and also any issues that may arise in the building. This makes work easier.
19. What Are The Basics Of Problem Solving In Maintenance?
There are four basics. First, you handle the maintenance of critical systems and then fix problems quickly and faster than the last time. Then you determine the causes that led to the breakdown and lastly you identify the 20% breakdowns that consume 80% of your resources. These basics help in problem-solving and also keep you alert to anticipate problems in the future.
20. What Will You Do If Your Manager Disagreed With The Way You Wanted To Handle A Situation?
They could be justified in their rejection of me handling the situation the way I propose. I would listen to the approach they are proposing and then also share mine. It is good that I understand what they are hoping to achieve too. WE brainstorm and then agree on one course of action. This way we retain our cordial working relationship while providing a solution to the problem at hand.
21. Have You Ever Made A Hard Decision As A Maintenance Technician?
In my previous role, we had an issue where a machine used to break down frequently and since management did not want to disrupt production, the issues would not be solved fully as I was required to justify stopping production to work on the machine. I spoke to management and proposed a plan for a lasting solution but it would have required downtime of two days. They resisted the idea and some gave a condition that if we face the same issues after, I will be required to compensate the company for the downtime. I took the decision and stood by the two days required for the maintenance work to be done. The outcome was that we did not experience any issues completely a year after. The company saved time on the frequent issues it had experienced before.
22. What Skills Do You Possess In Handling Conflict?
I would like to think of myself as a good problem solver. I have honed my skills in conflict resolution as a result of handling conflict in my previous roles. I believe it is important to deal with the root of the problem in a respectable and calm manner to avoid the same issues arising later. No one should feel favored by the outcome but the solution should address the underlying issues.
23. How Would Your Previous Coworkers Describe You?
They would say I am an articulate and persistent problem solver. I am never afraid to stand my ground when needed. I also keep going back until I get what I want. When I was faced with budget constraints, I kept going back to management to request a readjustment of the budget. Through my persistence, the department was granted a better budget and as a result, the required work was achieved. They will also tell you that I do not like to take shortcuts when it comes to working and that I ensure that tasks are handled thoroughly. I understand that we handle critical equipment and it is important that nothing is overlooked.
24. In The Past Year, What Important Skills Have You Learned?
In the past year, I have focused on presentation and public speaking skills. I believe it is critical to learn this as it will help in communicating the department’s strategy and budget requirements to management. It will also assist in managing training programs for team members. The skills have improved my confidence in talking to different people and have improved my relationships immensely.
25. What Do You Enjoy Most About Your Role As A Maintenance Technician?
I enjoy the fact that no two days are the same. I enjoy the dynamics and changing schedules. I enjoy repairing stuff and returning them to workable condition. I enjoy dismantling the equipment and assembling them again. I have been passionate about this work since I was a little boy. I believe I am good at this and will deliver great work here based on my past experience. I also enjoy the problem-solving that comes with the role and how that propels the success of the organization.
Conclusion
The above questions and answers are a guideline on what you may encounter in your interview. The key to acing an interview is being prepared, displaying confidence, and being knowledgeable in your field. This will guarantee success every time. We hope the above guide gives you the tools to prepare well.
