OT - Questions to ask at an interview (for a machine shop)

[Ishira]

Unfortunately I have come to the conclusion I need to leave the company I work for and find someone different. I am in process of getting an interview for a place lined up, but I'm trying to think of questions to ask the interviewer. The position, to my understanding, is a quality inspection position, where I will be inspecting parts between lines and moving them to their next destination. This will be a "foot in the door" position so that I can move into their CNC department.
With both of those things in mind, and other things in general for shop interviews, what should I be asking?
Thanks all!

 

[DouglasJRizzo]

Ask them to explain how they process work in the shop.
If you're a newbie on CNC, ask them how soon you can start operating one.
Ask about inspection processes.
Setup processes.

One thing I learned in college - ASK!

 

[eKretz]

Well, for one thing I'd ask about potential for eventually moving to the CNC department if that's what you want to do. If they sound very closed to that possibility you may not want to take the job. It's good to be open and honest up front as long as you're working with open and honest people. If not, better to find out about it right away.

 

[boslab]

I think I would be interested if they have a quality assurance programme they use, do they use SPC ( statistical process control) quite an involved thing in itself but dead useful for finding cock ups before they happen, like tool wear
Etc, trends like specific machine problems, common as muck in aerospace and such. Do they have a guage room for calibration, all inspection things I know but the more you know the better
Mark

 

[Rickyb]

As Rizzo said ask about their quality procedures, but with the the knowledge that quality cannot be inspected in to a product. Things like 100% inspection is not 100% effective. Ask how their manufacturing procedures produce quality parts always and how their quality group supports it. This will help with the foot in the door. After this discussion ask about opportunities for advancement or movement within in their organization.

Don’t interview for one position while asking for another. It’s a guaranteed way not to get a job. They have their mind set on filling a qc position. Go with the flow.

 

[Rickyb]

More good advice from boslab.

 

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

I think I would be interested if they have a quality assurance programme they use, do they use SPC ( statistical process control) quite an involved thing in itself but dead useful for finding cock ups before they happen, like tool wear
Etc, trends like specific machine problems, common as muck in aerospace and such. Do they have a guage room for calibration, all inspection things I know but the more you know the better
Mark

I think it’s time we adopted the American “ gage “ instead of gauge. No more spelling mistakes then.

Regards Tyrone.

 

[DocsMachine]

Walk in and ask "where's all the lineshafts?"

Point to a Bridgeport and say "that sure is a fancy drill press!"

Or, possibly worse, ask "hope your WiFi is pretty fast. I hate lagging while I'm watching a movie."



Being helpful as usual,

Doc.

 

[john.k]

Commonly asked questions at interview are "when can I go on holidays?....and when is my first sick day?.....Ive never heard any questions about the companies operations,commonly the applicant spins a lot of lies about how well they did their last job....and how well they think they can do the interview job...very comical ,at times.......also wise to read your resume ,and memorize it somewhat ,so you are familiar with whats in it .....which many arent.

 

[Georgineer]

I got a good response at one interview when they asked "Is there anything else you want to ask us?". I produced a short list from my pocket, scanned it and said "No, thanks, we've covered everything." I got the job, the best job I ever had, then the firm was put out of business by dirty tricks from a 'business partner' a couple of years later.

George

 

[Georgineer]

I think it’s time we adopted the American “ gage “ instead of gauge. No more spelling mistakes then.

Regards Tyrone.

Good idea. If we make them in an environmentally responsible way we could call them greengages.

George

 

[Lewie]

Good idea. If we make them in an environmentally responsible way we could call them greengages.

George

As I recall Those are plumbs. I think we had a tree of them back in the late 30s.
...lewie...

 

[Fadriver]

Unfortunately I have come to the conclusion I need to leave the company I work for and find someone different. I am in process of getting an interview for a place lined up, but I'm trying to think of questions to ask the interviewer. The position, to my understanding, is a quality inspection position, where I will be inspecting parts between lines and moving them to their next destination. This will be a "foot in the door" position so that I can move into their CNC department.
With both of those things in mind, and other things in general for shop interviews, what should I be asking?
Thanks all!

Unless you are starving but if you are progressive forward type of guy don't take it
the company mentality is of the 70s, where they blame the inspector for everything that goes wrong
I worked same capacity back then in the 80s, it drains your body energy that stupid mentality
corrupt production managers that do not want to change, and use inspection as scapegoats for their
lack of leadership, every worker must do his job, inspect and monitor in production, no need to
roving inspectors, i figured out, those companies were thing of the past.

 

[modelmakerblue]

I think it’s time we adopted the American “ gage “ instead of gauge. No more spelling mistakes then.

Regards Tyrone.

Or they could learn to spell.
Tony

 

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

Or they could learn to spell.
Tony

If I’d a £ for every time I’ve seen gauge spelt incorrectly on a drawing I’d be rich, same goes for guard.

Regards Tyrone.

 

[TeachMePlease]

If I’d a £ for every time I’ve seen gauge spelt incorrectly on a drawing I’d be rich, same goes for guard.

Regards Tyrone.

But you people invented the language!

 

[Doozer]

Tell them that you are aware that quality inspection is all about
managing risk, and for sure the parts you will be in charge of
inspecting, you are looking at or measuring different features
that contribute to the differing levels of risk associated with
that part as a whole. Ask if you will be following a plan that
will be has an Acceptable Quality Level (AQL) limit and if you
will be developing trends using a bell curve chart, which will
track the process as a whole. And if said process ends up being
in the mean of the bell curve, as a cost saving exercise, will
you be allowed to lower the sample size, due to the trend established
as a conforming process, well centered within the control limits ?
This should help let them know you will be taking your work
seriously.

--Doozer

 

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

But you people invented the language!

I’m blaming the French for those two.

Regards Tyrone.

 

[PackardV8]

Agree, don't ask directly how long you'd have to be in QC before moving to CNC.

Instead, ask what is the usual career path for this position? Who had it last? How long did he stay with it? Where did he go from there? Would it be possible to speak with someone who had done the work previously? What training/job shadowing/mentoring will be in place?

Bottom line, the warnings about the challenges of old school QC are well taken. If a shop is on piecework and/or incentives and the QC is standing between them and money, he gets run over in short order.

jack vines

 

[boslab]

Common thing over here is six sigma, we all got a week of that, Cpk and stuff, interesting and dead useful looking for work, just knowing a smattering of stats helps, normal distribution aka gauss ant the bump graph, I’d get a book on it and do some of the exercises like setting the warning limits on the graph
It’s actually interesting and when the government tries to bs you you’ll at least understand 2 standard deviations and the like, goes hand in hand imho
Either way good luck, hope you get it, I was chucked off interview panel in work for not asking hr scripted bullshit, they are morons
Mark