Whether you are planning to hire a mechanic or you are a mechanic preparing to start looking for a new job, it’s good to do some basic research into the top mechanic interview questions and answers.
Understanding what a mechanic should discuss and talk about is a great way to be more prepared for the interview process from both sides.
Introduction questions
The first questions that are likely to be asked in an interview are questions that allow the mechanic and the hiring agent to get to know each other. These questions are more general and give an idea of what the mechanic is looking for, where they are coming from, and what the future might look like if they’re hired.
1. Why did you become a mechanic?
This question will let interviewers know what motivates a mechanic. Do they enjoy working with tools, or are they looking for a profitable career? Neither answer is wrong, but this can be good information.
2. What do you know about us, and why do you want to work here?
Another important thing to find out is how familiar an interviewee is with the business and what exactly brought them to apply at this location. Again, there is no right or wrong answer here, but this can help you understand where they are coming from.
3. Why did you leave your previous employer?
Finding out what types of issues led the interviewee to look for a new job is vital to many interviewers. This is a great question to use to identify any red flags, such as multiple terminations.
At-work questions
The next category of questions to work through are the situational questions that are about how a mechanic acts at work, how they would act in a particular situation, and similar experience-based questions. These give the interview an idea of what to expect in the day-to-day attitude of an individual.
All of these questions are best asked as “tell me about a time…” questions. This framing lets applicants present a story more easily, and it tends to help interviewers get more information.
1. Tell me about your favorite supervisor; why did you like working for them?
This question helps interviewers to get a good idea of what management style is preferred by the applicant. If there is a vast discrepancy between the answer and the type of management used at the location, this could lead to a failed interview.
2. Tell me about a time you disagreed with another mechanic; what happened?
Disagreements happen, and they will often cause significant issues in a garage. Finding out if mechanics can work out disputes in a sensible, adult way will be necessary to many supervisors, so this is a common question.
The best way for an application to answer this question is to make sure that they do not try to put the blame entirely on another individual. Additionally, they should show how they worked with other team members to appropriately problem solve the situation.
3. Tell me about a time you sacrificed safety on a repair; why was this necessary?
Most mechanics will feel hesitant to answer this question honestly as it can feel like you are being trapped. While all mechanics know they should never sacrifice safety, there are many ways to answer this question that won’t scare off an interviewer.
Being honest is key, and then explaining how you have evolved past that repair style or ensuring you do not sacrifice safety can also be helpful. Additionally, make sure that you never mention anything about insurance claims in your safety answers.
Ultimately, the interviewer will be the one to determine if an answer is something that they can accept or not.
Technical questions
Finally, interviewers need to make sure that a mechanic is appropriately trained for the position in question. Depending on the level that you are hiring or interviewing for, this could be more flexible. Still, these are very important questions.
Generally, these are the types of questions that typically come up during the technical portion of an interview:
- What is your experience in working on a specific type of equipment or vehicle?
- What is your specialty?
- What area do you have the least experience in?
- What is your favorite type of repair to do?
- What jobs were you given most at your previous positions?
- How much experience do you have with engine and transmission work?
- What type of tools do you have, and how do you feel about sharing tools?
The questions from each of these categories will give an interview great insight into whether or not a mechanic is a good fit for their location. There is no right or wrong answer for the majority of these questions – there is simply an answer that will inform the interviewer about the type of mechanic applying.
Author Howie Robleza. – Image source: Photo by Sebastian Herrmann on Unsplash
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