So I'm a Junior in College at NDSU(fargo ND Mechanical Engineer) and I interviewed with Bobcat for a co-op as a design engineer, well they called yesterday and asked me to come down to their gwinner, ND facility for a second interview/plant tour. They said business causal for dress. I plan to wear kakis and dress shirt. I figure I should bring my portfolio with a couple copies of my resume. Any other suggestions. I'm really excited as its like my dream come true, but at the same time nervous as hell.

 

Try not to pick your nose while talking to them

Seriously just relax and be yourself, you already sold them or they would not be asking for the second look. By acting calm you appear confident and you will fortify their original decision toward you.

You can do this Now go out there and slay the dragon

 

tie, if you are an engineer. it shows precision and positive image.

smile, it's ok to be thrilled with a company you have dreamed of working for!
show interst if you ARE interested in a certain machine or process. no sense in being reserved to be polite. ask if you can touch, etc..safety safety

best of luck and your ideas are spot on- Go GET EM!

heidi

 

bring at least five copies of your resume, so you can give them to several interviewers if necessary.

business casual is a stupid concept, it can mean anything from khakis and a polo shirt to pants and a tie. if in doubt, ere on the side of caution.

be prepared for the standard interview questions: your strengths, weaknesses, ways to handle conflict etc.

have a couple of questions prepared in case they ask you if you have any questions. it shows you're serious about this job and not just some chucklehead who needs cash. dont make the questions be about time off or hiolidays LOL. make it relevant to the job itself.

if possible, the next day, send thank you notes to the interviewers thanking them for their time. have a notepad with you so you can write down names, etc. in a sense, you should be interviewing them to some extent as well. again, it shows you're confident in your abilities and have other options on the table (even if you dont )

 

'Tie' Shows you are stuffy and unwilling to look outside the box.

Wear jeans with a few holes in them. Shows you are frugal and won't spend money on frivolous things.

Don't shave. You don't want to appear self-absorbed.

Look around the room a lot. Look at the ceiling, the corners, the floor, out a window if there is one. Turn your head suddenly and look behind you once in a while. Shows you are aware of your surroundings.

Did this help?



Congrats on going in the direction you want to!

chaikwa.

 

Bring a tape measure.
Start measuring the dimensions of the interviewer's offfice and desk.
When he asks why, tell him you want to make sure all your stuff will fit in there when you take his job.

 

Before you get out of your truck, make sure your zipper is up. Seriously. I don't want to talk about it.

 

They said Jeans and Polo in the email(in quotes after buiness causal, I know that on a day to day basis I would be expected to wear jean and to be able to get dirty working on prototypes, So thay is the reason for kakis(sp) and the dress shirt.

This Part taken care of, I have answered all these question a couple times so I have answer for most questions.

This is the part that is giving me trouble, as I know what questions not to ask. But what questions to ask.

Plan to bring my portofolio and take notes as always(have a bad memory). I always send thank you's also.


Thanks
Sure that is a really good Idea, should ask if they will pay 100k out of the gate cause i have so many great ideas right?

I use to be really good at making sure my zip was up until a year ago, the all of sudden my ex would walk up on poke her finger in and ask if I forgot something, so I'm getting better at it again.



Got a call had to reschedule for later in the day. Also got another call from Cargill and they want me to pick my top 3 location and they will call back tomorrow to find out what they are and make me an offer, which complicates things as Bobcat has not made an offer. I would much rather work for Bobcat, but hate to turn Cargill down and then have Bobcat not offer a job. Not sure what to do.

 

pray about everything.

khakis and a dress shirt. look relaxed. ties confuse people.

i would research BobCat online, and look at thier "corporate vision" and plans for the future, and just GOOGLE some stuff about their competitors, and ask questions about that:

-how do we plan to take Bobcat into the future against lowering costs of manufacturing in China?

-how much outsourcing are we doing now, and how much of our workforce will stay in the US, or will we design here, and manufacture outside the country?

-will junior engineers be expected to relocate/or travel often to these foreign countries to maintian our levels of quality?

-how will we keep our products competitive in terms of innovation, quality, fuel efficiency, and emissions regulations?

-how long do you forecast Bobcat being around? are we growing or shrinking our operations ? in the US or overseas?


think long term future when you look at companies. mine is shrinking, my wifes is EXPANDING.

 

what position are you applying for? the question could be something to the effect of "on average, how long does an employee hired as (whatever you're applying for) stay in that position before they are eligible for promotion?"

or "who will this position be reporting to and how is their performance measured"

it just depends on the job you're going for. if you're not comfortable with those, it could be something kind of semi-light like, "how long have y'all been with the company". if they reply large numbers say thats reassuring. if they say low numbers, ask them how they ended up being there and how they like it.

im always leary of a job if noone has been there five or ten years. usually, theres a reason for it

 

I'm interview for a design engineer co-op(I work for 8months and then go back to school and finish my degee, its like a long internship). I have already meet my boss to be as he was my interview for the first two interviews.

 

Personally, I would vote for the tie. Shows you are willing to present a professional image. Do remember your safety if you get around any moving machinery with a tie on though.
My brother-in-law is a manufacturing engineer. Although he will go to work in jeans at his plant, if they visit any other locations, it is in slacks and a tie.

Questions - You could ask about their corporate culture. What kind of procedures would you have to follow. Are there an particular regulatory concerns you would need to be aware for the job. You could also ask about how long people stay employed there.

Realize that it may seem like your dream job when looking in from the outside, there may be something once you get there that would completely kill that idea.

As far as the Cargil offer, you should have time to consider their offer, use it.

By the way, I grew up running a bobcat (skidloader) on the farm. It has always been my favorite piece of equipment. My dad gave me the one I learned on several years ago when he no longer needed 2. It has to be close to 40 years old if not older. I think it is a 600 and has a Wisconsin engine and no cage.

 

Take time (maybe you have already) to know their business. Ask yourself, "how can I help them be successful?" and then come up with ideas. Be honest, if you don't know, tell 'em you don't know. Error on the side of dressing up not down. Firm handshake, smile, be polite, be yourself.

 

As others have said, dress up from your interviewers one level, shows intrest, professionalism. Never never wear jeans to an interview. (Not that you would).

Have questions prepared - and take time to look up the book "Knock 'em Dead" which is re-issued each year. Read about on-site interview - don't take the author totally seriously, some of it won't apply to your situation.

I try and send thank you notes to every person (address will be on business cards) before I leave the same zip code. Buy some ahead of time and take care of it immediatly.

Now - another thing. Stop. , and Listen.
See the point?
Some people get so excited and nervous preparing for interviews that they are almost breathless to describe how fit & capable they are for the job.
Do not do this.

Be confident, very interested, but an active listener. Ask questions when you are asked to ask them. Don't (ever) interrupt an interviewer while they are talking with you. Give concise answers to all questions - share a little, not a lot. Don't say "uh" or "um." Don't put your hands in your pockets. Shave - completely. If you smoke - not at all before the interview - and do NOT on the interview - even if the opprotunity presents itself.

Sorry about all that - I don't know you, so I could't assume anything. These are some basics I have had to learn, and you don't get this in school. Ask someone of they will mock interview you, you may be suprised what happens!

Remember this, you will have the undivided attention of somoeone who has been working in a field you would like to work in. It's actually a great privledge, so try and learn something new while you are there.

Good luck and go get 'em!

 

make sure all tattoos are covered, unspike hair, remove earrings & nose rings!

Seriously, good luck, you'll do fine, you've gotten very good advice in the previous responses

I used to manage 120 employees, hire and fire, I can tell by your post you'll make them a great employee, let us all kinow how it turns out