The process started with a phone interview with an HR assistant. She was polite and professional, asking general questions about my work experience, skills, educational background, and salary expectations. About a week later, I was invited to attend a second-round interview with the hiring manager.
The overall atmosphere of the company gave me a fairly hierarchical impression. Most of the staff members I interacted with were professional and respectful. However, my experience with the hiring manager was less positive.
The interview started about 10 minutes late because another interview had run longer than expected. While delays can happen, the tone of the interview felt more like an interrogation than a professional conversation.
A large portion of the discussion focused on questioning the validity and depth of my experience and educational background. The manager repeatedly asked detailed questions about my previous work, college program, project experience, and technical exposure. I understand that verifying a candidate’s background is part of the hiring process, but the approach felt overly skeptical and somewhat uncomfortable.
At one point, I was asked a question along the lines of: “Since you worked in sales before, how would you sell yourself to us?” Personally, I found this question unusual for a technical maintenance role.
Toward the end of the interview, the manager expressed concerns that my experience might not yet be sufficient for the position. I responded by explaining that I am highly trainable and confident in my ability to learn quickly. In response, he gave me advice about not being overconfident as a young worker and mentioned that technical jobs become much more difficult over time.
I understand the importance of humility and realistic expectations in skilled trades. However, the overall interaction felt somewhat discouraging rather than constructive.
In summary, the process was organized from the HR side, but my second-round interview experience felt unnecessarily intense for an junior maintenance position. Other candidates who are newer to the industry may want to be prepared for a very direct and experience-focused interview style.
