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Engineering job requiring a lot of 'hands-on.'

Former Community Member
Former Community Member
Hello all. I applied for a "Manufacturing Engineer" position with a company producing composite cloth. The job requires a degree. I am an IEng with a CGLI Full Tech. Cert. and experience. I have had a phone interview. The man interviewing me said they would provide me with a full set of tools and that I would spend a lot of time taking things apart. I asked about drafting and was told I could choose the software package. A friend runs a machine shop and does a lot of work for them. He told me I would be doing about 95% 'on the bench' and 5% drafting. The job description covers the full spectrum of tasks an 'engineer' would expect but it seems more of a 'fitter' type position. The previous bloke apparently had a degree but could not manage a pencil sketch and would often bring a component and ask to 'make this hole a bit bigger.'

Of the list of responsibilities I was asked to choose the three I would like most and three I would like least, which caught me off guard.


Has anyone on the forum come across this sort of set up?

I may have to chalk it up to interview experience!


Cheers
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    Anthony,  based on what you say was the interviewer a Recruitment Agent/Consultant rather than the employer? 


    Some organisations, perhaps especially SMEs, will recruit in the image of the previous incumbent, the owner or perhaps just on some untested assumptions. I was at familiar with a relatively quirky but successful SME, family run and quite paternalistic, so demarcation between different roles was very flexible since they couldn’t afford to carry someone “hands off” or someone unable to take some design/development/customer support. The company was eventually bought by a major multi-national for its expertise, which they struggled to replicate in the Far East.  I couldn’t work out from your description where the degree became relevant, but if there are aspects that appeal then the best time to say no is when the offer is eventually made, because it isn’t right for you having understood it more fully.            

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  • 0
    Anthony,  based on what you say was the interviewer a Recruitment Agent/Consultant rather than the employer? 


    Some organisations, perhaps especially SMEs, will recruit in the image of the previous incumbent, the owner or perhaps just on some untested assumptions. I was at familiar with a relatively quirky but successful SME, family run and quite paternalistic, so demarcation between different roles was very flexible since they couldn’t afford to carry someone “hands off” or someone unable to take some design/development/customer support. The company was eventually bought by a major multi-national for its expertise, which they struggled to replicate in the Far East.  I couldn’t work out from your description where the degree became relevant, but if there are aspects that appeal then the best time to say no is when the offer is eventually made, because it isn’t right for you having understood it more fully.            

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