Job interview

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joeyww12000

joeyww12000

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Location
Chatsworth GA
Hello everyone, Im going for a job interview today at a carpet mill. The job description posted had some PLC knowledge preferred. I have never worked with PLC's, but I sent in my resume and explained I plan on attending tech school this fall to further my electrical knowledge in the industrial field. I got a call back, and today I have an interview. I was just wondering what would be the best definition and example I could give of explaining the necessity and functions of PLC's? Thanks.
 
joeyww12000 said:
I was just wondering what would be the best definition and example I could give of explaining the necessity and functions of PLC's? Thanks.
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I think they would be interested in knowing what steps you would follow to troubleshoot a PLC based control system.
 
these web sites are good but just be honest with them. some times being open to learning is better. having incomplete information is normally worse then no information.
 
cschmid said:
these web sites are good but just be honest with them. some times being open to learning is better. having incomplete information is normally worse then no information.
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I 2nd this statement. If you don't know it, you don't know it. Don't try to pretend you know it. Anyone that actually does know it will see right through that and dislike you for it. Just be honest. You've already told them you aren't a PLC pro but you want to learn and they called you for an interview. They must have been OK with that answer to begin with.
 
Be ready to give examples of another skill that you knew nothing about, were eager to learn, and mastered it. I would rather hear an electrician tell me, "After 5 years of residential, I took a new job doing commercial work even though I had no idea how to bend conduit. I took a pipe bending class, read up on the subject, and learned on the job from more experienced journeymen. Now I am great at bending pipe."
One thing I've learned is that you can't fake electrical work, especially with experienced people. A good foremen can tell in about 5 minutes if a new guy knows what he is doing. Just be honest!
 
drbond24 said:
I 2nd this statement. If you don't know it, you don't know it. Don't try to pretend you know it. Anyone that actually does know it will see right through that and dislike you for it. Just be honest.
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I 2nd that. If they have a worthwhile interview, they may have an experienced electronics technician sit in on the interview, and if you try to BS your way through it, they will be able to spot it a mile away. If they start to ask questions about XIC or XIO or shift registers or function blocks and you just told them that you knew about PLC's, then you will be up the proverbial creek without a paddle.
 
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