What do you do if you're interviewing for a manufacturing job and haven't researched the company?

1 Stay Calm

If you realize you haven't researched the company before your manufacturing job interview, the first step is to stay calm. Panicking can cloud your judgment and affect your performance. Focus on the present moment and prepare to leverage your knowledge of the industry. Manufacturing is a broad field, but it has commonalities such as production processes, safety protocols, and lean manufacturing principles. Discuss your experiences with these concepts to demonstrate your fit for the role.

2 Listen Carefully

During the interview, listen carefully to every piece of information shared by the interviewer. They may provide insights into the company's operations, culture, or products. Use this information to tailor your responses. For example, if they mention they use a Just-In-Time (JIT) inventory system, you can talk about your ability to work efficiently and adapt to a dynamic production schedule, which is crucial for JIT environments.

3 Ask Questions

It's perfectly acceptable to ask questions during an interview. In fact, it shows your interest in the role and the company. Craft questions that allow the interviewer to talk about the company's history, culture, and products. This not only buys you time but also gives you information you can use to align your skills with the company's needs. For instance, asking about their biggest manufacturing challenges can lead to a discussion on how you've overcome similar obstacles in the past.

4 Highlight Skills

Focus on highlighting your transferable skills and how they apply to manufacturing. Emphasize your problem-solving abilities, experience with machinery or tools, understanding of quality assurance, and teamwork. These are all highly relevant to manufacturing roles and can be discussed without specific company knowledge. Share anecdotes that demonstrate these skills in action, which can help bridge any gaps in company-specific understanding.

5 Adapt Quickly

Show your ability to adapt quickly by responding to any new information with relevant experiences or knowledge. If the interviewer mentions a particular manufacturing technique or tool that's new to you, relate it to something you know. For example, if they use a certain type of automation software, compare it to similar technology you've used, highlighting your capacity to learn and adapt to new systems.

6 Leverage Industry Trends

Finally, leverage your knowledge of broader industry trends to show that you're engaged with the manufacturing sector as a whole. Discuss topics like automation, digital transformation, or sustainability in manufacturing. This demonstrates a forward-thinking mindset and an understanding of how these trends can impact the company's future, positioning you as a candidate who is mindful of industry evolution.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?