Excavator Mock Interview

Practice 35 Excavator interview questions covering safety protocols, equipment operation, and site experience.

Question 8 of 35

Do you have previous excavation experience?

Why the Interviewer Asks This Question
What to Avoid
Example Answer
Community Answers

Krista Wenz has been on thousands of interview panels hiring EMS professionals and firefighters for public and private agencies.

If the company requires previous experience as an excavator operator, it should have been noted in the job requirements. The interviewer can look at your resume to see your experience, but they want to hear from you what your excavation experience entails. Describe how many years of experience you have as an excavator operator and how you gained your knowledge.

Krista Wenz

Krista Wenz has been on thousands of interview panels hiring EMS professionals and firefighters for public and private agencies.

If you do not have prior excavation experience, you want to avoid saying you do. The company may have you perform a test operating their machinery, and you do not want to show you were dishonest. Even if you do not have much experience, be honest in your response and let the interviewer know you are eager to gain more knowledge by working for their company.

Krista Wenz

Krista Wenz has been on thousands of interview panels hiring EMS professionals and firefighters for public and private agencies.

"Yes, I have three years of experience operating an excavator during my apprenticeship. I have worked on small and large excavation projects and feel very confident in my skills as an excavator operator."

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35Excavator Interview Questions & Answers

Behavioral

1.How do you handle stressful situations?

Discovery

2.What is your ideal company to work for?

Discovery

3.What do you like most about operating an excavator?

Education

4.Tell me about your education and training.

Discovery

5.Why did you choose this career?

Discovery

6.What is your greatest personal achievement?

Direct

7.Why should we hire you?

Discovery

8.Do you have previous excavation experience?

Discovery

9.What do you know about our company?

Operational

10.How would you describe your work style?

Discovery

11.How did you hear about this position?

Discovery

12.As an excavator operator, what do you like least about your job?

Operational

13.Our company only buys Komatsu equipment. How familiar are you with operating a Komatsu excavator?

Discovery

14.Why did you leave your last place of employment?

Behavioral

15.What is your greatest strength?

Discovery

16.What hobbies or activities do you enjoy doing in your free time?

Direct

17.Our company performs random drug testing as part of our safety protocols. Will you have an issue with random testing if hired?

Discovery

18.What do you feel is the most important skill for an excavator operator to possess?

Discovery

19.Tell me something about you that is not on your resume.

Discovery

20.If I called your previous supervisor, how would they describe your punctuality and work attendance last year?

Discovery

21.Where do you see yourself in five years?

Situational

22.You are working on a project and have a client that is angry with you. How would you handle this situation?

Discovery

23.What three words would your former supervisor use to describe you?

Technical

24.Are you familiar with the acronym ITCS?

Operational

25.What control pattern are you used to running?

Situational

26.You notice the bucket has a cracked or missing tooth at the start of your shift. What would you do?

Situational

27.All utilities have been marked prior to digging on a new project. While you are digging a trench, you nick a gas line. What would you do in this situation?

Situational

28.You show up to a jobsite that was vandalized overnight, and your supervisor says law enforcement is on their way to take a report. When inspecting your equipment, you notice granulated white powder near the fuel tank. What would you do?

Technical

29.What is the purpose of a lockout tagout?

Situational

30.You are working a pipe job and are responsible for placing a precast pipe into a trench. You have two people on the ground giving different hand signals. What would you do in this situation?

Situational

31.You are working on a project and the excavator needs to be moved a few miles down the road. The equipment is loaded onto the trailer, and the driver is going to move the equipment without securing it to the trailer. What would you do?

Discovery

32.How important is safety to you on a construction site?

Operational

33.How do you ensure there are no underground utilities before you dig?

Operational

34.If hired, part of your responsibility will be performing light maintenance on your equipment. How often do you like to grease your excavator?

General

Excavator Mock Interview

Do you have previous excavation experience?

35Excavator Interview Questions & Answers

1.How do you handle stressful situations?

2.What is your ideal company to work for?

3.What do you like most about operating an excavator?

4.Tell me about your education and training.

5.Why did you choose this career?

6.What is your greatest personal achievement?

7.Why should we hire you?

8.Do you have previous excavation experience?

9.What do you know about our company?

10.How would you describe your work style?

11.How did you hear about this position?

12.As an excavator operator, what do you like least about your job?

13.Our company only buys Komatsu equipment. How familiar are you with operating a Komatsu excavator?

14.Why did you leave your last place of employment?

15.What is your greatest strength?

16.What hobbies or activities do you enjoy doing in your free time?

17.Our company performs random drug testing as part of our safety protocols. Will you have an issue with random testing if hired?

18.What do you feel is the most important skill for an excavator operator to possess?

19.Tell me something about you that is not on your resume.

20.If I called your previous supervisor, how would they describe your punctuality and work attendance last year?

21.Where do you see yourself in five years?

22.You are working on a project and have a client that is angry with you. How would you handle this situation?

23.What three words would your former supervisor use to describe you?

24.Are you familiar with the acronym ITCS?

25.What control pattern are you used to running?

26.You notice the bucket has a cracked or missing tooth at the start of your shift. What would you do?

27.All utilities have been marked prior to digging on a new project. While you are digging a trench, you nick a gas line. What would you do in this situation?

28.You show up to a jobsite that was vandalized overnight, and your supervisor says law enforcement is on their way to take a report. When inspecting your equipment, you notice granulated white powder near the fuel tank. What would you do?

29.What is the purpose of a lockout tagout?

30.You are working a pipe job and are responsible for placing a precast pipe into a trench. You have two people on the ground giving different hand signals. What would you do in this situation?

31.You are working on a project and the excavator needs to be moved a few miles down the road. The equipment is loaded onto the trailer, and the driver is going to move the equipment without securing it to the trailer. What would you do?

32.How important is safety to you on a construction site?

33.How do you ensure there are no underground utilities before you dig?

34.If hired, part of your responsibility will be performing light maintenance on your equipment. How often do you like to grease your excavator?

35.Do you have any questions for me?