When responding, you want to avoid saying you chose this career for the money, because someone forced you into this career, or because you did not want to attend college. All of those answers do not make you sound inspired to work as an operator, and the interviewer may choose someone else who has more passion and enthusiasm for the job.

"I chose this career because I grew up around heavy machinery and have always been fascinated by how they work. I started tinkering with broken machinery at my grandfather's house when I was ten years old. After I fixed an old tractor, my grandfather taught me how to operate it, and I was hooked. Since then, I knew I wanted to pursue a profession as an excavator operator."