Industrial Electrician - 2nd/3rd Shift - Decatur, IL
Posted Sep 28, 2026 · We last checked this listing on Oct 6, 2026
Likely interview questions for this role
Written from this job description, not a generic list. Each one notes what the interviewer is really checking.
About your past
Tell me about the industrial equipment you've built, installed or repaired circuits on.
What they are checking: Whether their experience is on plant machine tools and controls rather than only residential or light commercial wiring.
How do you hand off an unfinished repair to the next shift?
What they are checking: Whether they leave clear notes so 3rd shift does not repeat work or walk into an unknown hazard.
Tell me about a repair you're proud of, where the cause was hard to find.
What they are checking: Persistence and reasoning on intermittent faults, which is where good electricians earn their pay.
What would you do
A machine tool goes down mid-shift with no obvious cause. Walk me through how you troubleshoot it.
What they are checking: Whether they work a logical path from symptoms to the fault instead of swapping parts until it runs.
Production is pushing you to get a machine back up, but you think the fix you'd need is a temporary bypass. What do you do?
What they are checking: Whether they refuse to defeat safety circuits even when the line is waiting on them.
How do you work with mechanics and operators when you're not sure whether a problem is electrical or mechanical?
What they are checking: Whether they collaborate across trades instead of handing the problem back and forth.
About the work
How do you lock out and verify a machine is de-energized before you put your hands in it?
What they are checking: Whether lockout/tagout and verifying zero energy is a habit for them, which is non-negotiable in a plant.
What instruments do you reach for when you're diagnosing electronic faults, and when do you use each one?
What they are checking: Whether they are comfortable with meters, scopes and other tools to locate defects in electronic circuits.
The posting mentions calibrating testing instruments. How do you know your meter is telling you the truth?
What they are checking: Whether they understand that a bad reading from an uncalibrated tool sends a whole repair the wrong way.
What's your experience with PLCs, drives or motor controls?
What they are checking: Whether they can handle the automated controls common on modern production equipment in Decatur.
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Practice this out loudThe full job description
As published by Caterpillar.