Industrial Electrician - 2nd Shift or 3rd Shift
Posted Sep 10, 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 machine tools and plant equipment you've built, installed or repaired circuits on.
What they are checking: Whether their background is industrial and hands-on enough for heavy foundry equipment.
You can do 2nd or 3rd shift. Which works for you, and how have you handled off shifts before?
What they are checking: Whether they will be dependable on the shift they choose.
Tell me about a time a repair didn't go as planned. What did you learn?
What they are checking: Whether they reflect honestly on mistakes instead of only telling success stories.
How do you keep records of what you found and fixed?
What they are checking: Whether they document repairs so patterns show up and the next electrician starts ahead.
What would you do
A piece of equipment trips intermittently and works fine whenever you test it. How do you approach that?
What they are checking: Patience and method on intermittent faults, such as monitoring, heat and vibration checks, rather than guessing.
Production wants a quick fix, but you believe the part needs to be replaced. How do you handle it?
What they are checking: Whether they can explain risk plainly and agree on a plan rather than either caving or stonewalling.
About the work
This role is at the Mapleton foundry in the Large Power Systems Division. What do you expect is different about electrical work in a foundry?
What they are checking: Whether they understand heat, dust and harsh conditions and how those wear on electrical and electronic equipment.
Walk me through how you use instruments to locate a defect in an electronic circuit.
What they are checking: Whether they can go beyond basic wiring into true electronic troubleshooting, which the posting stresses.
How do you handle lockout/tagout on equipment with stored energy, like hydraulics or capacitors?
What they are checking: Whether they think about every energy source, not just the main disconnect.
What's your experience with PLC troubleshooting?
What they are checking: Whether they can read controls logic to find which input or output is failing.
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Practice this out loudThe full job description
As published by Caterpillar.