Maintenance Electrician II - Journeyman, 1st Shift
Posted Sep 8, 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
Walk me through a time you had to troubleshoot a machine that combined electrical, hydraulic, and pneumatic problems all at once. How did you figure out where to start?
What they are checking: whether the candidate can work across systems instead of only their strongest discipline, and how they prioritize under uncertainty
Have you trained apprentices or less experienced technicians before? Tell me about a specific person you helped develop and how you approached it.
What they are checking: genuine mentoring experience versus a generic claim, given this role explicitly requires training others
Tell me about a time you suggested a change to a piece of equipment or a process that improved safety, quality, or uptime.
What they are checking: whether they take initiative on continuous improvement rather than just fixing what's broken
Describe a repair job where the fix you first tried didn't solve the problem. What did you do next?
What they are checking: resilience and systematic problem-solving rather than one-shot guessing
Tell me about a time you had to explain a technical problem to a project manager or engineer who didn't have your electrical background.
What they are checking: communication skills across roles, since the posting calls out interfacing with project managers and engineers
What would you do
Say a robotic cell on the paint or assembly line goes down mid-shift and production is stacking up behind it. What's your first move?
What they are checking: how the candidate triages under production pressure and whether they follow a logical diagnostic sequence versus guessing
If you found a wiring issue that technically works but doesn't meet code or best practice, and fixing it right would mean extending downtime, what would you do?
What they are checking: how they balance safety and correctness against production pressure
If a supervisor asked you to get a machine running fast with a temporary fix, but you were worried it might cause a bigger failure down the line, how would you handle that conversation?
What they are checking: judgment and willingness to push back respectfully when safety or long-term reliability is at stake
About the work
Tell me about the PLC systems you've worked with. What brands, and can you walk me through how you'd troubleshoot a machine that's faulting out on a PLC-controlled line?
What they are checking: depth of real PLC troubleshooting experience versus surface familiarity
How do you read a wiring diagram or schematic you've never seen before to trace down a fault?
What they are checking: practical blueprint and schematic literacy, not just familiarity with the concept
What's your experience with metal fabrication, paint line, or assembly equipment specifically? What kinds of failures came up most often there?
What they are checking: direct relevance of their industrial background to Generac's specific manufacturing environment
What testing equipment do you use to check continuity or diagnose a circuit, and walk me through how you'd isolate a short in a piece of equipment.
What they are checking: hands-on competence with basic diagnostic tools and process, a baseline journeyman skill
What certifications do you currently hold, and have you had to earn or renew a certification for a piece of equipment on short notice?
What they are checking: whether they meet the certification requirement and take ownership of staying current
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Practice this out loudThe full job description
As published by Generac.