Tool and Die Maker II - Journeyman
Posted May 19, 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 a time a die was producing bad parts and nobody could figure out why. How did you track down the root cause?
What they are checking: systematic troubleshooting ability versus guesswork
Tell me about a time you had to work with an OEM vendor to resolve an equipment breakdown that was beyond your own tools or parts. How did that conversation go?
What they are checking: ability to communicate technical detail to outside resources and manage vendor relationships
Tell me about a time you suggested a change to an existing tool or process that improved safety or productivity. What pushback did you get and how did you handle it?
What they are checking: initiative and ability to sell improvements to skeptical stakeholders
Describe a rework job that came over from manufacturing that was more complicated than it first looked. What made it hard and how did you close it out?
What they are checking: handling ambiguous scope and seeing a repair through to completion
Tell me about a time you had to explain a technical problem to a project manager or engineer who didn't have a machining background. How did you make sure they understood?
What they are checking: communication skills bridging shop floor and engineering
What would you do
A press goes down mid-shift and production is stacking up waiting on it. What do you do first, and who do you loop in?
What they are checking: triage judgment under pressure and communication discipline
You're leading a tool build project and a teammate keeps making the same setup mistake. How do you correct it without shutting them down?
What they are checking: training and mentoring approach, patience under repeated error
If the Team Leader is out and you're running the tool room's maintenance priorities for the day, how do you decide what gets worked first among several open jobs?
What they are checking: prioritization logic and readiness to step into a lead role
About the work
Walk me through the last progressive die or fixture you built from scratch. What was the sequence from print to first good part off the tool?
What they are checking: whether the candidate actually has hands-on end-to-end tool build experience, not just maintenance
How do you read a complex mechanical drawing or schematic when the tolerances or callouts seem to conflict with what you're seeing on the actual part?
What they are checking: depth of blueprint literacy and comfort resolving discrepancies without just guessing
Have you used Mastercam or AutoCAD to design or modify tooling? Describe a specific job where you programmed or edited a toolpath yourself.
What they are checking: real CAD/CAM proficiency versus listing it as a skill
Describe setting up a preventative maintenance schedule for a new piece of equipment. How did you decide the intervals and what parts to stock?
What they are checking: understanding of PM planning grounded in manufacturer specs versus habit
What's your process for fabricating or welding a guard or fixture when there's no existing print to follow?
What they are checking: ability to work from concept to fabrication without full documentation
Practice this interview out loud.
Offer builds a real interview for this exact role at Generac from your resume and this job description, asks the questions one at a time, and tells you what landed. The first one is free.
Practice this out loudThe full job description
As published by Generac.