A recruiter contacted me and asked if I was interested in a position at the new CNC facility in Lathrop. I said yes, and the first step was a phone interview with the recruiter.

He asked me questions about the projects I had listed on my resume. It was a 30-minute phone call with no technical questions. The only non-resume-related question was, "What do you know about the company?"

He ended the call by saying that he would pass my resume to the CNC supervisor. That was on a Monday. On Friday, I had the in-person interview at the facility.

The in-person interview was formal, including technical and non-technical questions, and concluded with a tour.

Technical questions included:

• "What's a combo wrench?"
• "Why are manhole covers shaped the way they are?"
• "What is a torx wrench?"
• "Why would you choose a torx head over a flathead or Phillips?"
• "Can you draw me a cutter with inserts?"
• "What are G01, G02, and G03?"

Non-technical questions included:

• "Why do you want to work here?"
• "What do you know about the company?"

I followed up with the recruiter, and he said the supervisor really liked me but that they needed a more senior person to fill the position.

He stated, "We need a senior engineer there, but then we could fit you in. We’re still interviewing but will let you know as we finish up the process."

It has been 6 weeks since I interviewed in person.

Why are manhole covers the way they are?