- Are you a team player?
- What are your strengths as an HVAC apprentice?
- How would you describe the HVAC industry?
- What is the most important skill for an HVAC apprentice?
- Provide an example of a time when you solved a problem on the job.
Prepared for Interview Questions for Tech 1 & Apprentices as HVAC Technician
In-depth questions
These specific questions help the interviewer understand how you work and how you handle problem-solving scenarios:
How would you speak with a client with environmental or energy concerns?
This question allows the interviewer to examine two things—your customer service skills and the degree of your industry knowledge. Some clients are interested in reducing energy costs or have concerns about the environmental impact of the daily use of their HVAC models. When responding to this question, try to form a response that answers both parts of the question.
Example: “How I answer this question would depend on what energy concerns they brought to my attention. For example, if they werent looking for a new unit but wanted better energy efficiency, I would suggest a retrofitting of their current unit. By replacing a few parts, they could save up to 35% on energy costs each year, which would improve the units use of energy temporarily until they decide they want to replace the unit entirely.
If the customer had environmental concerns, I would check to see what year their current unit is and then explain that all units made after 2010 no longer contain Freon, making the use of the units much safer for the environment.”
A customer job is taking longer than it should and you have another appointment coming up. What do you do?
Working as an HVAC technician can be an extremely engaging career, and there are days where you may have many jobs to complete before the end of your shift. Some jobs may take longer than you originally expected, and the interviewer wants to see how you perform in demanding situations. This is a situational interview question that you can answer by giving a hypothetical answer and telling the interviewer what you would do if this situation ever happened while you were working.
Example: “Typically, there is a window of time we have to get to each job and complete it. If this happened, I would call the client as soon as I realize we may not arrive on time for the upcoming appointment. Id apologize to them for the possibility of arriving behind schedule and tell them we were doing everything we could to get there during the scheduled time. I believe transparency is very important in building rapport with the customers and would do everything I could to ensure customer satisfaction by the end of the appointment.”
Match your skills to the requirements
When you’re applying for an entry-level HVAC apprentice or “helper” position, the employer is not looking for prior experience in the field. So what requirements are they looking for? Employers in the HVAC and Refrigeration industry want to see evidence of certain skills and personal qualities, such as reliability, a strong work ethic, and a customer service mindset. (Read more about those qualities here.)
So, to prepare for your interview, think about ways you can demonstrate those skills and qualities during the interview.
For example, to highlight your customer service abilities, you can describe a situation when you went the extra mile to make a customer happy in a previous job. Think about examples you can use in advance, so on interview day you’re ready to tell your story and present yourself in the best possible way.
One more thing: chances are you will be asked about your driving record. So if you have any issues, be ready to explain what you’re doing to fix the problem.
And, be sure to demonstrate reliability by being on time for the interview!
Want to find out if you’re a good fit for a career in HVAC and Refrigeration? Take our quiz.
Employers want to hire candidates who care enough to put in the effort to learn about their company even before the interview. So, find out as much as you can about the company in advance. You can learn a lot about an employer from their website and their social media posts:
During your HVAC interview, you can drop clues to the fact that you’ve researched the company. And, doing that research will naturally reveal questions for your to ask the employer during the interview. (However, it’s best not to lead with questions about pay or benefits). Remember, a job interview is a two-way conversation. This is your chance to find out if the company and the position are right for you.
Whether you’re the interviewer or the interviewee, you need to come prepared to your next HVAC job interview. Take a look at these key HVAC interview questions.
No matter which side of the desk you find yourself on, you’ll get more out of the HVAC interview process with some advanced preparation. Interviewers need to know which questions to ask potential HVAC technicians, and how to interpret the answers they give back. Meanwhile, preparation helps job seekers make the best possible impression, increasing their chances of scoring that dream HVAC job.
You can never prepare for every single question, but practicing ahead of time can ease your nerves and help you speak more eloquently. As a candidate, you might even find it useful to write out answers ahead of time (or to practice speaking them aloud).
Below we’ve compiled some sample HVAC interview questions, as well as some general advice on what to expect once the interaction begins. Read on!
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FAQ
What should I expect from my HVAC apprenticeship interview?
What questions will I be asked in an apprenticeship interview?
- What will my day-to-day duties include?
- How many other apprentices are there in the business? …
- Can you tell me more about the team I’ll be joining?
- Do you have any former apprentices in your team who are now full-time members of staff?
What questions are asked in an HVAC interview?
- Why do you want to work in the HVAC industry?
- What do you know about our HVAC company?
- Why are you looking for a new opportunity?
- What previous experience and/or training makes you qualified for this particular HVAC job?
How do I pass an apprenticeship interview?
- Do your research. The interviewer is bound to ask you what you know about the company and what you understand about the role. …
- Know yourself. …
- Look your best. …
- Act professional. …
- Breathe. …
- Be positive. …
- Ask questions. …
- Plan for the day.
