I recently interviewed at Victaulic for a Manufacturing Engineer position, and it was one of the most unprofessional interview experiences I have had.
The hiring manager did not appear to understand how interviews are typically conducted. I come from a manufacturing background, but from a different industry with different machines, processes, and standards. While I understand that pipe manufacturing has its own codes and specifications, the expectation that a candidate must already know all industry specific codes without any onboarding or learning curve was unrealistic.
When I did not know the answer to a very specific pipe industry code question, the hiring manager questioned whether I had actually worked at my previous company and implied that I may have been faking my experience. This was inappropriate and crossed a professional boundary.
He then presented measuring tools that I had not used in my previous role. I was honest and explained that while I had not used those exact tools before, I could learn them quickly. In my opinion, a manufacturing engineer should not be judged solely on prior exposure to a specific measuring device, as most competent engineers can learn such tools in a very short time.
When I stated that I did not believe the role was a good fit and asked to end the interview, the hiring manager insisted that I continue and ask questions. When I asked what the biggest challenge his department was currently facing, he responded with a smirk and said they were trying to hire a good manufacturing engineer.
I ended the interview at that point. In retrospect, I am glad this occurred, as I was considering a pay cut for the position and clearly avoided a poor working environment. Based on my experience, I would caution anyone considering a Manufacturing Engineer role at Victaulic to think carefully before applying.
