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What I'm about to describe is for a possible job position in a print shop, so some people here might be unfamiliar about some stuff I describe, so if there's anyone here with printing experience, maybe you guys can give me your opinion. Everyone else can share their input if they have an understanding as well.
I had a job interview a few weeks ago and last night I attended a "workshop" for the manager to evaluate my skills. He was there for about the first hour and then I worked with 2 other guys in the shop. I spent 5 hours cutting paper on the cutting machine. It was about 4 stacks of paper but I feel I took way too long just to cut paper. One of the other guys that I finished with was folding paper on the folding machine and took about the same amount of time to fold, so I'm unsure about my performance.
There was a small pile of paper that I screwed up on the cutter. I cut up a part of the design. At the end of the shift, the guy who was folding said we had more than enough prints and we didn't need to cut and fold anymore. The more than enough prints excluded what I screwed up on the cutter, so I guess that's okay. But I know I shouldn't mess up like that.
Before the manager left earlier in the evening, he told me to call him this Monday to follow-up. I plan on doing so, but I'm unsure what to say to him. I think he might see what I messed up on the cutter (I'm unsure if they were thrown away at the end of the night) and he'll probably also know how long it took. Seriously....5 HOURS!! Do you think I should suggest a second workshop? It was my first time in a commercial print shop in a year since I finished school, so maybe I can tell him that a second workshop can help me get the hang of it again...?
Was the equipment complicated? Were you doing die cuts or simply trimming business cards? Was this a high end printer or more of a digital quick turn type place?
I don't think you should point out your perceived deficiencies unless he mentions it.
Was the equipment complicated? Were you doing die cuts or simply trimming business cards? Was this a high end printer or more of a digital quick turn type place?
I don't think you should point out your perceived deficiencies unless he mentions it.
No, it was not complicated. I was cutting on a Polar cutting machine with measurements of each cut already programmed into the machine. I've used a cutter like that before. I was cutting the sides around a grocery store pamphlet advertising their specials.
This was in a commercial medium-sized print shop with offset presses. I didn't notice if they had any digital printers.
No, it was not complicated. I was cutting on a Polar cutting machine with measurements of each cut already programmed into the machine. I've used a cutter like that before. I was cutting the sides around a grocery store pamphlet advertising their specials.
This was in a commercial medium-sized print shop with offset presses. I didn't notice if they had any digital printers.
You gave them an unpaid day of training and some work. Nobody goes into a job and does it perfectly right away. I would not offer to take the test again or bring up what you perceive are areas that need improvement unless they bring it up first. This will bring up red flags to the employer where there may not have been any in their mind.
If they offered you the job, would you feel confident working there? I tend to think you have doubts about yourself and offered to take this test to get some practice after being out of work for a period of time.
You gave them an unpaid day of training and some work. Nobody goes into a job and does it perfectly right away. I would not offer to take the test again or bring up what you perceive are areas that need improvement unless they bring it up first. This will bring up red flags to the employer where there may not have been any in their mind.
If they offered you the job, would you feel confident working there? I tend to think you have doubts about yourself and offered to take this test to get some practice after being out of work for a period of time.
If cutting is the only task they will hire me to do (besides other small things like cleaning, general help, etc.) then yes I would feel confident working there. If there are other tasks like printing, folding, and other printing related assignments then I feel I should prove myself more with another "workshop".
I have been working in retail the past 2 years, which is completely unrelated to working in a print shop. The last time I was in this kind of printing environment was when I finished the training course at school a year ago, followed by the short 3 week internship. I think that's why I may have doubts about myself.
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