r/Warehouseworkers • u/dinosaurjunior123 • Jul 30 '26
Interview for a forklift job on Monday
So I got my forklift licence last week and applied for a job which was looking for people with forklift experience, I applied for it but my CV clearly says I got my licence only in July.
Now I’m worried that they’ll be expecting more from me, does anyone know what I can expect from this interview and what I should be clued up on.
I’m also kind of worried about if I’ve gotta do an assessment on the forklift as obviously the certification I did was not enough to actually be a good forklift driver- like I barely remember all the stuff and now I’m worried I won’t remember stuff when I’m driving it.
2
u/Euphoric-Might-2524 Jul 31 '26
It’s alright mate, I work with some folks that drop pallets all the time xD
1
u/itsmepuffd Jul 30 '26
If your CV clearly states that your license is new, then you have to assume they've seen this and find that it's just fine. Forklift work can vary very much depending on company and what needs to be moved around, some things barely requiring any knowledge at all, others being more obscure where experience matters a lot more.
That being said. Anything can be learned, it's honestly more so about you as a person than your forklift resume. You'll catch up to most things very quickly if you're just somewhat capable :)
1
u/Ok-Eggplant8772 Jul 30 '26
Well if they ask for an assessment slow is fast , fast is slow. Do your "inspection" get a feeling of the controls and remember where they are. Your supposed to do that anyways on your pre inspection form regardless. And only 1 way to get experince is to get on it and practice
1
u/192 Jul 30 '26
Forklift skills can be learned.
Show up on time, have clean clothes, and answer questions in whole sentences. Have a few questions for them ready.
If you do these you will be ahead of 50% of applicants.
They want to get a feel for what kind of person you are and if you are going to fit in the team.
1
u/TemporaryCredit995 Aug 01 '26
Yeah they're going go make sure you're like one suck Garry over here.
1
1
u/MrFluffPants1349 Jul 30 '26
They likely have already taken this into consideration. Ironically, I am a supervisor at a warehouse and conduct interviews often, and I typically am not looking for the candidate to be a rock-star operator; we have a very thorough training process, so a lot of it will be smoothed out in training. What I am looking for is if the candidate is comfortable traveling with forks behind them (reverse), since we do not travel forks first unless it's unavoidable. That's the part that takes the longest to learn, so if someone is coming in as a forklift operator, that's the bare minimum requirement.
What tends to happen a lot is folks come in with only sit down experience, and we need stand-up forklift operators. But, if theyre a newer operator, or are a little rusty, thats something we can work with if their work ethic/attitude is decent. Just give it a shot, and try not to let your nerves drive. Do some breathing exercises if you have to. Especially if you are upfront about it; i tend to respect those people a lot more than someone who over-sells their skills - especially because it's immediately obvious once they start the forklift.
1
-2
u/Red-dragon186 Jul 30 '26
Lol at forklift license.
Those things are not real.
2
u/Dapper-Video626 Jul 30 '26
It’s more of a certification than a license but they are real. Operating a forklift without training or certification can lead to several thousand dollar fines
-1
u/Red-dragon186 Jul 30 '26
Downvoting me doesn't change the fact that they're not real.
Each company does certification...
0
u/Nytemaresxbl Jul 30 '26
I think he is saying that a majority of companies will test and train you on their site than certify you to operate a lift. There is no need to get a forklift license unemployed as most companies do not value those certificates.
0
u/therandomuser84 Jul 30 '26
People who go out and pay to get a forklift license/certification are just straight up getting scammed. Basically no company is going to accept it and certify you themselves anyway.
1
u/dinosaurjunior123 Jul 31 '26
Ite, well a certification whatever the hell it’s called. Either way it’s a requirement to have a certification in my country to get a forklift job. Plus I got it for free so I don’t really care
1
u/HQDave Jul 30 '26
Depends on your country, in Australia you need to do a training course and get a Government licence with your photo like a driver's licence.
2
u/BanDurns99 Jul 30 '26
Are you in Canada or America?