If you’re planning to enroll in an automotive service advisor program, or you’re approaching graduation, you will need to be prepared for the interview process in order to land your dream job. Read on for some tips on answering common service advisor interview questions.
Auto Service Advisor Interview Question #1: Tell me About Yourself
While this is technically not a question, it’s one of the first things interviewers will ask of you in order to start a conversation and get to know you better. Some people find this intimidating, because it’s so open-ended and it can take a moment or two to decide where to start.
A safe way to answer is to state a few facts about yourself and then focus on your passion for cars. People choose auto industry careers because they love cars, and if you’re able to articulate this passion, you will definitely ace the “tell me about yourself” portion of the interview.
You might describe how you’ve loved cars since you were a kid, or perhaps discuss what you learned during your automotive training. Since this information directly applies to the position you’re applying for, you can’t go wrong.
Auto Service Advisor Interview Question #2: Why Should We Hire you?
This is one of the more difficult interview questions out there, but what your potential employer wants to hear is why you’d be right for the job. Most people tend to give general answers, describing how they’re hard workers, but this question is a great opportunity for you to discuss your skills, which relate specifically to the service advisor position.
Any automotive service writer (or advisor) knows that their primary duty is to provide great customer service. When customers describe the issue they are having with their cars, a service advisors job will be to use their automotive knowledge in order to help diagnose the issue. He or she will also be required communicate with the on-site mechanics.
A great way to answer this question is to highlight your solid communication and listening skills, as well as your desire to help others.
Auto Service Advisor Interview Question #3: What Are Your Weaknesses?
This question may be the toughest one you’ll answer; however, it is also the most common. In successfully answering this question, you will have the opportunity to showcase the areas that you’re working to improve.
Service advisors provide customers with estimated costs for repairs, which is a process that becomes faster and easier with experience. For example, after a certain amount of time on the job you may be able to quickly diagnose that the rattling noise that occurs when a customer accelerates could be due to an issue with their timing belt, and then provide an accurate estimate.
A great way to answer this question then, would be to describe an area of the service advisor job that you hope to get really proficient at with more experience and expertise.
Are you ready to take the next step towards an automotive service advisor career? Visit ATC for complete program details or to speak with an advisor.
