Interview Questions

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1.

Weakness : Overempathize – Legazpi Situation – Both Employees family problem


My weakness is being over empathize. It is tiring because I always take the extra mile for the other person. When I was a terminal
manager last 2016, 2 of my staff have family problems involving close family member on Hospital. Knowing that they are
preoccupied with their problems, I know that there is a high risk doing errors at work which could jeopardize safety. As TM, I have
to ensure the safety of the terminal. Realizing their situation, So I took the extra step, I included additional admin controls where I
have to check their output from time to time and double check their work. I even took the job load of doing maintenance work, and
TT receiving operations to allow them to leave on time. It took me almost 6 months doing the adjustment until both have recovered
in their situation. I also requested additional plantilla to manage the job load and act as reliever, in which management approved.
Despite the situation, I was able achieve safe and efficient operation. My weakness of being so empathizing gave me more work
and stress, but at the end of the day, I was able to gain trust of the people I work with. Its energy consuming, but I have accepted it,
and is realizing the reewrd.

2. Strength: Aggressive Learner: Study SWF, RBD, RCA/FMEA,


I always look on ways on how to improve myself and better perform the job. On my current job, I was tasked to review the
performance of the seawater intake system. Coming from a different background, I have to study how the entire water system
works. I drawn the reliability block diagrams and revisited the failure reports. I have to study reliability modeling and calculation to
complete the report. I have shown to management that the focus should be on the SWF which has reliability and availability below
50%. Based on this, I have studied again all the failure modes of the equipment and root causes of common problems, met with
stakeholder to plan the corrective actions. Now we are at 80% moving towards the target 95% after completion of the action items.
My attitude of always wanting to learn allowed to me adapt to the situation quickly and deliver the needed output.

3. Handle rejection. – work around it, put shoes in others, realize shortcoming, relate to data collection plan
I handle rejection by working around it. I always put myself on the position of others and assess my actions based on their
perspective. From there, I was able to realize whats wrong with me or my proposal or was it the way I communicate. From there I
develop my action plans and assess the needed changes.

As a reliability engineer, we need good and quality data. Currently our data on CMMS is incomplete. When I approach the
stakeholders, they are very resistive on changing the way the data is being recorded. The buy in is weak because its additional work
for them and they don’t realize the advantage. To wok around it, I applied my POWER BI skills and generated reliability reports
from dummy data. I made the dummy data meticulously by completing each failure record. I presented to the group again using the
dashboards and they were amazed because its interactive. I explained the importance specifically on how to gauge equipment
performance, I also explained what data were missing and how it will be corrected. The group agreed to develop the procedure for
data collection. In this example, I handled rejection by applying a different approach.

4. Greatest failure – not go thru electrical engineering experience, requested transfer, currently on track
My greatest failure is not being able to go in depth with Electrical Engineering. I always wanted to become an expert in electrical
engineering specially on power systems, but my career path has been shifted to general engineering mainly in operation and
maintenance. I took the chance 3 yrs ago to request management to transfer me to a technical position which is reliability and
maintenance. It was a hard decision for management since I was on my way up to the corporate ladder as a terminal manager. I
took the courage to explain to them my goal and how I can repay them with good performance. Currently , I don’t treat it as a
failure anymore, I am enjoying what I do which is to look after the assets. I am engaging on all engineering discipline. There is so
much to learn and I am up to the challenge.

5. What makes this position a good fit for you at this point in your career? Australia Migrate, BHP, Role, Mentoring
I am moving to Australia and I am not sure whats the future for me there. This job is perfect for me because I know BHP is a
stable company that values its employees. On a personal side, I am very motivated to work with BHP. When it comes to technical
aspect, this position is perfect for me because Ive been dealing with asset management for the past 10yrs. I have operation,
maintenance, reliability , projects and data analysis background. I believe I can maximize the use of all these skills to perform
better than what is expected . Being on a senior position, I will be able to share my knowledge to other which is very self fulfilling.

6. Tell us how your experience and training have prepared you for this position.
I have ten yrs experience on all aspect of operation, safety, maintenance,reliability, project management and data analysis. My
experience also revolves around all engineering discipline electrical, mechanical, civil, instrumentation, etc. Also, having
transferred from different industry – commercial to oil and gas, terminal operations to refinery operations, I have already mastered
adapting to different situation and different requirements. My experience as a terminal manager also gave me the communication
skills to talk with different types of person. Currently I am focusing on reliability which is a core component of asset management.
I know RCM, FMECA, RCA, Risk assessment, and other more which is what is needed for this job function. I am training to take
the ASQ CRE certification. I believe I have all the skill set required, and I am very much willing to learn how to do it the BHP
way.

7. What circumstances led you to apply for this position?


My Permanent Resident visa has just been released lately, and I am very excited to move to Australia. I have been trying to apply
to BHP in the past but to no avail due to my visa status. And since my migration to Australia has now been confirmed, I am looking
forward with working for BHP. I know your core values on sustainability, employee care, integrity, honesty and responsibility and
it is aligned with what I believed in. In addition, this specific job function is perfect fit for me and I know I will grow. You need
someone like me who has a strong background on asset management, a team player who know to communicate, a safety man – I
am a accredited safety officer of DOLE here in Philippines. Mentioning all of this, I believe all our interests are aligned.

8. Give us your understanding of our organization


BHP is the largest mining and oil/gas company in Australia and rank as 1 st on the list of companies. Your mission is to connect
people and resources together to build a better world. That is a very fulfilling mission where your employees can be very proud of.
I would like also to feel that as part of your workforce. BHP core values revolves around sustainability, integrity, respect,
accountability, performance and honesty. You not only care for your employees but to all the communities. Knowing all of this, I
am very excited to work for BHP and be a part of this cause.

9. What would you miss most/least about your current job?


I missed the most is the camaraderie with my coworkers. I was only here for almost a year but the cooperation within the team is
very good. At the start, I always approach them to learn about the job and the company culture itself. The adjustment for me is very
quick because they are very approachable. In return, I shared all the things I learned. I am very happy to finally return the favors.
My managers are very supportive of my new ideas . They have already purchased POWER BI licenses for me start developing
reliability dashboards. They also started the roadmap towards creation of data collection standards. I will miss all the relationships I
have here, and all the new learnings.

10. What are three key strengths that you possess?


I am an aggressive learner, a team player and hard worker
As an aggressive learner, I always try to improve myself especially on areas that can be used for my job. During the pandemic
season, I applied for scholarship from DOST to enroll on online courses. I was able to finish six sigma, proj management, business
management, data analysis and other more. All of which I am now using in my job. I am both a team player and a hard worker, I
have been promoted for every 2 years in the company which is a reflection of my dedication and the trust of my coworkers and
managers.

11. Tell us about your experience managing a project start to finish and the outcome.
I have a Cathodic Protection system rehabilitation project last 2018. Its started with the result of my facility audits. After reviewing
several terminals, I noticed that CPS system are mostly down or on rehab. The alarming thing is its being rehab every 3-5yrs
whereas the life should be 25yrs. I studied first the root cause of failures, I have reviewed the design requiements from NACE
standads and develop my hypothesis that the way our current CPS was designed and constructed is prone to failure. We were not
able to maximize the life cycle of the asset. I then develop a standardized scope of work based on NACE, develop a concept design
on how to address the failures and increase maintainability of the asset, I consulted the contractors (being the SMEs) on the field
and finalized the documents. I requested for CAPEX budget to rehab CPS of multiple terminals, which was approved. I conduct the
bidding process, using the same contractors, so questions are minimized because they were part of the planning process. During the
construction stage, I was incharge coordinating with the terminal managers for the schedule and scope of the project. Before I left
petron, I was able to finish 5 sites in a span of 1.5yrs. All are functioning well and is expected to fulfill the 25yrs life if the standard
maintenance procedure will be followed.

12. Tell us about a time when you had to balance multiple priorities. Please give an example that demonstrated how you

navigated completing work priorities to attain the best result.

When I was an LPG terminal manager, I have to ensure supply of LPG for the entire island being it as a commodity for daily life.
In 2018, I have initiated the tank requalification project of my LPG bullet tank, so my storage was cut to 50%. I adjusted my
operations to cater both receiving and servicing using 1 tank only. Unexpectedly, the Mayon volcano erupted, where the plant is
just 13km away. The challenge is to ensure safety of the plant, maintain steady stock of LPG to the community and manage the
LPG Tank requalification project. The challenge is overwhelming not mention the fear of a volcanic eruption. I revert back to the
business continuity plan I created and reassess the scenario. We are outside the critical zone so we are safe at the moment, I
prepared all the emergency kits and the evacuation plans. I have done daily meeting with all employees communicating how we are
needed at these times. I balanced the schedule of the LPG tank requal contractors. I adjusted the operation of the plant. For 3
months that the volcano is unstable, I have attained 0 accidents, 0 run-out, 0 complaint from customers, and a pat on the back from
my operation manager for a job well done.
13. Describe a work scenario in which you were faced with competing priorities. How did you juggle them all and still meet

everyone’s expectations
Last 2018, I audited the JOCASP terminal, it’s the aviation depot for the largest and centralized airport of the Philippines. I found
out that there is a single point of failure on the electrical system. A critical breakdown will cause the depot to cease operation
paralyzing the Jet-A1 supply of the airport. It is a national issue. I propose to management to perform rehabilitation project. The
challenge is that the company has no budget yet, but they want to resolve the issue. I approach them of a solution which is to
proceed with engineering design, break the project to 3-stages and push thru with the 1 st stage which is to deal with the most critical
task of replacing of unmaintained transformers using supplemental budget. The other stages can wait for a year or 2, when budget
is available. By breaking down the problem into parts, I was able to address all the issues and meet management’s expectations.

14. Describe a high-pressure situation (either within a work setting, or beyond) that you were put in unexpectedly. How did you adjust

and still create a successful outcome?

Revert back to item 12.

15. Tell us about a time you were most creative.


I was most creative when I volunteered to be part of core team that will restore Tacloban terminal. It was the terminal devastated by
Typhoon Yolanda, the strongest typhoon to ever hit land. The entire island is in chaos, there is no electricity and no businesses. Our
terminal needs to be restored ASAP because we will supply the fuel for the government so they can proceed with relief operations.
When I arrived the morale of the volunteers are very low, there was only 1 light bulb functioning, the rest of the plant is pitch black
at night. Understandably, it cannot be fixed because There are no open business buy hardwares. On the first week, I ordered the
technicians to remove all the street lights, test all individual components, and reassemble good units. I was able to light up almost
50% of the terminal and the volounteers were able to enjoy, some played basketball including the armies/police that are protecting
us. Next is I restored the pipeline, the pumps and motors, and some of the loading controls just enough to get the TT loading
operations start. We were able to receive our 1st shipment, deliver fuel to service stations and armies. I was able to do that in a span
of 2 weeks. Volunteerism is limited to 2 weeks only due to sever mental stress. I received a certificate of appreciation from our VP
because of my achievements.

16. What tools or habits do you use to keep organized?


I always list down my to do list for the day and sort it in terms of priorities. When new tasks are being asked by my boss, or
coworkers, I reassess if its urgent and important, or can wait. In this way, I prevent myself from becoming overwhelmed. I learned
this during my training in Kepner Tregoe on situation analysis. Its about prioritizing task that are urgent and important then work
my way to lesser tasks. If I will be asked for help, I can respond if I can do it within the day or atleast give a timeline. This is also
to manage the expectations.

17. Explain your approach to completing multiple assignments in a work day.


By having a to do list, I will be able to prioritize what I need to do, If some task requires several days to finish, I will break it down
to small and manageable parts. At the start of the day, I will also try to finish a simple tasks just to get the momentum going. There
are times that some tasks needs cooperation from others, hence I always maintain good relationship with my coworkers. I always
apply the golden rule, I will be the first one to extend help if needed. It always works for me, most of the time, coworkers will be
willing to assist me also.

18. Tell us about a mistake you’ve made on the job and what you learned from it.
It was when I started here as a reliability engineer, and I listed the top 10 bad actors for Laboratory using the data gathered from
SAP. When I presented it to the Lab managers, they couldn’t agree on the list because they know some equipment are way
problematic. It was the time I realize that the data recording at CMMS was not done diligently and is not credible to make analysis.
I need to consult stakeholders for their manual records and validate the reports. As a way forward, I gathered all their reports,
reorganized the data and developed the new list. Both the lab managers agreed on my new list, as well on the plans for
improvments for each. After a year, I was able to complete 100% of all the action items. The lesson I learned is to always verify
information from the stakeholders before proceeding any analysis.

19. How do you manage your stress?


I manage my stress by practicing recalling events. If I am faced with a challenge, I will always refer to a worse scenario before that
I was able to survive and deliver results. When I am down because of something bad, I always remember all the good things that
has happened and what are the lessons I learned from that event. I always plan my actions on how to approach the similar situation
in the future. When needed to rest, I take breaks, I play games, watch movies anything that would recharge my drive and
enthusiasm. I always believe in balance, so If something bad happens, there is always a greater good behind it.
20. Describe a time when you’ve worked on a team project. What was the outcome?
Working with a team is part of my daily job. Just recently I have an improvement plan for seawater filters. The availability and
reliability is down at 50%. I conducted the root cause analysis for the common failures, and consulted the mechanical and
instrument team for their inputs. I lead the Failure Mode effects and criticality analysis (FMECA) together with the team and
agreed on the action items. I have also received approval from management to implement the action plans. To date, we are already
at 80% level, it’s a 30% increase in performance compaired previously. I project that the performance will reached 95% after all
corrective actions will be completed.

21. Tell us about your ideal work environment or organizational culture.


An I ideal work culture for me is where all the coworkers becomes friends and constantly helping each other. Our superior is
someone who likes to mentor and share his knowledge and someone who is expert on the field. Everyone practices prostive
reinforcement. Everyone is forward looking, always focusing on the corrective actions and opportunities for improvement. I also
believe a organizational style that believes and takes cares of its employee financially and socially. There is enough training for
everyone and recreational activities which restores work like balance.

22. Tell me about your ideal work environment? (Feel free to include aspects such as relationship with supervisor, style, culture, pace,

degree of independence/collaboration, etc.

-Same above-

23. In this role, you will have access to confidential information. Tell us about a work role or situation in which you’ve had to practice

a high level of discretion, diplomacy, or tact.


When I was assigned as a terminal manager last 2015, and was transferred to a new terminal, I discovered a delivery scheme that is
not complying with company standards on safety and quality. It was a delivery procedure using truck to truck transfer of a major
customer. The scheme is being done since the beginning and was tolerated/unknown to the previous terminal manager for many
years. Realizing that it has a large impact on sales, I meet with the sales team and their manager to discuss the matter. Although
they were resistive, I was able to explain clearly to the manager the amount of risk involved and that it is not allowed as per
procedures. Instead of holding the delivery,as a diplomatic way to deal with the change, I gave them 3 months to find an alternative
way to make the delivery. This is also to protect the customer from business disruption. If anything happens, the risk is on me, but
after assessing the situation and adding admin controls, I brought down the risk to a manageable level. A level that would not stress
me. After 3 months, the sales team was able to find a work around and we were able to retain the customer while complying to the
companies rules.

24. The salary range for this position is $XX,XXX to $XX,XXX. If hired, would this be acceptable to you?

25. Describe a project where you had to collaborate with individuals on your own team and with those outside your department and

how you interacted with and balanced the interests of the different individuals to complete the project.

-same SWF project

26. Tell us about the toughest negotiation you’ve been a part of. What was your role in that negotiation? 

-data collection answer      


27. Your skills and experience may be reasonable fit for the needs of this job. That is also true of numerous other candidates. What else
can you tell us about yourself—work related or not—that might put your candidacy over the top, if we are talking to other
candidates with similar skillsets?
If skills and experience are on par with other candidate, I would bet on my work attitude as my ultimate edge against them. My
track record of being promoted successively every 2 yrs is a testament of my work ethics and how I gained the trust of my superior
and coworkers. I am a man of vision and action and I always make sure that I can work through or around the challenges and
achieved the improvements needed. I have been to different position, across different industries and companies, I worked with
different age group and culture, I am sure that I can adapt to any work situation easily and perform more than expected.

The key values of BHP are:

 Sustainability: High levels of health and safety.


 Integrity: Making sure that everything you do is correct.

 Respect: Being open, trusting and investing time in fostering productive relationships.

 Performance: Stretching your capability to the highest level possible.

 Simplicity: Focusing on what is important.

 Accountability: Accepting responsibility and delivering on commitments.

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