The site interview
How to prepare when the interview is in a shed or on the job, not in a boardroom.
Many site interviews are not in an office. They are in a meeting room at the yard, in a shed, or on a walk around the job. Dress as someone who can go on site after the conversation. If they ask you to walk the deck, have boots and the PPE they specify. A white card in your pocket is more useful than a folder of certificates you cannot find.
Read what you can about the project before you arrive. The type of work, the stage it is at, and the builder if that is public. You will not know the internal politics, and you should not pretend to.
Be ready to walk through three jobs: one that went well, one that went badly, and the one you are on now. For the bad one, say what you did, not who you blame. Badmouthing the last builder is the fastest way to end the hour. They will assume you will do the same to them.
Have a question that is about the work. Who you would report to. What package you would own. Whether the role is permanent or for the life of the package. What the first month needs to achieve. “What is the culture like?” is a weak question. “Who sets the programme for this package?” is a useful one.
If you do not know an answer, say so. Inventing a project, a ticket or a reporting line will come apart in the reference. We reference people on work they have delivered. So will a careful builder.
Afterward, a short note is enough. Thank them, name the role, and repeat anything you promised to send. Then leave it. Calling every day does not make you look keen. It makes you look as if you do not have a job to run.