Never put much weight on résumé’s as an employer. They are all fabricated BS for the most part. Use the info others have listed and keep in mind that all you need it for is to get a minute with the boss where your real self sell will happen. In your interview you might consider the following:
1. SAFETY - Stress how much emphasis you put on job site safety. Quote some of the safety issues and concerns that were identified and addressed in your schooling. Tell the employer that you are very interested in all aspects of safety compliance and would someday like to be a safety officer. Give me an address and I'll send you a few copies of "Safety Meeting Outlines" which are a pre-packed safety meeting that I get weekly. They cover great topics, have spaces for all attendees, comments, corrections, and many other issues. these forms are signed by all present and kept in the file to show that the topic was covered in the event of an accident. Use the document as an example to the boss of the type of proactive approach you bring to the company.
2. Liability - Let the boss know that you take his liability exposure very seriously as a potential employee. This means everything from driving the company truck to environmental spills and sexual harassment. Emphasize the fact that you are a mature worker looking for longevity and stability in employment and not a half cocked cowboy punching the time clock on his job site waiting for Friday night.
3. Maintenance/Ownership – Let the boss know that if he trusts you with a piece of equipment or a tool that you treat that equipment like it is your own and that you feel its condition and maintenance is a direct reflection of your character and abilities. (now don’t use this one if your pickup is filthy, looks like chit, and has 6” of sunflower seeds on the floorboards). I have on several occasions looked into a guys rig and or visited his home after an interview to see if he really walks the talk. If you do walk the talk, invite the boss to come over sometime to see just how you keep up your personal possessions. Ask the boss if he draws oil samples and at what intervals. Ask him if operators keep a daily operating/maint. log and if they are responsible for their own maint/lube etc. These questions will assure him that you are aware of the importance of good maint. and that you take it seriously.
4. Physical Condition – Let the boss know that you take your physical condition seriously. Let him know that you don’t have any past injuries (if this is the case) and that you work out and keep physically active. Let him know that you are not a stay at home with a runny nose kinda guy. I had a guy tell me once “I may be bleeding, but if I’m scheduled to work for you I will be here ready to go by 6am”. I also had an employee offer a no risk trial of his abilities. He offered to work for me for 1 day for free to show me his stuff. If I liked him great, if I didn’t he would shake my hand and walk away. He just retired and man do I miss him.
5. Management – Even though you’re new, let the boss know that you are willing to learn and accept any type of management that might help out with the project. Let him know that if he gets busy that you would be willing to schedule fuel and stay behind to sign for it. Tell him you would be glad to compile a list of replacement part numbers for things like belts, hoses, filters, lines, etc and a list of parts/service suppliers to call on to keep things running in his absence.
Focus on other strengths and qualities that you bring to the job that might give you the nod over the more experienced guy. Let the boss know that unlike most equipment operators, you know how to run equipment, but how you operate it will be at his discretion. Let him know that you have ability, but the experience you get will be based on his vision of how his equipment should be operated and not on how other equipment was run on differnt job sites by the other applicants. Hope that makes sense. Let me know if you want some copies of the safety meeting outlines. Good luck man. EW