Heavy Equipment Operator Grad Shows Off for Employer

In September, Cleveland Community College received an email from a recent graduate of the Heavy Equipment Operator Academy. John Doctor wanted to tell his former instructors about his experience while interviewing with a construction company and how the HEO program gave him the skills and confidence to impress his soon-to-be employers. Here’s what he wrote:

Today, I had a job interview with Wayne Brothers Construction Company. They wanted to test me out on the equipment that I was trained on in the HEO Academy at Cleveland Community College. Going into it I was a little apprehensive. They seemed very serious and direct with what they were looking for. Though some of the equipment was a different brand from those we trained on, it seemed that everything came back to me in full circle. Every task they asked me to do, I completed exceptionally. Every obstacle they wanted me to cross, I completed exceptionally.

The employer was surprised by how multifaceted I was on the equipment and very interested in how I became so familiar with the equipment. I was asked several times about my experience and all I could say was HEO Academy. By the end of the day, they literally asked me how much I wanted to get paid and what I was looking for. I felt like I did a great job representing the HEO program and the program did a great job training me. As I shook the hands of the foreman and his assistant all I kept saying in my head is, “I showed out today.” My confidence was high, and my nerves were low. I just moved methodically and precisely. I believe it showed.

Once I left the interview, I immediately called my instructor, Mr. Thomas Williams and thanked him for a job well done. I never touched a piece of equipment in my life. Now I am on a construction site with seasoned trained operators, and I feel like I impressed them. All they said was “you ain’t green,” that meant a lot to me. In the South, that’s major talk for good job.

Just wanted to thank the instructors and the college for giving me this new skill. Now, I have something I can add to my skillset and provide a living for my family. Thank You, Cleveland Community College Heavy Equipment Operator Academy.

To learn more about the Heavy Equipment Operator Academy visit https://clevelandcc.edu/program-finder/heavy-equipment-operator/