An estimator, often referred to as a cost planner, gathers and analyzes data from a business in order to make an educated guess as to the expenses, materials, and labor required to deliver a service or good. Their responsibilities include conducting research, gathering quotes, preparing reports, and evaluating prediction plans.
The ideal candidate will be well-versed in statistics and finance, as well as reporting and data analysis methods and estimating systems.
Skill related questions
- Take me through the estimation procedure.
- What are the most crucial elements influencing total costs?
- Do you have any experience with the tendering process? What information does a tender invitation provide?
- What steps can you take to assure the accuracy of your work?
- What are the most prevalent metrics you employ in your estimations?
Behavioral or situational questions
- What would you do if you learned that the project's costs were starting to go over budget?
- Give an example of a period when your final estimate report contained an error. What did you discover?
- Describe the project that was the most challenging for you to complete. How did you examine its many aspects?
- Which building kind do you have the most experience predicting costs for if you were to pick just one?
- What would you do if you were required to calculate the cost of construction but lacked access to all the required data?
General questions
- Have you already worked with any of our suppliers?
- How would you grade your estimation mathematics skills? What examples do you have?
- How have you demonstrated your suitability for an estimator position in previous employment?
- Do you enjoy working with numbers?
- How would you evaluate your ability to communicate? Can you share an example of your communication skills from a previous job?
Conclusion
An estimator's job is to forecast the range of solutions a company requires and then create highly customized cost estimate reports for goods or services. A highly analytic person is tasked with performing routine risk assessments, safeguarding budgets, and ensuring that requests are received from suppliers. An individual lacking these abilities cannot perform appropriately.
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