Nailing a Job Interview w/ Refrigeration Mentor

Key takeaways

Research the company thoroughly before applying or interviewing to demonstrate genuine interest and build trust.
Cast a wide net in job applications and use persistent, pleasant follow-ups — don’t be discouraged by initial rejection.
Showcase your willingness to learn and be coachable, especially when you lack experience.
Get certified early, such as EPA 608, confined space, and first aid, to increase your attractiveness as a candidate.
Understand the different expectations of HR and technical managers, and tailor your communication accordingly.
Ask current employees for internal referrals to leverage their recommendations and increase your chances of getting hired.
Practice interview responses with someone you trust, and use AI tools to prepare for common questions.
Be honest about your knowledge gaps, and demonstrate curiosity and willingness to learn.
Focus on soft skills like professionalism, communication, and conflict resolution, which are highly valued.
Maintain a positive attitude, be professional, and follow up respectfully to stay top of mind with potential employers.

Summary

Getting Started in HVAC/Refrigeration: Building Confidence and Persistence

This section covers Trevor Matthews’ early struggles with confidence in job interviews, emphasizing the importance of being coachable—showing a willingness to learn and do whatever is asked. It recommends conducting thorough research on potential employers, understanding their services, history, and business focus to build trust and rapport. The hosts discuss the value of casting a wide net, sending many applications, and practicing persistent, pleasant follow-ups, inspired by stories like Les Brown’s relentless pursuit to land a radio job. Creative approaches such as video resumes and early certification pursuits (EPA, confined space, first aid) are also advised to stand out and demonstrate readiness.

Advancing Your Career: From Entry-Level to Skilled Technician

When pursuing new opportunities, understanding the different interviewer focuses (HR versus service manager) is crucial. HR primarily values safety, reliability, and a clean driving record, whereas service managers look for how you will add value to the team and customers. Asking current employees for internal referrals can dramatically improve hiring chances, especially when reinforced with a positive reputation within the company. The episode stresses ongoing practice with AI tools to prepare for interviews, focusing on confident humility—admitting what you don’t know—and demonstrating resourcefulness and enthusiasm for learning. Building soft skills like conflict resolution and relationship management with dispatch are also highlighted.

Interview Techniques and Soft Skills for Success

The hosts emphasize the importance of preparation, including role-playing interviews and practicing responses to common questions. They advise candidates to keep answers clear and positive, avoid negativity about past employers, and use follow-ups to reinforce interest. Demonstrating resourcefulness through active learning (podcasts, courses, manuals) and problem-solving scenarios during interviews can set candidates apart. Trevor gives practical tips on approaching interviews with a story-oriented mindset, involving real troubleshooting examples, and showing commitment to growth. The significance of soft skills such as professionalism, communication, and relationship-building with dispatch and clients is also discussed.

The Role of Attitude and Authenticity in Job Hunting

The episode underscores that standing out by being enthusiastic, humble, and genuinely interested often outweighs technical experience alone. Candidates should cultivate confidence, present themselves professionally, and be honest about their skill level. Persistence, coupled with a positive attitude, can open doors even in challenging hiring climates. Additionally, Trevor shares his personal story of landing his first refrigeration job in Australia, illustrating that persistence and proactive effort can lead to success in any environment.

Show notes

In this episode, Bryan welcomes back Trevor Matthews from Refrigeration Mentor for a conversation focused entirely on nailing a job interview in the HVAC and refrigeration trades — whether it's a technician's very first shot at breaking into the industry or an experienced tech looking to move to a new company or specialty. Trevor opens up about his own rocky start, admitting he cycled through roughly 25 different jobs before landing in refrigeration and that he struggled with confidence in early interviews because he assumed he needed a deep resume of experience. What actually got him hired, he says, was being coachable: showing up willing to learn and do what was asked, even if that meant starting by sweeping floors.

For technicians just entering the trade, Bryan and Trevor lay out a practical playbook. Research the company before reaching out — knowing what services they offer, how long they've been in business, and what type of work they do builds instant trust. Cast a wide net rather than sending out only a handful of applications, and don't get discouraged by rejection; both hosts stress "pleasant persistence" as the key to standing out, following up warmly without becoming a nuisance. Trevor shares a story about motivational speaker Les Brown showing up at a radio station day after day until he finally got a chance, as a reminder that repeated, respectful effort pays off. They also recommend creative approaches like recording a video resume tailored to a specific company, and getting ahead on certifications such as EPA 608, confined space, first aid, or defensive driving before ever applying, since these small credentials can make a hiring manager's decision much easier.

The conversation then shifts to technicians pursuing their next opportunity rather than their first. Bryan explains that many larger companies route candidates through HR before they ever speak with a service manager, and that each conversation requires a different tone: HR wants to hear about safety, a clean driving record, and reliability, while a service manager wants to know how you'll bring value to customers and the team. Both agree that driving records have become a surprisingly major factor in hiring, given how much liability and cost a company takes on with every vehicle on the road. They also encourage candidates to ask people already working at a company for an internal referral, since a warm introduction dramatically increases the odds of getting hired, and many companies even offer referral bonuses that make current employees eager to help.

Finally, Trevor and Bryan get tactical about interview performance itself. They recommend using AI tools to generate likely HR and technical interview questions, then practicing out loud with a spouse or friend to shake off the "rust" of not having interviewed in years. Confident humility comes up repeatedly: it's far better to admit "I don't know that term" than to bluff, and to speak with genuine curiosity about the trade rather than reciting a list of accomplishments. Trevor illustrates how a candidate can talk through a hypothetical service call step by step to demonstrate real troubleshooting knowledge, even without hands-on experience in that specific niche. The pair close by touching on soft skills like conflict resolution and building good relationships with dispatch, and Trevor shares where listeners can connect with the Refrigeration Mentor community for more training and support.

Topics Covered

Why Trevor initially struggled with confidence in early job interviews
Researching a company before applying or interviewing
Casting a wide net and using "pleasant persistence" instead of giving up after a few no's
Standing out with a tailored video resume
Getting certifications early: EPA 608, confined space, first aid, defensive driving
Why driving records and vehicle safety matter so much to HVAC/R employers
The difference between talking to HR versus a service manager
Asking a current employee for an internal referral
Avoiding negativity about past employers during interviews
Using AI to prepare likely interview questions, then practicing with a real person
Confident humility: admitting what you don't know instead of bluffing
Demonstrating resourcefulness through podcasts, courses, and industry resources
Talking through a hypothetical service call to show troubleshooting ability
Soft skills, conflict resolution, and building relationships with dispatch
Trevor's own story of landing his first refrigeration job in Australia
Where to connect with Trevor and the Refrigeration Mentor community

Learn more about all the great resources Trevor offers through Refrigeration Mentor at https://refrigerationmentor.com/.

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