How to hire textile cutting machine setters, operators, and tenders
A job description you can copy, interview questions tied to the real work, and what to pay. Free.
Job description template
Copy it, fill in the brackets, and remove anything that does not fit your job. Keep only must-haves you would really turn someone away for.
[Job title] at [Company name] [City, State] · [Full-time / Part-time] · [Pay range] About the role [Two or three sentences about your team, the work and why it matters.] What you will do • Adjust machine controls, such as heating mechanisms, tensions, or speeds, to produce specified products. • Confer with coworkers to obtain information about orders, processes, or problems. • Inspect machinery to determine whether repairs are needed. • Inspect products to ensure that the quality standards and specifications are met. • Notify supervisors of mechanical malfunctions. • Place patterns on top of layers of fabric and cut fabric following patterns, using electric or manual knives, cutters, or computer numerically controlled cutting devices. • Record information about work completed and machine settings. • Start machines, monitor operations, and make adjustments as needed. What you bring • [Required license, certification or years of experience, if any] • [Education, only if you truly need it. Typical to start in this job: High school diploma or equivalent] • Strong monitoring, active listening and speaking skills • [Anything else you would really turn someone away for] Pay and benefits [Pay range]. For reference, the U.S. median for this job is $18.64 an hour ($38,760 a year). [Benefits, schedule and anything else candidates should know.] How to apply [Apply on JAI Bot. Every applicant hears back.]
Interview questions for textile cutting machine setters, operators, and tenders
Ask every candidate the same questions, in the same order, and write down what they say. Questions about past work show what someone has actually done.
- Tell me about a time you had to adjust machine controls, such as heating mechanisms, tensions, or speeds, to produce specified products. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about a time you had to confer with coworkers to obtain information about orders, processes, or problems. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about a time you had to inspect machinery to determine whether repairs are needed. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about a time you had to inspect products to ensure that the quality standards and specifications are met. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- How do you keep track of your own work quality during a busy shift or week? Give an example of catching a problem early.
- Tell me about a time you had to understand a request or problem that was explained poorly. How did you make sure you got it right?
- Explain something technical from your last job as you would to a new coworker.
- Why this job, and why now? What would make you stay here for the long term?
Good answers name a real situation, what the person did themselves and what happened. Avoid questions about age, family plans, religion, health, national origin or anything else unrelated to the job.
What textile cutting machine setters, operators, and tenders do
- Adjust machine controls, such as heating mechanisms, tensions, or speeds, to produce specified products.
- Confer with coworkers to obtain information about orders, processes, or problems.
- Inspect machinery to determine whether repairs are needed.
- Inspect products to ensure that the quality standards and specifications are met.
- Notify supervisors of mechanical malfunctions.
- Place patterns on top of layers of fabric and cut fabric following patterns, using electric or manual knives, cutters, or computer numerically controlled cutting devices.
- Record information about work completed and machine settings.
- Start machines, monitor operations, and make adjustments as needed.
Skills that matter most
Education, experience and outlook for textile cutting machine setters, operators, and tenders
- Typical education to start: High school diploma or equivalent (BLS)
- Related work experience most have: 1 to 3 months (O*NET)
- Training on the job: Moderate-term on-the-job training (BLS)
- Job outlook: -13.6% over ten years, declining · about 900 openings a year (BLS)
What to pay textile cutting machine setters, operators, and tenders
Pay depends a lot on where the job is. Highest and lowest median yearly pay by state:
| State | Median yearly pay |
|---|---|
| North Carolina | $43,460 |
| Georgia | $39,840 |
| California | $38,870 |
| Texas | $30,160 |
See textile cutting machine setters, operators, and tenders pay in every state
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Post this job on JAI Bot. Free to start: JAI Bot reads every applicant against your must-haves, shows the resume evidence behind each one, and helps you reply to everyone. People make every decision.
Post a job freePay by areaJob duties and skills: O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license; O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. JAI Bot has modified this information; USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. Pay: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS, May 2025. Interview questions and the job description template: JAI Bot, based on the duties and skills above.