Tools can be important.  One would not necessarily hire someone with hand lathe experience to use a CNC lathe.  But the determination here is based upon potential rather than tool-set.  Someone who appears willing to learn the process when experience is unavailable is better than nothing at all.
In situations where there is a wide field of applicants from which to choose, it is demeaning to belittle those who try but are not qualified.  Give them a pat on the shoulder and say "get the experience for the next round of availabilties".  That's humane, conscientious, and nondemeaning.  Laughing at the applicant is frustrating, demeaning, and outright scandlous.  This exudes an air of superiority and arrogance.

I was taken from a simple 'draftsman' position (making part and assembly drawings)  to engineer of a multilayered, magnetically-shelded enclosure for SQUID equipment.  The raise was insignificant, but I applied every ounce of experience, knowledge, and learning capable to meet the challenge.  For the most part, the operation was successful considering the large requirements.  In this case, it was an internal affair under mitigating circumstances, but the potential was utilized and had a beneficial outcome.  It is often in history that a risk given to an unknown results in exemplary advancements.  Remember that all of the television and computer video technology in use today (CRT) was the idea of a simple farmer (Farnsworth) who died poor and destitude because of big-business (RCA for the most part).  How we compensate innovation is as important as how we compensate mundane continuity.

C makes it easy to shoot yourself in the foot. C++ makes it harder, but when you do, you blow your whole leg off.

 -- Bjarne Stroustrup

Contact Me | Kuroyume's DevelopmentZone