IT Job Interview

In general it is not the time to deal with the salary question until the offer is made.  If they ask you this question during interview, ask back for the salary range of this position first.  You can mention you are flexible about salary, which means it’s negotiable.  Don’t give a specific amount and don’t make a commitment.  You’ll have the fun time for real negotiation after they offer you the job.

But before interview you’d better do the salary research.  Check the web and ask around.  There are many online resources for IT job salary info.

Sample Answers:

“I’d rather not commit to a specific salary until the interview process is over and you make a formal offer. What is most important to me is the opportunity to work for your company. I am confident that your offer will be competitive.”

“I would expect a salary which reflects my skills and experience.  What’s the salary range for this position?”

“I’m sure you will be fair. My focus is on finding the right opportunity, and I’ll be open to discussing salary when the offer is made.”

“I am ready to consider your very best offer. What did you have in mind?”

“I’ve got extensive experience on Oracle and believe my DBA skills are a perfect match for this position. I would expect my salary to be at the upper end of your range.”

You think it’s an easy question because you are good at so many things you want to tell. Yes it’s easy to answer but not so easy to make it impressive. How to have a killer answer then? Ask yourself first, what strength is the most wanted by this employer? By studying the job announcement you could be clue. It may want a specific, a leadership, capacity to handle multiple projects someone who can work under pressure, etc. Then you should “apply” your strength accordingly. (more…)

You’d better say you’re comfortable in either situation whether or not you know which situation applies to this particular job. Provide examples of how you’ve successfully worked alone and with others.

Sample Answer:

“I enjoy working in a team atmosphere but am also perfectly comfortable working on my own. In my previous jobs I’ve always done both. For example, in my current position I work alone as a developer on specific duties such developing a middle-tier Java component, but every programmer in the development team works together as a team to analyze client requirements and design database structure. I enjoy sharing ideas, helping others, and learning from my teammates.”

“I can perform my job independently, I also enjoy work in a team environment.  In the past I’ve worked as a team member and team leader as well.  In my last project I was the team leader with a development team of 8 developers for a Java web application development.  As the team lead I was responsible for design the system, assigning tasks to team members, and provide support to my team during the development.  The advantage of team environment for me was to create the synergy among the team and the opportunity to learn from each other.  I really enjoyed working with people in different technical background and personalities.  It’s a lot of fun.  I learned a lot from other term members and I also enjoyed helping others who work with me.”

Employers may concern this if you have a PhD degree but are applying for a entry-level programmer job.  But if they thought that being overqualified was a significant problem, they probably would not have invited you in for an interview.  If you really want this job, don’t just admit that you are overqualified even if you know you are. (more…)

IT is a fast changing world, which makes work environment stressful sometimes.  Interviewers want to know how you react in such a situation.  Obviously, employers want someone who performs well in stressful situations and can work under pressure.

It is not a matter of whether or not you can handle stressful situations or you like to work under pressure.  Everyone can do it but no one wants it.  To play the interview game, you just need to explain how have you dealt with stressful situations in the past, how have you used time management and problem-solving skills to reduce stress, and tell interviews you get used to work under pressure.

Sample Answer:

“I’m not afraid of stress and pressures.  I can do a good job in difficult situations.  In my previous job I always had to face stress when I was involved in multiple projects and deadlines were near.  But I’ve built time management and problem-solving skills to handle this situation and I’ve learned how to adapt to changing situations and shift priorities.  Personally I have a few ways to reduce stress:  take a break to stretch, have a short walk in fresh air, or get a little exercise, they are all helpful.  If I find that the stressful situation would affect my team’s productivity, I would discuss it with my manager.”

This question makes no sense. No one would admit what he or she had done in this situation. But you can give a more impressive answer by saying you’ve done a lot of constructive things in spare time at work.

“First I would check with my supervisor to see if anyone else needs help. I could use the time for self training. I may research for new technologies, and check for the next release of our software tools. In the past I’ve used my spare to review my previous work such as a component or interface I developed, and find improvement options.”

Employers may ask this question when they think you may not quite be qualified.  So you need to confirm that you do meet all of the required core qualifications.  Use this as an opportunity to promote your best selling points–your relevant educational and professional qualifications, experience and skills.

Sample Answer: (more…)

Managers and HR would like to ask this type of questions.  If the company is planning some changes, they may check this on you.  They may have has bad experience, — they’ve had employees who were very resistant to change or who left the company rather than accept new policies or procedures.

It’s not question of whether or not you want to change or you can change.  Facing this question you have no choice but saying that you handle change very well.  It’s better you give a example of how you successfully handled a major change in your job before.

Sample Answer: (more…)

As with all other questions, be confident and enthusiastic when you answer this. However, don’t say you are the best qualified person, because you don’t know the qualifications of the other applicants!

Instead, emphasize several reasons why you should be hired, focusing on how your skills and abilities will benefit the company. Use that list you created of your best selling points.

Sample Answers: (more…)