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.”

For example, if the job announcement asked for J2EE development project lead for multiple projects, you could answer: “I’m an experienced J2EE developer with team leadership skills such as project planning, task prioritization and time management. But my greatest strength is my ability to effectively handle multiple projects and deadlines.” To make you answer accountable, you may include brief examples about how your strengths have been beneficial in past situations.

Don’t forget to mention your non-technical strength, — hard working, commitment, dedicatation, etc.

Let’s see a sample answer:

“I have strong Java programming skills. With over 5 years of Java experience, I have developed several highly-complicated Java applications in both client/server and web-based platforms. I work very hard and always to whatever it takes to get my job done. That’s my greatest strength.”

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.”

Employers don’t want to hire you if you think you are overqualified person because most likely you’ll leave as soon as you get a better opportunity, or you’ll be bored in this position, or you won’t be satisfied with the salary they’re offering.

Here is a wrong answer, “Although I am overqualified, I can’t find anything else and I really need a job.”  You are telling the truth but you can’t get the job.  Instead of emphasizing over-qualification issue, you need to show enthusiastic about the job.  Explain how you can meet their needs now and in the future as the company grows. And most important of all, convince them that you will not quit as soon as something better comes along.

Sample Answers:

“I may be overqualified in some ways. I have more education than is required for this job, but you are looking for someone who has background in PHP web programming, and that’s me. But I feel that I have much to learn in the area of web application development, which is a big part of this position. Plus every position brings with it a new environment, new people and new challenges. I feel that the skills and experience I bring can help me to do a better job for you, and would not be detrimental in any way.”

“You can tell that I’ve worked at a higher level before, but this position is exactly what I’m looking for.  I’ve always wanted to work in IT with banking industry, and I’m willing to take a lower-level position to get that opportunity.  Also, this position provides the stability and long-term growth potential I’m looking for.  As for salary, it is not my top priority.  I’d have no problem with earning less than I’ve earned in the past.”

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.”

“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.”

Sample Answer:

“While it’s true that I don’t have specific experience in data warehousing, I’m confident that my extensive background in database administration, combined with the data warehousing design courses I took in college, qualify me for this position. I’m very good at database design and data modeling, and I am a quick learner.  In my current job, it only took me couple of weeks to learn a complicated BI system.  I know I can apply my skills to help your company build a robust data warehousing system.”

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:

“I am not afraid of change.  By all means, IT is a fast-changing field, I’m very flexible and adapt quickly and easily to change. In my last job the company re-organized IT infrastructure and all of IT staff including myself in each division were moved to the data center where we were required to work by following different procedures and more restricted rules.  It was quite a shake-up and many of my coworkers were upset by the changes. I just adjusted the change of my work environment and worked the new management team to set my priorities for new tasks.  No matter changes occur, I just focus on doing my job to the best of my ability.”

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:

“I’ve got five years of experience in systems administration and have the specific systems support and service skills you are looking for. I’m a fast learner who adapts quickly to change and will hit the ground running. I’m dedicated and enthusiastic about helping your orgnization to meet its expansion goals, and will provide top-quality results with minimal oversight. I’m a proven performer who takes pride in my work. You won’t have any regrets when
you hire me.”

Another example:

“You need a data center manager who can work effectively with diverse employees in a very fast-paced, hectic environment, and I’m that person. I have five years of experience supervising developers, systems engineers, and DBAs from diverse backgrounds, helping them to become more productive and efficient. I have reduced employee turnover by more than 25% in the past three years, which saved my employer more than $2 million in related hiring and training costs. I also streamlined operations by automating several processes. I am confident that I can make similar improvements for you and your organization.”