IT Job Interview

Never.  Being fired is a very negative thing.  You may quit, you may be laid-off, but you are not fired.  If you had let go due to company mergers, reorganizations, and downsizing, it’s no big deal, you can explain it.  Always say you left an employer for better opportunities.

So, the answer is simply a “No.”  If they ask “Have you ever been laid-off?”  You may explain:

“Yes, the company I worked was acquired by BeanCorp in west coast.  BeanCorp decided to close al facilities in town.  I among all of other 250 employees were laid-off.”

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.”

Do you have one or more breaks in your employment history?  If so, that might be questioned.  No matter what caused the breaks, you should not give negative reasons.  You should also mention positive activities between jobs such as taking courses or finishing your degree.

Sample Answers:

“I decided to be a stay-at-home mom for my children until they were both in school. I’ve kept my skills current by doing part-time consulting work and taking online courses in Microsoft Exchange Server Administration.  I’m ready and eager to re-enter the corporate world.”

In IT, job-hopping isn’t that unusual.  During the Internet gold rush, people hop from one place to another for pay raise; in the bad time people are often kicked around.  If your hopping history is recorded in your resume, employers may ask this question to find out if you are a quitter. No employer wants to invest time and resources in you if it appears that you have no commitment to them and will leave at the first better opportunity that comes along.

The key to answer this question is to give positive, at least acceptable reasons for frequent job changes.  Make some acceptable cases such as spouse job relocation, health issues of family members, continuing education, or things beyond your control like company downsizing/reorg.

No matter what reason you give, don’t complain about former companies or bosses.  If you did work on one or more jobs for quite long time, point it out.  Also emphasize that your current goal is to stay with your next company for a long time.

Sample Answers:

“My husband worked as an IBM consultant, the company has transferred him to different regional offices around the country during these years.  Every time IBM moved him to a new region, I’d relocate with him and find a new job. I feel this has actually been beneficial because it provided me with a broad range of experiences and expanded my knowledge and skills. He got a stable job in town this year and we’ve decided to make this area our permanent home, so I won’t be relocating again. I’m looking forward to obtaining a long-term position with a company such as yours.”

They are asking you to say some negative things about your former company or boss, but don’t say it!

Sample Answers:

“I honestly can’t think of anything about my last job that I disliked.  I really enjoy working with people there.  If they had more career advancement opportunities, I would like to stay  with them.”

Or you may say something that is no significant, and not on people:

“I’d say it was their lack of a training program. I enjoyed working there and understand they have severe budget restrictions which limited their training opportunities. That’s one of the reasons I’m so eager to work for your company. I know you have an excellent training program here. I’m always looking to improve my skills and make myself more useful.”

It’s a question to test your character and your attitude.  With a position attitude as you should have, you don’t dislike people.  It may be true that you’ve met a lot of jerks, but here you need to resist the temptation to give your opinion about why your formal boss was such a jerk.   Deny it, and don’t blame anyone.

A good answer is to say a lot of good things of your formal bosses, then point out a little thing which is no significant that you wish could be improved.

Sample Answers:

“I’ve honestly never had a boss that I disliked.  In my previous jobs, I worked really well with the management teams, they were very supportive.  I had one boss a few years ago, he was a nice guy, but he didn’t interact with our team often.  I wished that he could give us more feedback about our performance and kept us informed about what was going on in the company. “

Here’s what career experts would often suggest, — answering the question with a positive trait disguised as a weakness, for example:

“I work too hard.”
“I’m a perfectionist.”
“I am workaholic.”

But that’s not what interviewers want to hear. They want you to tell your real weakness. They are smart enough to see the trick. So, a good answer is to tell your true weakness. (more…)

Are you responsible, mature, and capable of handling conflicts in the work? If so, you may get the job. So answer what your employer wants to hear. Tell a story about a dispute or conflict you had with a co-worker and how you resolved it in a positive way.

Don’t say you are so good with people and never have to handle conflicts. They don’t believe you.

Sample Answer: (more…)

Q. How do you handle stress?

Notice how this question is subtly different to “can you handle stress?” Reply with: “I break my work down into smaller steps and work through those steps rather than get worked up over the bigger picture.”

Or: “I tend to see problems arising before they become too large to handle and I make contingencies to cover them.” (more…)

This is a commonly asked question in interview.  Again, it’s an excellent opportunity for your showcase.  Most of IT jobs are problem-solving oriented, if you can approve you are good at solving problems, you could get the job easily. (more…)