IT Job Interview

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.”

This is an open question. My answer would focus on management, people, and technology.

“To me the first critical factor is the management support. Without a strong executive sponsorship, a project could not start and go on. I would make sure the management team understand the scope and purpose of the project, and have reasonable expectations. During the project I would communicate with the management effectively and keep them updated. The second factor is the team building. I would build a strong team with different skills and experience that could handle different tasks in each phase of the development. The third factor is the technology. We need to do a lot of research and analysis to select the right technology suitable for the project. Depending on the type of project, we may need to evaluate development tools, middle tier software, database servers, and hardware. There are many factors to consider. Let me know if you want me to go in details on this topic.”

Programming is the essential skill for every IT professional. Programming skills are categorized by the computer languages. Therefore, the value of programming skills depends on the use and popularity of programming languages.

The most wanted programming skills come with the languages that are widely used in today’s business solution developments. These language-based skills are Java/J2EE skill, SQL skill, C/C++ skill, Visual Basic (VB) skill, JSP skill, ASP skill, XML skill, C# skill, Perl skill, and PHP skill. (more…)

This question is often asked by HR people.  They are more interested in your ambition than you skills.  They want to know your willingness and ability to set long-term goals, and your desire to succeed.  Even if you are just taking life and your career one day at a time, you still need to pretend you have given some serious thought to your future.

But don’t show too much ambition, which make some people feel uncomfortable.  You do not want to be perceived as arrogant.  Also, don’t try to be funny or demonstrate your assertiveness by saying “To be running this company.”

There are many acceptable goals you can demo:  move one or two levels up from your current position, jump from technical to management position, get a higher degree.  You should mention that your career advancement is based on hard work and achieving company goals.

Sample Answer: (more…)

“I feel the most effective approach to learn new software is to actually do it.  Whenever possible I would install the software on my own test environment and play with it.  This way I could learn the tool’s functionalities and build hands-on skill fast.  That’s how I learned Visual Studio.NET.  I setup the evaluation software on my PC and started to code a few simple applications in C# and Visual Base.NET.  After a few weeks I became expert in Visual Studio and started to work on C# programming for our company’s projects.  When learning a new tools, I would also read the user manual and find online help.  I am a quick learner and really enjoy learning new technologies in IT.”

Give all documentations you made or you may have created.

“I’ve created tons of documentations in my past jobs, such as…”

Here’s list of documentations common for IT:

Requirement Analysis document
Functional Specification
Technical Specification
User’s Manual
Technical Guide
Operational Procedures Guide
Coding Convention Doc
Project Proposal
RFP – Requirement for Proposal
RFO – Request for Offer
FSR – Feasibility Study Report
BCP – Budget Change Proposal

Database design is one of the most common topics asked in interviews for application design/development positions.  Your answer should mix your design skills with tool experience and cover the database design lifecycle. (more…)

This is usually the last question for you in the interviewer.  It is almost over.  Don’t simply answer “No.”  You should prepare a list of make-sense questions before interview.  This is your last chance to impress the interviewers.

Don’t ask questions that were answered already during the interview, unless you’re requesting clarification or additional information. Otherwise, it’ll look like you were not paying attention.

Ask about the company, the position, the project, the products and services, and the technology implemented with the company.

Do not ask about questions of your concern, — salary, vacation time, or any other personal benefits at this point.

Here’s a list of questions you may ask interviewers: (more…)

Obviously, the right answer is “Yes.” But don’t answer a question with just one word.  Say you interact well with all of the key people, — your team members, your mangers, and your clients.

Sample Answer:

“Yes. I’m very friendly and enjoy being around people. I get along well with all kinds of people with all types of personalities.  In my current job, I really enjoy working work my co-worker, the management team, and our customers.”

Have you heard this old marketing tip: “Facts tell but stories sell.”

In fact, a job interview is nothing but a market where you can sell yourself.  By practicing this tip in responding to interview questions, you should always expand on your answer and offer specific examples wherever possible.  When preparing interview, you need to craft the answers with a short story that gives specific examples of your experiences.  However, your story must be short because you don’t want to ramble or take up too much time, so that your story should be brief but still make your point. (more…)