IT Job Interview

Do you have a plan?  How do you initiate?  Your employer wants to find out.  In general, your first day should be focused on learning, listening, and discovering.  Don’t rush to setup new rules and disrupt existing procedures in the IT department.

Sample Answer:

“First, I would meet with my boss to find out what is expected of me and what my first priority should be.  I would also like to learn what goals my department is responsible for that fit in with the organization’s mission.  Then I’d meet with my team, introduce myself, get to know them. I’d discuss with my team about our department’s procedures, standards, projects, issues, and problems.  I’d find out who’s the most knowledgeable member of the team, who’s the best person to help me get up-to-speed on current projects and processes. Based on the information I gathers, I would be able to develop a plan for solving existing problems and improving performance of the department.”

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…)

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…)

“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.”

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…)

Okay, so you want a job in computing. This is as good a time as any to define the phrase “a job in computing.” In the context of this article, any job that involves spending most of your day working at a computer is “a job in computing.” If that sounds like something you’re keen on doing, here’s how to increase your chances of getting there. (more…)

If they ask when you can start, you almost get the job.  They like you background and is in a hurry to get someone on board.  If you are currently employed, the standard is to give 2-week notice.  In this case your answer could be:

“I would love to start immediately, but feel its important to give proper notice with my current employer. I would be able to begin working for you within two weeks of accepting your offer.”

Do the research, do your homework, and prepare to answer this question since it may be asked at beginning of the interview.  Check the “About Us” page of the company’s website, pay attention to the company’s mission statement, products, and services, and current events.  Use these information to craft our answer.

Sample Answer:

” I know that Eyefinity provide e-business solutions for eyecare professionals to order products and lab materials, process online insurance claims, and improve practice management and marketing. Eyefinity serves more than 18,000 private eyecare practices and processes more than 25 million transactions per year.  I understand that the e-commerce services such as eClaim and eBuy run on Oracle database that requires high availability.  I have a lot of DBA experience supporting mission-critical database, that’s one of the reasons I applied for this DBA position.”

You don’t have a computer degree (Computer Science, MIS, etc), your college major is something like, let’s say, Political Science; You don’t have actual IT working experience at all (of course, but how to get some?). Can you get a real IT job (by real means paid, full time, permanent with all common benefits)?

YES, even in economic downturn, you CAN. IT is the most open market with diversified workforce and great growth potentials. If you are interested in IT, and know how to break in, you’ll do well in your career no matter what background you are from. In fact, over 60% of IT professionals come from non computer science background, and obviously, ALL of them started without IT experience. (more…)