IT Job Interview

“Depending on the specific situation, I may use different approaches to resolve different conflicts.  First I would try to understand the situation, know what’s going on and analyze the issues.  I would work as a mediator to bring all parties together and talk it out.  I would listen carefully to all of them and help them analyze the pros and cons of their points.  If possible, I would use existing documents and standard to help make decisions.  In many case I would be able to find compromise acceptable by all parties.  Only if when necessary I would bring in upper management to solve the issue.  In general, to avoid possible conflicts, I would encourage effective communication among all team members and enforce documentations.”

It is actually 2 questions, – how to handle priorities, and how to manage tasks.

“It’s important to communicate with managers and users to solve conflicts.  Although all tasks are in high priorities, some must be higher than others.  I would look into each task in detail and talk to my manger to analyze the priority.  In general tasks required from higher authorities such as executive directors come with higher priority.  I would also look at the expected time span to complete a task.  If a task takes short time to finish, I may do it first.  Another thing to look is the chain effects.  If a task is dependent on the result of another task, I would do the master task first.  As for manage daily tasks, I used Microsoft Project for task scheduling and analysis.  I also used Microsoft Outlook to maintain a daily task list.”

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.

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This question is to test your decision-making abilities and your willingness to go extra miles when you face a problem.  You may prepare an example for describing how you solve a unexpected problem emphasizing initiative.

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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…)