considerations for first serious IT role job interview
Discussion
As the title suggests, I have an IT Support Analyst interview for an international law firm based here in Belfast in 3 days time.
Currently in an IT Support role with a family-run building services company and while its been one of the most challenging (not to mention busiest) 12 months of my life, a lot of what was promised has yet to materialize, along with the pay increase after a successful 6 month probation period. Rather than crying and whinging about it, I intend to go onwards and upwards. Having learned a great deal in the previous 12 months, I still have a hell of a lot to learn, not least to maybe believe in my own abilities a little more.
Anyway, bar the usual preparation, what else can I show to give me an angle on other candidates, who will most definitely have more technical experience than me? I'm 36, have had a number of different roles (not within IT, but office-based), extensive customer experience with staff of all seniority levels and a flexible, can do approach along with a good, dependable work ethic. I realize these are all personality traits that anyone could trot out, I just want to impress on the interviewer that I really want to develop not just my technical ability but other skills as well.
Thanks in advance
Currently in an IT Support role with a family-run building services company and while its been one of the most challenging (not to mention busiest) 12 months of my life, a lot of what was promised has yet to materialize, along with the pay increase after a successful 6 month probation period. Rather than crying and whinging about it, I intend to go onwards and upwards. Having learned a great deal in the previous 12 months, I still have a hell of a lot to learn, not least to maybe believe in my own abilities a little more.
Anyway, bar the usual preparation, what else can I show to give me an angle on other candidates, who will most definitely have more technical experience than me? I'm 36, have had a number of different roles (not within IT, but office-based), extensive customer experience with staff of all seniority levels and a flexible, can do approach along with a good, dependable work ethic. I realize these are all personality traits that anyone could trot out, I just want to impress on the interviewer that I really want to develop not just my technical ability but other skills as well.
Thanks in advance
fin racer said:
slow_poke said:
It's not an IT Infrastructure entry level role, is it?
...........international law firm
I'm not sure what you're getting at, but no, it's not an entry level role...........international law firm
Not an international law firm. I thought you were being deliciously, deliberately fluffily vague.
They're always on the lookout for the right skillsets too if the lawyers don't work out for you.
slow_poke said:
Ah right. I'm aware of a big co in Belfast currently interviewing for entry level IT Infrastructure positions.
Not an international law firm. I thought you were being deliciously, deliberately fluffily vague.
They're always on the lookout for the right skillsets too if the lawyers don't work out for you.
pm me the details please..Not an international law firm. I thought you were being deliciously, deliberately fluffily vague.
They're always on the lookout for the right skillsets too if the lawyers don't work out for you.
D
fin racer said:
slow_poke said:
Ah right. I'm aware of a big co in Belfast currently interviewing for entry level IT Infrastructure positions.
Not an international law firm. I thought you were being deliciously, deliberately fluffily vague.
They're always on the lookout for the right skillsets too if the lawyers don't work out for you.
pm me the details please..Not an international law firm. I thought you were being deliciously, deliberately fluffily vague.
They're always on the lookout for the right skillsets too if the lawyers don't work out for you.
D
Hi - a good friend of mine owns an IT recruitment company and passed on the following:
I assume this is a 1/2 line sort of a role so you should play heavily on your customer service experience and telephone communication skills. Remember most people calling you will be miffed off that they can't get something to work, so you need a degree of empathy. Also, you may be guiding people step-by-step over the phone, so it is crucial that demonstrate your communication ability. Working in IT recruitment and speaking solely with these sort of Candidates, you'll be amazed at how poor the general level of communication and interpersonal ability is, even at the biggest of Managed Service Providers and Tech Support companies.
+ Take CV and Job Spec with you. Go through everything on the job spec and, with support of your CV, find specific examples of where you have used/done this.
More specifically, the best way to answer technical questions such as "have you used Active Directory" is in the following format:
1) How long you've used it for
2) which versions you've used, and any certifications/qualifications if applicable
3) What you've done with it - probably no more than 3, and choose the most impressive or relevant depending on the job spec
4) How learning/doing this has proved helpful to you in furthering your skill set and bringing value to future employers.
This pretty much kills off every aspect of the question - and all without rambling. Practice this structure with every technical element of the job spec. You've spoken to the point where there is nothing more about that specific question, and so they can swiftly move on to the next topic. The less questions being fired at you, the better.
+ If you have to answer no to a question, you must try and spin on it to a softer point, perhaps mentioning similar examples. “No I haven’t done that, but this is what I have done that is similar…” Or “No but I would certainly like to get to work with that, I have had to pick up new skills before, normally I do this quickly and enjoy working with new things”.
+ Be nice to everyone you meet. Apparently it is not uncommon for the interviewer to ask at reception what you were like as you initially entered the building, before a lot of people go into 'interview mode'. Ask them questions if you have to wait... small talk will do. Just show interest.
+ Don't ask the usual rubbish generic questions everyone asks in interviews - "whats the team like", "what software/applications etc will i be supporting" etc. These should all be asked within the interview itself. It throws the ball back at the interviewer, makes them open up and speak, and shows that you have a keen interest in finding more about the role. Instead, use these:
- Pick up on something they've said during the interview. It can be anything. Pick it up again at the end of the interview and get them to elaborate on it. This shows that you were absorbing everything that was said, and shows great interpersonal ability.
- Have a question about the company itself - perhaps something you've stumbled across in your company research, off their website, a bulletin, etc. IT shows you've done the appropriate preparation.
- Finally and the most important question - "do you have any doubts or reservations about my ability to do the role, or to fit in to the environment".
This one's a killer. You're basically closing them and asking them "why wouldn't you give me the job?"... it also covers both your technical and character aspects. It gives you an opportunity to fight your corner and squash any niggles that they may have. If they're technical, you can just say "oh... clearly I haven't explained myself well enough, perhaps I'll elaborate further".
Pretty simple stuff but really makes a difference to interview success rates.
HTH
I assume this is a 1/2 line sort of a role so you should play heavily on your customer service experience and telephone communication skills. Remember most people calling you will be miffed off that they can't get something to work, so you need a degree of empathy. Also, you may be guiding people step-by-step over the phone, so it is crucial that demonstrate your communication ability. Working in IT recruitment and speaking solely with these sort of Candidates, you'll be amazed at how poor the general level of communication and interpersonal ability is, even at the biggest of Managed Service Providers and Tech Support companies.
+ Take CV and Job Spec with you. Go through everything on the job spec and, with support of your CV, find specific examples of where you have used/done this.
More specifically, the best way to answer technical questions such as "have you used Active Directory" is in the following format:
1) How long you've used it for
2) which versions you've used, and any certifications/qualifications if applicable
3) What you've done with it - probably no more than 3, and choose the most impressive or relevant depending on the job spec
4) How learning/doing this has proved helpful to you in furthering your skill set and bringing value to future employers.
This pretty much kills off every aspect of the question - and all without rambling. Practice this structure with every technical element of the job spec. You've spoken to the point where there is nothing more about that specific question, and so they can swiftly move on to the next topic. The less questions being fired at you, the better.
+ If you have to answer no to a question, you must try and spin on it to a softer point, perhaps mentioning similar examples. “No I haven’t done that, but this is what I have done that is similar…” Or “No but I would certainly like to get to work with that, I have had to pick up new skills before, normally I do this quickly and enjoy working with new things”.
+ Be nice to everyone you meet. Apparently it is not uncommon for the interviewer to ask at reception what you were like as you initially entered the building, before a lot of people go into 'interview mode'. Ask them questions if you have to wait... small talk will do. Just show interest.
+ Don't ask the usual rubbish generic questions everyone asks in interviews - "whats the team like", "what software/applications etc will i be supporting" etc. These should all be asked within the interview itself. It throws the ball back at the interviewer, makes them open up and speak, and shows that you have a keen interest in finding more about the role. Instead, use these:
- Pick up on something they've said during the interview. It can be anything. Pick it up again at the end of the interview and get them to elaborate on it. This shows that you were absorbing everything that was said, and shows great interpersonal ability.
- Have a question about the company itself - perhaps something you've stumbled across in your company research, off their website, a bulletin, etc. IT shows you've done the appropriate preparation.
- Finally and the most important question - "do you have any doubts or reservations about my ability to do the role, or to fit in to the environment".
This one's a killer. You're basically closing them and asking them "why wouldn't you give me the job?"... it also covers both your technical and character aspects. It gives you an opportunity to fight your corner and squash any niggles that they may have. If they're technical, you can just say "oh... clearly I haven't explained myself well enough, perhaps I'll elaborate further".
Pretty simple stuff but really makes a difference to interview success rates.
HTH
AdamFX said:
Hi - a good friend of mine owns an IT recruitment company and passed on the following:
I assume this is a 1/2 line sort of a role so you should play heavily on your customer service experience and telephone communication skills. Remember most people calling you will be miffed off that they can't get something to work, so you need a degree of empathy. Also, you may be guiding people step-by-step over the phone, so it is crucial that demonstrate your communication ability. Working in IT recruitment and speaking solely with these sort of Candidates, you'll be amazed at how poor the general level of communication and interpersonal ability is, even at the biggest of Managed Service Providers and Tech Support companies.
+ Take CV and Job Spec with you. Go through everything on the job spec and, with support of your CV, find specific examples of where you have used/done this.
More specifically, the best way to answer technical questions such as "have you used Active Directory" is in the following format:
1) How long you've used it for
2) which versions you've used, and any certifications/qualifications if applicable
3) What you've done with it - probably no more than 3, and choose the most impressive or relevant depending on the job spec
4) How learning/doing this has proved helpful to you in furthering your skill set and bringing value to future employers.
This pretty much kills off every aspect of the question - and all without rambling. Practice this structure with every technical element of the job spec. You've spoken to the point where there is nothing more about that specific question, and so they can swiftly move on to the next topic. The less questions being fired at you, the better.
+ If you have to answer no to a question, you must try and spin on it to a softer point, perhaps mentioning similar examples. “No I haven’t done that, but this is what I have done that is similar…” Or “No but I would certainly like to get to work with that, I have had to pick up new skills before, normally I do this quickly and enjoy working with new things”.
+ Be nice to everyone you meet. Apparently it is not uncommon for the interviewer to ask at reception what you were like as you initially entered the building, before a lot of people go into 'interview mode'. Ask them questions if you have to wait... small talk will do. Just show interest.
+ Don't ask the usual rubbish generic questions everyone asks in interviews - "whats the team like", "what software/applications etc will i be supporting" etc. These should all be asked within the interview itself. It throws the ball back at the interviewer, makes them open up and speak, and shows that you have a keen interest in finding more about the role. Instead, use these:
- Pick up on something they've said during the interview. It can be anything. Pick it up again at the end of the interview and get them to elaborate on it. This shows that you were absorbing everything that was said, and shows great interpersonal ability.
- Have a question about the company itself - perhaps something you've stumbled across in your company research, off their website, a bulletin, etc. IT shows you've done the appropriate preparation.
- Finally and the most important question - "do you have any doubts or reservations about my ability to do the role, or to fit in to the environment".
This one's a killer. You're basically closing them and asking them "why wouldn't you give me the job?"... it also covers both your technical and character aspects. It gives you an opportunity to fight your corner and squash any niggles that they may have. If they're technical, you can just say "oh... clearly I haven't explained myself well enough, perhaps I'll elaborate further".
Pretty simple stuff but really makes a difference to interview success rates.
HTH
that's great Adam thank you. Some things I had not considered before among your responseI assume this is a 1/2 line sort of a role so you should play heavily on your customer service experience and telephone communication skills. Remember most people calling you will be miffed off that they can't get something to work, so you need a degree of empathy. Also, you may be guiding people step-by-step over the phone, so it is crucial that demonstrate your communication ability. Working in IT recruitment and speaking solely with these sort of Candidates, you'll be amazed at how poor the general level of communication and interpersonal ability is, even at the biggest of Managed Service Providers and Tech Support companies.
+ Take CV and Job Spec with you. Go through everything on the job spec and, with support of your CV, find specific examples of where you have used/done this.
More specifically, the best way to answer technical questions such as "have you used Active Directory" is in the following format:
1) How long you've used it for
2) which versions you've used, and any certifications/qualifications if applicable
3) What you've done with it - probably no more than 3, and choose the most impressive or relevant depending on the job spec
4) How learning/doing this has proved helpful to you in furthering your skill set and bringing value to future employers.
This pretty much kills off every aspect of the question - and all without rambling. Practice this structure with every technical element of the job spec. You've spoken to the point where there is nothing more about that specific question, and so they can swiftly move on to the next topic. The less questions being fired at you, the better.
+ If you have to answer no to a question, you must try and spin on it to a softer point, perhaps mentioning similar examples. “No I haven’t done that, but this is what I have done that is similar…” Or “No but I would certainly like to get to work with that, I have had to pick up new skills before, normally I do this quickly and enjoy working with new things”.
+ Be nice to everyone you meet. Apparently it is not uncommon for the interviewer to ask at reception what you were like as you initially entered the building, before a lot of people go into 'interview mode'. Ask them questions if you have to wait... small talk will do. Just show interest.
+ Don't ask the usual rubbish generic questions everyone asks in interviews - "whats the team like", "what software/applications etc will i be supporting" etc. These should all be asked within the interview itself. It throws the ball back at the interviewer, makes them open up and speak, and shows that you have a keen interest in finding more about the role. Instead, use these:
- Pick up on something they've said during the interview. It can be anything. Pick it up again at the end of the interview and get them to elaborate on it. This shows that you were absorbing everything that was said, and shows great interpersonal ability.
- Have a question about the company itself - perhaps something you've stumbled across in your company research, off their website, a bulletin, etc. IT shows you've done the appropriate preparation.
- Finally and the most important question - "do you have any doubts or reservations about my ability to do the role, or to fit in to the environment".
This one's a killer. You're basically closing them and asking them "why wouldn't you give me the job?"... it also covers both your technical and character aspects. It gives you an opportunity to fight your corner and squash any niggles that they may have. If they're technical, you can just say "oh... clearly I haven't explained myself well enough, perhaps I'll elaborate further".
Pretty simple stuff but really makes a difference to interview success rates.
HTH
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