Being honest in an interview about experience in a certain t
Discussion
Hi,
Full title should be: Being honest in an interview about experience in a certain tech.
I had an interview the other day for a job I really like. When asked about my 1 yr experienc with a certain technology, I mentioned my skill in that tech are basic.
This is honesty and modesty to ensure that the expectations on the employer's side are accurate. However, are comments like the above harmful in an interview? Will it be like seling myself short (although I do only have basic skills in that particular tech)?
Thanks
Full title should be: Being honest in an interview about experience in a certain tech.
I had an interview the other day for a job I really like. When asked about my 1 yr experienc with a certain technology, I mentioned my skill in that tech are basic.
This is honesty and modesty to ensure that the expectations on the employer's side are accurate. However, are comments like the above harmful in an interview? Will it be like seling myself short (although I do only have basic skills in that particular tech)?
Thanks
Good question, simple advice is dont lie, but find a way to sell it better.
Are you sure it's basic, are you sure it's not moderate?
Not an expert, but a good basis of understanding and experience.
Now if only I could find a way of telling interviewers that I walked out of my last job as I was tired of working for idiots, liars, theives and for customers of the sex-industry.
Are you sure it's basic, are you sure it's not moderate?
Not an expert, but a good basis of understanding and experience.
Now if only I could find a way of telling interviewers that I walked out of my last job as I was tired of working for idiots, liars, theives and for customers of the sex-industry.
Defo best to be honest. If someone professed to be an expert in a tech then I would ask a few questions to test their skill. If they oversell themselves on one tech, it throws the whole CV into question, plus it questions their honesty.
I would include examples of your most advanced ability, e.g.:
"I have only got basic skills in SQL Server, e.g. backing up, attaching/detaching databases, running consistency checks." There is a chance that your interviewer may regard the things you CAN do as an expert level of skill anyway!
There is always the self training promise:
"If I am given this job, I intend to buy an SQL Bible and beef up my Database Admin skills, with a view to passing Microsoft Exam xx-xxx within 6 to 8 months of staring the job."
Don't just say it to kiss ass though, say it if you mean it and will do it!
I would include examples of your most advanced ability, e.g.:
"I have only got basic skills in SQL Server, e.g. backing up, attaching/detaching databases, running consistency checks." There is a chance that your interviewer may regard the things you CAN do as an expert level of skill anyway!
There is always the self training promise:
"If I am given this job, I intend to buy an SQL Bible and beef up my Database Admin skills, with a view to passing Microsoft Exam xx-xxx within 6 to 8 months of staring the job."
Don't just say it to kiss ass though, say it if you mean it and will do it!
It's not bad to be honest, but at the same time you should never underplay your skills.
A year should be more than enough to get better than basic skills, assuming regular use over that year. What is the technology in question, and have you been actually using it daily for that year, or have you (for instance) used it for a few days here and there?
A year should be more than enough to get better than basic skills, assuming regular use over that year. What is the technology in question, and have you been actually using it daily for that year, or have you (for instance) used it for a few days here and there?
Be honest but big up what you did, so you may have only been running the software, but is it the same everywhere, I used CATIA a hell of lot in a previous job what I now realise is what I was doing as the only CAD operator could have been several peoples jobs, doing the basic model, detailing, drafting and revising etc. All one role at my old employer but potentially individual roles in a larger company. So research around to see if you are doing multiple roles, or did you use multiple different versions so can say no I haven't used X but I used Y and Z for five years and had no trouble swapping between them so I am confident with a good manual I can get upto speed in a couple of months.
My take on it is that there is no point in over-egging the experience angle because, frankly, I don't want the client coming up to me and asking me to do certain things that I have little capacity to do because they have a false impression of my skill-set. Maybe that's a contractor's view though...
It's difficult.
There are certain things I would perhaps say I'm an expert at. But in IT you end up learning quite a lot of other programming languages, picking up other bits of software, etc. So much so that having written many of them down my CV I've been told I clearly can't have anything like as much experience as I've claimed... but managed to then answer every question the interviewer could think of (quite adamant that I'd not made any of it up as he was suggesting)!
Yet actually, I'd felt I'd undersold myself... many of the single word/acronyms I'd listed I could probably have talked about as much as anyone working full time on them.
I tend to think you're better off mentioning as much as you reasonably can, without defining how good you are at anything other than your core skills and save the rest for interview as a chance to impress. But assuming your CV fits the bill, it probably all comes down to how you're interviewed.
There are certain things I would perhaps say I'm an expert at. But in IT you end up learning quite a lot of other programming languages, picking up other bits of software, etc. So much so that having written many of them down my CV I've been told I clearly can't have anything like as much experience as I've claimed... but managed to then answer every question the interviewer could think of (quite adamant that I'd not made any of it up as he was suggesting)!
Yet actually, I'd felt I'd undersold myself... many of the single word/acronyms I'd listed I could probably have talked about as much as anyone working full time on them.
I tend to think you're better off mentioning as much as you reasonably can, without defining how good you are at anything other than your core skills and save the rest for interview as a chance to impress. But assuming your CV fits the bill, it probably all comes down to how you're interviewed.
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