So I might be having an interview later this week, but I've never actually had one before. Whether that's good luck or bad I'm not sure now, I'm getting pretty nervous. It's for a 3rd line support role, and I've no idea what I'm likely to be asked during it. I've filled out a questionnaire which had me rate my skills and provide examples of why I think I should rate it that high/low. I'm assuming I'll be asked some technical questions to make sure I wasn't just filling out the form with crap, and I reckon I'll be fine there because anything not current I made note of in the explanation bit. Maybe a bit too much honesty, but hey. Any ideas what else I might get asked?
First and foremost, look into the company and what they do. A lot of companies will ask what made you interested in the position or how you found it. It's nice to know what type of work you may be doing, and you can somewhat tailor your answers to the company. Usually, they'll lead off with describing the position and what are some of the responsibilities. Here they'll usually give you an opportunity to ask any questions about the position. If not, at the end they will usually ask if you have any questions. Following that, I've had a lot of companies ask about myself, this can be personal things, some of your skills, your education and work experience. Again, you can try and tailor some of these things to the position. If it's a support role, maybe talk about how you have a passion for IT and among your family and friends you're the "go to IT guy". Another common question is the "where do you see yourself in 5 years". This is a tough one, because it's very personal and relates to your goals and what you want to achieve. If you want to pursue a career in IT, you can say you're looking to gain experience now and learn a bit of everything, than depending on what you prefer you may want to pursue A, B or C career paths. My go to answer is either a business analyst or project manager because I'm looking for an entry level analyst position at the moment. Knowing where you want to be in 5 years shows some ambition too. Make sure you highlight any relevant freelance work when they ask about any previous work experience or education. Freelance is a very positive thing because it shows some drive to accomplish something on your own. My first few interviews I was extremely nervous and didn't go well, but with practice, you'll become more comfortable with the process. I actually just had a phone interview before checking this thread, and pretty much what I stated was what the woman asked. You may also find some success looking online into company reviews, some people will post some of the interview questions they had on websites such as Glassdoor. Edit: You just need to get comfortable talking about yourself; your skills, your abilities, your education. You're trying to sell yourself to the company, so to speak.
A great reply from mansueto, in all honesty. I've not been to many interviews myself but that's exactly what happened in mine. If you're not too confident in what you're going to say, take some of the points above and practice a few responses. It's unlikely that they'll come out as you practiced them, but at least having some form of idea in your head will help you to formulate a reply to a question that they may ask. Just remember, you're not the only person that will be nervous in an interview. Every one is to a degree, although some are a lot more more than others.
Wow, that's a really comprehensive response! Thank you, I really appreciate that. Yeah, I've got a job spec, the company website (They're part of a larger corporation so I'll check them out too). A lot of my family actually work in IT support roles, so is it as positive as it sounds to say that's what got me into IT if they ask? I'm not sure whether the recruiter who put me in for this role is just glossing over it, but the email he's sent over with a 'guide' of sorts appears to say the interview'll run through things I've already put in writing. I'm wondering whether they're obligated to say that I'll be put through an 'exam' of sorts, or whether they might spring that on me to see how I cope with unexpected pressure. I think I need to sleep on it to get over this "What if.." thought train. Thanks, Themaddutchdude - I hadn't thought about practising some stock answers. Definitely helped with the best man speech!
A BIG +1 to everything already said. If you have someone to ask you questions and listen to your response that helps too. The one thing that is probably most important is: DO NOT LIE, not even a little white lie. It might seem inconsequential, but its very easy to get caught out as they will be asking lots of questions. Also, think on your strengths and weaknesses, and how they can affect your work. But with the weaknesses, its ok to acknowledge you have them (if you say you don;t, see above re. lying), but put a positive spin on them/give examples as to how you work with them/use them to your advantage.
@liratheal, I see no issue saying others got you interested. I told the lady my passion for computers and IT started when i was about 11 or so and took my first computer apart to see what was inside and gaming got me into computer hardware. Since then I've learned through personal experience and forums as a source of knowledge. She liked that response, as again, its kind of like ambition. MadGinga also made a good point with strengths, weaknesses and not lying. I've never actually had an interview with people asking what are my strengths and weaknesses, you kinda just throw you strengths in when they ask about yourself and education. Things such as time management and multitasking, communication, and working well individually, with others and with little guidance are also good things to touch on. If you have any skills that you've demonstrated in real life, use them as examples. I talked about my co-op in broadcasting as a strength - working in real situations with real people. You can spin experiences to highlight specific skills that a job may want. My co-op is completely unrelated to IT BUT talking about how we worked with others, worked under tight schedules, etc, are all ways that you deal with some situations.
I know it sounds alot easier in theory than in practice, but try to stay calm. If you need some time to think about your answer or collect your thoughts, just say so. Don't engage mouth before brain - that way things have a habit of coming out all wrong!
Prepare for the question: "Tell me about a mistake you made and what did you learn from that?" Build up your answers. Start with the foundation, work towards the conclusion. It's OK to think for a few seconds before launching into a reply. When asked to give an example that demonstrates a skill, use the STAR structure: Situation, Task, Action, Result. In this situation the task was this, so I did that and the result was thus. In the interview adopt the professional persona that they are looking for. Every experience/job/role counts for something. Even something apparently completely unrelated to the job you're applying for may have taught you skills/experience that is transferable to this job. Ask yourself how. Never speak ill of your previous employer. If you left for reasons of dissatisfaction, it's called "career progression".
If it is a large group (you say it's part of a larger organisation) there may be a considerable element of competency based questioning so take a look on t'internet for examples of competency based questions for your sector - best to be prepared even if they don't ask, it'll boost your confidence if you have answers even if they don't ask the questions. FYI the worse question I ever put to an interviewee (apparently) was "What would you do if your boss asked you to do something illegal?" Nothing, per se, to do with the job in question, and yes the answer should be obvious, but I got some interesting/enlightening answers to that one unexpected question and I know of a few recruitment agencies who now include it in their vetting interview
Thanks for the advice guys - I'm sure I'll need it eventually, but I've not long got back from the interview and we literally just talked about what was on my CV and me asking questions about what ticketing systems they use, how they assign tickets, and a few observations I made while waiting. Fingers crossed it went well! Also, Carrie, that question is awful! Yes I know where to go, and what to do, but no I don't want to at work!
I'm nervous and exited, have an interview on Thursday with a small SaaS company and I'll be interviewing with their co-founder and chief technology officer / project manager. It's for a junior business analyst position, and I don't really know what to expect. Hopefully I can make a good impression, as this would be the start I need! Edit: Here was my feedback from my previous interview. Hopefully this can help myself and others! "I would suggest focusing your resume with what you are looking to do, keep it IT support centric if this is what you aim to accomplish. Since you are lacking in experience, try to highlight any transferrable skills ie. Customer service and quantify that by however many years you may have in that space. Also, whenever you are assessing a job. Try to evaluate your skills and match them up with the job requirements and if you meet 80% of the criteria then I suggest you apply. And when you are interviewing, have the confidence going in. Rehearsing your answers will help, having many examples handy to reference will help carry you through an interview. The interviewer needs to be able to see you in the position you are applying for. Hope this helps."
