Tips for Second Round IT Job Interviews
Sometimes when you’re working with IT recruiting firms to find new IT jobs, you may have to go through a second round of interviews. IT staffing companies find that IT professionals may not necessarily be as well-prepared for a second round of interviews. Here are some things IT recruiters would suggest you keep in mind as you complete second (or third, etc) rounds of interviews.
- Be patient. Your technical recruiters are sending you for a second round of interviews for a good reason. Even if you wind up answering questions for a second time, the hiring managers may need this information to make their decision. You wouldn’t want to be hired for a job you’re not a good fit for anyways—this almost always ends in a firing, quitting, or just general discontentment and discomfort on one or both sides. You want your IT recruiting agencies to place you a job you can succeed in and enjoy. It might take a couple interviews for hiring managers to be sure about that.
- Prepare again—and this time bring some new material. Be ready to answer questions or show off your technical proficiencies. Prepare some new questions or anecdotes to share with your interviewers. Treat this interview as thought it was just as important as the first. IT staffing firms would suggest that it’s almost helpful to think of this as a first interview—just don’t forget what you learned at your last one!
2 Ways to Relax Before IT Job Interviews
IT staffing firms see firsthand that plenty of IT professionals get nervous before interviews— no matter how many IT jobs they’ve had. Here are two tactics that might help you relax before your IT recruiters send you to your interviews.
1. The first tactic that IT recruiting agencies would recommend is to stop playing the ‘what if’ game. You don’t have to be in IT to know what this means, because most people play the ‘what if’ game at some point in their lives. This involves letting your mind wander to all the negative possible outcomes of a circumstance. It’s particularly easy to think this way before your IT recruiting firms send you on an interview, as you need to perform well. You’ll actually do much better, though, if you don’t allow your mind to winder as much. Remember that your IT staffing companies wouldn’t send you for the interview if you weren’t qualified for the job. Remember the preparation and practice you’ve done for this interview. You may even want to try meditating for a bit before the interview, as this is shown to reduce stress. Focus on performing in the interview, rather than anticipating all the ways you’ll mess up.
2. Remember that the worst case scenario still isn’t that bad. Your IT staffing agencies will continue to send you for interviews if you don’t land this job. Your IT recruiting companies don’t want you to approach interviews too casually. However, it’s easier to relax and perform well when you remember that you won’t land every IT job you interview for—and that’s ok.
