IT Job Interviews

1 Tip for Telling Interviewers Why You’re Interested in IT Jobs

One common question in interviews is ‘Why does this role interest you?’ IT recruiters and IT staffing companies see plenty of candidates who get asked this question as they interview for IT jobs.  While everyone will answer this question a bit differently, there’s one tip that will really impress your interviewer and technical recruiters:  Make sure part of your answer addresses the company and/or team, not just your interests.

Why is this necessary?  You might have plenty of great reasons why this role fits well into your career path and interests, technical proficiencies, etc.  However, your IT staffing agencies and IT recruiting firms still need you to stress that there is something about this company and/or team in particular that appeals to you or that you feel you can be impactful in.  IT professionals that do really well at their jobs usually do so not just because their skill-sets are compatible with the job.  Their success also comes from how well they fit into their team, like the company or its work, culture, mission, etc.  Your IT recruiting companies and IT staffing firms will have a very easy time getting you IT jobs if you can make it clear in interviews that you’re interested in a role because of the company itself as well as the work.

 

IT job interviews answer
If you’re not mentioning the company or team, you’re missing a key piece of the puzzle in your answer. Photo credit: Wilhei via Pixabay.

 

 

Interviewing for IT Jobs When You’re Sick

January and February are great months to work with your technical recruiters and IT staffing agencies to find new IT jobs.  They’re also months in which you’re likely to get sick—maybe a couple times.  If you’re sick, here’s how to proceed if your IT recruiters and IT staffing firms have you set up for an interview.

  1. Assess how you feel. Is it awful?  Will it affect your performance?  If so, call your IT recruiting agencies and IT staffing companies ASAP and let them know.  They can help you reschedule the interview if you aren’t in good shape to go.  On the flip side, you may be feeling a little under the weather, but you won’t have a problem interviewing.  In that case, you probably still want to go anyways.  Time is usually of the essence in employers’ searches to fill IT jobs.  Don’t delay the interview if you don’t have to.
  2. If you do go to the interview, be considerate.  Make sure you bring tissues, sneeze or cough into your hand or elbow, and hold off on shaking hands. Tell your interviewer that it’s great to meet them, but you’re getting over a cold and don’t want to risk infecting them.  This won’t come across as rude.
  3. Be your best at the interview and try not to draw any further attention to your cold or illness. You want the interviewer to focus on your candidacy and to remember you for that.  If you keep mentioning your cold, your IT recruiting companies will likely get some negative feedback about you.  You don’t want your interviewer to have any doubts about your ability to muscle through and get work done in the face of challenges.

 

IT Job Search Sick
Are you too sick to do well at your IT job interview? Call your IT recruiters ASAP. Photo credit: Mojpe.

 

 

Thank You Notes that Might Salvage a Bad IT Job Interview

All IT recruiters and IT staffing firms have had a candidate or two not perform as well as they wanted to in an interview.  Interviews for IT jobs can be intimidating and technical recruiters see IT professionals who prepare and practice, but still get nervous at the actual interview.  If you make a mistake in answering a question, there’s a chance you might be able to salvage it with a good thank you note that you give to your IT recruiting firms and IT staffing agencies to pass on to your interviewer.

Start by trying to directly address any mistakes or areas where you wish you had said more.  While the whole thank you note shouldn’t be consumed by this, a brief, well-written paragraph could go a long way.  If you mention that you wish you had given more of your technical background, or perhaps that you had solved a problem differently, you might make an impact on your interviewer.

Secondly, if you have some concrete professional achievements, projects, or work that might cast you in a better light as a candidate, go ahead and provide that.  The most effective way to prove something, especially in an IT job interview, is with hard evidence. Your IT recruiting companies and IT staffing companies will be thrilled if you can do that in your thank you note.

 

miradeshazer via Pixabay
Messed up in your IT job interview? Your thank you note may save the day. Photo credit: miradeshazer via pixabay.

 

2 Questions To Learn More About an IT Company’s Culture

IT professionals tend to enjoy their IT jobs for two reasons: their work and their company/team culture.  If you’re working with IT recruiters and IT staffing companies to find a new job, there are plenty of questions you can ask about the work itself.  Your technical recruiters and IT recruiting firms will also be able to tell you a lot about the work.  However, if you want to know about the culture of a company, you need to ask some questions in your interview.  Here are two questions that will help you get more info about the company culture, yet won’t make your interviewer uncomfortable.

  1. Do team members give each other feedback? If so, how?  If the answer suggests a formal process that feels more about blaming and punishment, you may want to consider how you feel about that.  If a company uses mistakes as true opportunities to grow and fix problems, that’s a good sign.  It’s also a very good sign when a company gives a lot of public praise.
  2. Especially in IT, you’ll want to know not only how things are between you and potential teammates, but also between you and clients or end users. Your IT recruiting agencies and IT staffing firms should already be setting you up for job interviews in which you’ll do the kind and amount of client interaction that you enjoy.  Basically you can just confirm this by asking questions like ‘how often do people in this role interact with clients or end users?  What are these interactions like?’

 

IT Jobs Culture
How much would you be interacting with end users? Don’t forget to ask in your IT interviews! Photo credit: gail via Flickr.

 

Why You Can’t Just ‘Be Yourself’ In IT Job Interviews

Technical recruiters and IT staffing firms see IT professionals make a lot of mistakes in interviewing for IT jobs.  Some are understandable, but one of the biggest mistakes that IT recruiters and IT staffing agencies often see IT professionals make when interviewing is to ignore interview etiquette completely and just be their unedited selves.  Why is this a problem?

IT recruiting firms do want candidates to be genuine and honest when they interview. You can still be honest and genuine, while adhering to interview, etiquette, though.  For instance, often IT staffing companies will advise their candidates to wear a suit to an interview.  Some candidates will ignore this advice, presumably because they want to present themselves—the way they are on an everyday basis.  The company they’re interviewing may even have a very relaxed dress code.  IT recruiting agencies very rarely see these people who don’t wear a suit get the job, though.  Wearing a suit isn’t about hiding yourself, it’s about showing that you’re capable of following rules and it shows respect.  Interviews are a formal circumstance that generally requires formal dress.  When you choose to wear jeans, you aren’t showing your true self.  You’re showing that you’re not respectful or capable of following etiquette and directions.

Another example of this kind of problematic thinking is when IT job candidates cuss or tell off-color jokes in an interview.  Editing yourself in these situations isn’t about hiding yourself.  As with wearing a suit, it’s about showing respect and conforming to the rules of certain circumstances.  Again, IT recruiting companies do not tend to see candidates land the job when they choose to swear or make rude jokes or comments.  No matter how relaxed the workplace, an interview is a special circumstance.  It’s not the moment to show yourself at anything other than your best!

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Wearing a suit and tie is important for most IT job interviews– whether the company dress code is relaxed or not. Photo credit: bark via Flickr.

Answering ‘How Would Coworkers Describe You?’ in IT Interviews

Sometimes in IT job interviews, you might be asked how your managers and coworkers would describe you.  IT recruiters and IT staffing companies come across plenty of candidates who feel uncomfortable answering this question—or just don’t know how to.  Here’s how you can prepare to answer this question—and maybe land yourself the next IT jobs you interview for!

Start by asking your technical recruiters and IT recruiting firms a few quick questions before the interview.  You’ll want your IT staffing agencies to tell you what qualities are important in this role or in the company’s corporate culture in general.  Make a list of these for yourself, then think about what qualities might apply to you.  If you see any on this list that you think apply directly to you, then highlight those.

Now think back to any performance reviews, letters of recommendation, and general feedback you’ve gotten in your current and previous jobs.  Has anybody mentioned these qualities?  Write a quick note about it for yourself.  If you can’t think of any examples of people directly mentioning it, your next best bet is to think of times when you did something for somebody that demonstrated one of these qualities.  Jot down a quick note for yourself about that moment.

The last step is to practice actually talking about these qualities as though you were speaking to an interviewer.  While your IT recruiting agencies don’t want you to sound robotic and over-rehearsed, it’s good to practice answering questions a bit before the interview so you feel comfortable doing it.  You also won’t really be able to refer to your notes on this, so it’s good to practice so that you can remember the salient points.

IT job interviews questions
Make a list of qualities your IT recruiters think are important to this IT job. Photo credit: Caleb Roenigk via flickr.

 

 

IT Job Interviews at Unconventional Locations

Sometimes your IT recruiters and IT staffing firms may set you up for IT job interviews at unconventional places, like a coffee shop.  Though it’s certainly not common for technical recruiters or IT staffing companies to do this, it’s good for IT professionals to be prepared for these kinds of interviews.  While the rules are fairly similar to interviews for IT jobs in conventional locations (like offices) here are some rules that may be less intuitive.

  1. Ask your IT recruiting agencies for advice on what to wear.  Don’t assume that the dress code will be more or less relaxed because you’ll be meeting outside an office setting. This is an easy way to start off with a good impression, so make sure you find out from your IT staffing agencies how you should dress.
  2. Ask your IT recruiting firms if they can give you a picture or description of what your interviewer looks like.  Since you’re meeting in a public place, this will help you figure out how to spot them quickly and without any awkwardness.
  3. Be on your best behavior.  Be exceptionally polite to the staff at the coffee shop, pick up after yourself, and don’t curse or tell off-color stories.  It can be easy to fall into more casual behavior outside an office setting.  Resist this urge – your IT recruiting companies are more likely to hear good feedback if you be your best, politest, most professional self throughout the whole interview.

 

IT job interviews coffee shop
Don’t order a drink that will give you a foam mustache during your IT job interview! Photo credit: Stephan Rosger via Flickr.

 

 

Do This if You Don’t Understand Questions in IT Job Interviews

If you’re working with technical recruiters and IT staffing companies to search for new IT jobs, sometimes you’ll have moments where you don’t understand your interviewer.   Some IT professionals might feel nervous and uncomfortable asking for clarification.  However, if your interviewer asks you a question you don’t understand, there’s a couple ways you can get clarification without your IT recruiters and IT staffing firms getting bad feedback about you.  In fact, your IT recruiting companies will want you to do one of these tactics  listed below so that you can answer all interview questions to the best of your abilities.

  1. Don’t be ashamed to ask the hiring manager to repeat the question for you. You can soften this a bit by apologizing if you prefer.  The only caveat here is that your IT recruiting firms will get bad feedback about you if you ask your interviewer to repeat more than a couple of questions.  A good IT professional listens and has good communication skills.  Don’t make it easy for interviewers to assume otherwise about you.
  2. If you’re asked a technical question, but you’re unsure of exactly what kind of response your interviewer is asking for, try asking a clarifying question. One way to do this is to suggest that you “think they’re looking for X information and you’re happy to expound on it if that’s true.  If they’re looking for Y information, you’ll  happily give that instead.”
  3. Consider inserting a little humor into the situation. Whether you ask for clarification or for the interviewer to repeat the question, this could be a good moment to show off your ability to build rapport.  Good communication skills can really make you shine in IT roles.  If you think your interviewer would like it, make a small, tasteful joke if you don’t understand a question.  They may like you all the more for it.
IT Job interview questions
If you don’t understand a question, your IT recruiters want you to clarify before answering it! Photo credit: Colin Kinner via Flickr.

Ask This Question in IT Job Interviews

Plenty of IT professionals have a hard time coming up with great questions to ask at the end of interviews.  There are a lot of standard questions out there that your IT recruiters and IT staffing companies can give you.  This won’t really wow your interviewer and guarantee some good feedback to your technical recruiters and IT recruiting firms, though.  The questions that make a strong impression show that you’re interested in finding new IT jobs that are a good fit for you.  Here’s one example of a question that will really wow hiring managers.

Start by identifying things you really want in your next IT job.  Maybe it’s a more collaborative environment, working with a particular technology, or something else.  Run it by your IT staffing firms.  Ask them if the jobs you’re interviewing are likely to have this quality.  If your IT staffing agencies are good, they’ll be submitting you for jobs that are a good fit anyways.  These jobs will likely have the qualities you want.

When you go to the interview, you can tell your interviewer that this quality is something you’d really like in your next job.  Then ask them whether this IT job will offer it.  If they don’t say much more than yes, you may want to ask your interviewer to expound on that a bit.    Your interviewer will really appreciate this question because it will help them to see that you’d be a good fit for the company and role.   When you show them your priorities and values are in line with the company’s, you can really strengthen your candidacy.  Your interviewers will also appreciate that you don’t just want any job—you’re working with your IT recruiting companies to find a job that you think you could succeed in and enjoy for a long time.  This is their ideal employee.

IT job search
Take time to think about what qualities you want in your next IT job. Photo credit: Marc Eliot via Flickr.

 

Don’t Do These Things After IT Job Interviews

When you’re interviewing for IT jobs, it’s normal to feel pretty nervous, no matter how well you prepared for them with your IT recruiters and IT staffing firms.  The best way to move forward is to stay in touch with your technical recruiters and avoid making these mistakes:

  1. Don’t post anything on your social media accounts that’s offensive or that could reflect poorly on you.  IT recruiting agencies have found that candidates do get cut out of the running for IT jobs because of poor judgment with their social media use.  Also, if you hadn’t already done it before starting your IT job search with IT staffing firms, clean up all of your social media accounts completely.
  2. Don’t make yourself unreachable to your IT recruiting firms.  They may need more info for hiring managers, need to set you up for new interviews, or have an offer for you. You don’t have to pick up calls from your IT staffing agencies on the first ring, but try to get back to them within a few hours at most.
  3. Don’t halt your search. Even if you’re on a second interview with an potential employer, let your IT recruiting companies keep submitting you for other positions that interest you.  You can’t guarantee you’ll get a job, no matter how good your chances seem.  Keep the odds in your favor and continue your IT job search full steam ahead until your IT recruiters call you with an offer!
Social Media IT Job Search
Be careful about updating your social media as you look for IT jobs. Photo credit: Highways Agency via Flickr.