Phone Interview Archives | AVID Technical Resources

Don’t Ask These Questions in a Job Interview

July 20, 2016

Most IT recruiting agencies make sure their candidates are prepared with job interview questions. If you come without any, you’ll definitely hurt your chances of landing the IT jobs you interview for. However, it’s just as important to make sure that you have effective questions to ask. IT staffing firms can attest to the fact that there are some questions that will hurt your candidacy. Here are 3 types of questions that IT recruiting firms would definitely suggest you avoid asking.

1. Questions that fish for compliments. IT staffing companies would advise you to avoid questions like ‘Why did you like my resume?’ or ‘Why did you call me in for an interview?’ Even if you don’t mean to do so, your interviewer can assume you’re seeking some kind of compliments. Besides seriously annoying your interviewer, you risk coming across as arrogant or insecure, as well as wasting the interviewer’s time. Questions need to help you better understand the role, corporate culture, get to know what the manager’s style is like, etc. These kinds of questions don’t cover these areas at all.

2. Questions that you could have found the answer to yourself. IT staffing firms would definitely advise that you do not ask any questions that you could find the answer to by researching the company or asking your IT recruiters. You want to appear resourceful, competent, and prepared. By asking a question that you could have easily found the answer to, you destroy all hopes your interviewer will see you this way. Do your research on the company and don’t hesitate to ask your technical recruiters questions. This is part of the advantage they provide, so use it!

3. Questions that may feel disrespectful to the interviewer. Don’t ask if the interviewer has seen your resume, if you’ll be speaking with their boss, or how long the interview will take. You want to make sure the interviewer feels like you deeply appreciate their time and respect them as a professional. Be extra careful not to offend your interviewer or get too casual with them. Your only impression on them will be what your IT recruiting companies say about you and whatever you say in this interview. So every word, every gesture, every tone counts. Don’t take any risks in this regard, or you may hurt your chances of landing the IT job!

Job interview questions help you…if they’re good! Photo credit: GDJ via Pixabay.

Don’t Ask This in Phone Interviews for IT Jobs

March 28, 2016

In a previous blog post, we mentioned two mistakes IT recruiters see candidates make in phone interviews. Today we’ll explore one more phone interview mistake that can ruin your candidacy for IT jobs. Especially if you’re working with IT staffing agencies, do not ask about benefits, vacation time, compensation, or flexible work schedules.

Why do IT recruiting companies strongly suggest you hold off on discussing these topics during the phone interview? Firstly, the time you spend on the phone with a hiring manager will be precious—phone interviews are often particularly short. Especially in the first phases of interviewing, you need to make sure every second is used to strengthen your candidacy for the IT jobs you’re interviewing for. When you’re working with IT recruiting firms, they’re likely negotiating these items for you anyways. Take advantage of this! It means that you get to target every statement and question towards showing your interest in the work, showing off your relevant experience, and showcasing your technical knowledge.

Secondly, it may appear that you’re out of touch with professional norms if you try to broach these topics so early in the hiring process. Technical recruiters find that often these topics aren’t discussed until an offer is made. Since the phone interview is usually the first interview (often more of a pre-interview), you’re really jumping the gun by asking about compensation, benefits, etc at that time. From here, it becomes too easy for interviewers to question how many other professional norms you’re not aware of. So play it safe—save your questions about pay, vacation days, etc for your IT staffing companies, not your phone interviews with hiring managers!

ITJobsCompensation — Don’t start asking about compensation on a phone interview– you may never land the IT job. Photo credit: Brett_Hondow via Pixabay.