2 Strong Questions to Ask in IT Job Interviews
If you’ve worked with IT recruiters before to find new IT jobs, you already know that strong questions can be your best assets. Here are two strong questions that IT staffing agencies would recommend you ask.
Firstly, your IT recruiting firms would suggest that you ask about how the company or team does performance reviews. Since this is the kind of in-depth information that your technical recruiter doesn’t include on the basic job description, it shows that you’re considering the position a bit more deeply. It also shows that you’re considering how success is measured in this position. This is the kind of candidate that IT recruiting companies have no problem placing in jobs. You can show that you’re the kind of candidate who doesn’t just want to land any job; you want to land a job you can succeed in.
Secondly, IT staffing companies would recommend that you ask if the interviewer has any ballpark ideas of what they’d like the person they hire to achieve in the first month or the first quarter. Sometimes interviewers won’t have any estimates about this, but often in IT your interviewer could have specific ideas of what they’d like done on a project and deadlines. If you show that you’re already interested in these deadlines and expectations, you can demonstrate that you’re a conscientious employee. You can also gauge for yourself if you think the company works at a pace that’s compatible with your work style. If they expect too much to be done too quickly, you’ll know that you should tell your IT staffing firms the role isn’t a good fit for you.
Don’t Get Too Technical in Your IT Job Interviews
One question IT recruiters find that you’ll usually be asked in interviews for IT jobs is something along the lines of ‘tell us about your professional achievements.’ Most technical recruiters find that their candidates do well at this question. It’s not tricky and doesn’t require you to speak candidly about your faults or failures (these are things IT staffing companies find that candidates do have a hard time with). Here’s one way that IT recruiting firms find that their candidates sometimes run into trouble with this question, though: you give too many (or too few) technical details to your interviewer.
What exactly does this mean? Unfortunately IT recruiting companies can’t give you a hard rule, but your best bet is to check with your IT staffing agencies and read your audience. Firstly, before going on the interview, ask your IT recruiting firms to let you know who you’ll be interviewing with and how technical they are. They may be able to help you gauge how detailed you should get when describing your professional achievements.
In addition to checking with your IT recruiting agencies, you should also read your audience as you interview. They’ll probably give you hints – either direct or subtle about whether they’re interested in the technical details of past professional successes. If you can read these hints, especially if they’re subtle, you’ll demonstrate another desirable skill: communication. The ability to communicate well and read you coworkers, managers, clients, and/or end-users is often prized in IT. So if your interviewer looks bored as you describe how you debugged some complicated code, take a step back and try to give a less detailed answer. You may just impress them with your technical skills and your communication skills!
How to (Gracefully) Leave Work for IT Job Interviews
When you’re searching for new IT jobs with your technical recruiters, you may feel awkward or guilty for leaving work for interviews. Leaving work to go on the interviews your IT recruiting firms set up may make you feel nervous that your boss and/or coworkers will find out you’re searching for new roles. Here’s how to deal with that anxiety or guilt.
Firstly, remember that everyone leaves work or calls out to go on an interview at some point. Taking time to go to the interviews your IT staffing agencies have set up isn’t shameful or wrong. Truthfully, most employers would expect that you’d do this at some point—even if etiquette dictates that you don’t share it with them. This is especially true if you’re an IT contractor.
Secondly, approach taking time for interviews as though you were taking time for any other legitimate appointment. When your technical recruiters set you up with an interview, simply request time off for an appointment. IT recruiting companies would suggest that you don’t create an elaborate lie or try to be too secretive. Most bosses and coworkers won’t pry for more information if you simply state that you have an appointment you’ll need to use some of your earned PTO for. IT staffing firms would also suggest that you focus on the fact that you earned this PTO. It’s your paid time off that you worked for. You get to use it for whatever appointments you need to attend.
Lastly, remember to be focused on what’s really important: how you perform in your interview. Leaving work for the interviews your IT recruiting agencies set up isn’t the important part. Save your energy for really impressing your interviewers!
Boost Your Confidence in IT Job Interviews With This Tip
IT recruiters find that many candidates are nervous when they interview for IT jobs. If you usually feel a little anxious before you go on the interviews your IT staffing companies set you up for, here’s one way to feel more confident: have an anecdote ready that highlights a skill or two listed in the job description.
Here’s how to implement this technique. Firstly, make sure you get at least a basic job description from your technical recruiters. Read this over closely and try to pick out something beyond the technical requirements. Your interviewers know that your IT recruiting firms have already had you brush up on these skills. What will really impress your interviewer is if you look for the more intangible requirements. For example, look for statements in the job description that mention the ability to juggle multiple projects at once, or highlight customer service skills.
Now, think about a time you demonstrated these skills. Craft a short anecdote that you can easily recount (without sounding like you’re reading from a script). Your IT staffing agencies are very likely to get positive feedback if you can speak directly to the job description and do it in a concrete way. Your story will demonstrate you have the skills they need. This helps your interviewers picture you succeeding in the role. Practice telling this anecdote a few times in the mirror or with a family member or friend. When you get to the interview, you can feel confident that you have this ace in your back pocket—and your IT recruiting companies may just call you with a job offer!
Turn Your IT Job Interview Into A Home Run With This Tip
One way IT staffing firms suggest you can strengthen your interview performance is by asking a great question at the end. IT recruiting companies find that great questions are always helpful in strengthening your candidacy. However, they’re especially powerful at the end of the interview. Your interviewer is more likely to remember you well if one of the last things you do is ask a great question. Here’s a question or two that IT staffing companies would suggest: Who are the successful people in your company or team and what makes them valuable? Conversely, why have other people failed in this role?
There are a few reasons why technical recruiters find that these two questions are effective. Firstly, asking them shows that you’re thinking deeply about what the company and team need. Most people ask about the role and the job description. This question delves into how somebody in this particular role, at this particular company could succeed. Since sometimes the same role can look very different at different companies, your interviewer will really appreciate these questions.
Your IT recruiting agencies would also urge you to ask these questions because they show that you’re interested in more than just landing the job. When you ask questions like this, you’re suggesting that you want to find a job that’s a good fit—both on your end and for the company. IT staffing agencies never find that companies just want to get anybody into their open IT jobs quickly. Hiring managers want somebody who can do the work well and enjoys working in that team. A bad fit always results in lost money, lost time, and hurts the IT professional, hiring company, and IT recruiting firms. Nobody wants that. So next time you really want to establish your candidacy, ask these questions. They’ll make a big impression on your interviewer and your IT recruiters.
Why Saying ‘No’ Is Important for Your IT Job Search
When you’re working with IT recruiting agencies to find new IT jobs, you may feel as though you should say you’re very interested in every role your IT recruiters want to submit you for—even if you’re not. Maybe you’re concerned that your technical recruiters won’t work with you if you say no to role. Perhaps you are anxious to land a new job and think you should take anything your IT staffing companies offer you. The truth is, it’s important to say no to roles that you’re not interested in. Here’s why you should take a deep breath and curb this instinct to just say yes to every role your IT recruiting firms present.
Ultimately, it’s not good for you or your IT staffing agencies if you land a role that you’re not happy in or not adequately prepared for. There are plenty of reasons IT professionals might take a job they’re not a hundred percent interested in. Maybe they are desperate for a new job. Maybe they’re desperate for a new job with a higher salary. Whatever the reason, you won’t really gain much when you land a job that you don’t feel at least reasonably comfortable in and can succeed at. When you’re in a job you hate or are ill-prepared for, you’re almost guaranteed to need to leave it quickly—or possibly be fired. This isn’t ideal for you or your IT recruiting companies. When you’re searching for a new job, you want something you’ll enjoy, be great at, and be able to stay in for a year at least (unless it’s a set short term contract). Anything you stay at for a shorter time will probably just cause you more stress, unhappiness, and mar your resume. Your technical recruiters don’t want to place you in a job you leave quickly or are fired from. This damages their relationship with the company that employs you.
The moral of the story? Be honest with your IT recruiters and don’t tell them to submit you for jobs you don’t think you can do well and be happy in. Even if you have to wait for a job that you are happy with and can excel at, this will yield the best outcome for you (and thus your IT staffing firms, too).
Don’t Lie to Your IT Recruiters About This
When you’re working with IT recruiters to find a new role, there are some things you might be tempted to exaggerate or potentially even lie about. Obviously honesty really is the best policy, but it’s worth noting that you will hurt your search for IT jobs (and possibly your career) if you lie about your technical skills, experience, etc to your technical recruiters.
Some IT professionals are tempted to exaggerate or flat out lie to IT staffing firms about qualifications. They might be tempted to tell IT recruiting firms that they have more experience using a programming language or working in an end-user facing role. While this might seem like a good way to land a job in the short run, it’s very likely to land you in hot water in the long run. One consequence of your lies to your IT recruiting companies could be that they or the interviewing manager may figure out you’re lying or exaggerating. If this is the case, you’ll definitely ruin your reputation with both. Neither this potential employer, nor your IT recruiting agencies will want to work with you after realizing you lied to them. Worse, they may also share this information about you with other contacts in the industry and further ruin your reputation.
Even if you do land the job you lied to your IT staffing agencies to get, you might find yourself in a role that you’re not equipped to succeed in. If you exaggerated your experience or proficiency with certain technologies, you may find that you can’t actually perform the way your new employer expects. This could mean you get disciplined or even fired. It will also mean that your IT recruiting companies will see you as a less than desirable candidate to work with again. If you say you have certain skills, it will certainly ruin your reputation if you can’t prove you have them. Getting fired or just performing at a sub-par level will obviously hurt your career a bit, too. You want to be as successful as possible in every job you take. While it’s not possible to be the top employee in every job, it’s like shooting yourself in the foot to guarantee you’ll fail in a job by lying about your qualifications.
Avoid This Surprisingly Common IT Job Interview Mistake
IT recruiters often hear from the candidates they work with that they have been practicing ‘selling themselves’ for IT job interviews. This is a pretty common tactic that many IT professionals have been told will land them the IT jobs they interview for. Unfortunately, many IT staffing agencies see this advice carried out in a way that actually hurts candidates in interviews. Here’s what you need to avoid:
- Don’t focus so hard on selling yourself that you sound scripted and/or don’t satisfactorily respond to the interviewer’s questions. Sometimes technical recruiters will see a candidate work hard to craft and memorize a monologue about their technical background, soft skills, and achievements. Don’t make this mistake. Your interview will go much better if you can really participate in the conversation. Of course you will highlight your abilities, communication skills, etc. However, you need to be ready to do that in response to the questions the interviewer asks. If you give interviewers something that feels like a sales pitch, it won’t feel like a comprehensive, thoughtful answer to their question. Relying on a pre-prepared sales pitch means that your interviewers will be very likely to tell your IT recruiting agencies ‘no thanks’!
- Don’t forget that it’s not just about you! Selling yourself too hard can mean that you totally exclude the other important party here: your potential employers. Unfortunately, IT staffing companies often hear about candidates blowing the interview this way. Your IT recruiting firms need you to showcase your own assets as an employee, but they also need you to show that you’ve thought about why this company, IT job, team, work, etc is a great fit for you. Take time to speak to why you’re interested in this role or this company. Explain why you think you’d be happy and succeed with this employer. Show off the research you’ve done on this company, its work, market, etc. If you don’t talk about the company you’re interviewing with, you can count on your IT staffing firms letting you know you didn’t get the job!
Don’t Ask This in Phone Interviews for IT Jobs
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!
2 Phone Interview Mistakes that Will Cost You the IT Job
When your IT staffing firms set you up for phone interviews, you might feel like there’s less pressure or it’s less intimidating than an in-person interview. Don’t make this mistake! IT recruiting agencies see too many great IT candidates fail phone interviews because they’re too relaxed. In particular, here are two major mistakes that could lose you the IT jobs you’re interviewing for.
- Being ill-prepared. Your IT recruiters will likely give you a scheduled time and day for the interview. Plan to be in a quiet space with good reception (or better yet, use a landline). Research the company and familiarize yourself with any technologies your IT staffing companies note that you’ll be asked about. Practice with a family member or friend if it’s been a while since your last phone interview.
- Being unfocused. Sometimes technical recruiters find that candidates will give more rambling, chatty answers on phone interviews. Since the phone is usually a more social medium, it can be easy to fall into this pattern. Try to remember that on some level, your phone interview is just a more condensed version of your in-person interview. Your IT recruiting firms want you to give solid, comprehensive answers that don’t keep the interviewer on the phone for an excessively long time.
