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ER IT Interview Tips

The document provides comprehensive interview preparation tips, emphasizing the importance of understanding the job description, preparing for behavioral questions, and maintaining a positive attitude. It also includes specific advice for video interviews, such as ensuring a quiet environment and dressing professionally. Additionally, it outlines various types of interview questions and suggests questions candidates can ask interviewers to demonstrate interest and engagement.

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Meghan Collins
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16 views4 pages

ER IT Interview Tips

The document provides comprehensive interview preparation tips, emphasizing the importance of understanding the job description, preparing for behavioral questions, and maintaining a positive attitude. It also includes specific advice for video interviews, such as ensuring a quiet environment and dressing professionally. Additionally, it outlines various types of interview questions and suggests questions candidates can ask interviewers to demonstrate interest and engagement.

Uploaded by

Meghan Collins
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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General Interview Prep:

1. Prepare, Prepare, Prepare. Go through the job description and make sure you are comfortable with the
skills requested. A great way to prepare for interviews is to do a Google search for Q&A on each skill set.
For example, if you search for “Java technical interview questions and answers” or “Project Management
technical interview questions and answers” you will find a large number of commonly used questions to
prepare yourself.

2. Prepare for behavioral-based questions “Tell me about a time when…”


a) Pull out your resume and review your career / your job history / your projects.
b) Think through each project that you’ve taken part in and really think about the organizations structure, the
industry, the size, the scope, the team, the challenges, the successes, etc.
c) Practice telling a story about a few of your projects – hiring managers really want to see your communication
skills and your personality to see how you’ll fit in their environment.
 *i.e.. When I was with XYZ Company, I worked on a project team as the sole “Project Manager” reporting
to the IT Director. I was hired to manage xyz project which entailed x and y and z, however, after
successful completion, I also assisted with 4 more projects from initial business case creation through to
delivery. We hit our milestones consistently and came in on time and on budget.
d) Make these stories about your experience as relevant as possible to the client’s organization / industry and
the project at hand. Find a way to relate your experience to the project as best you can, even if it’s not a
straightforward/exact match to what they are.
e) Sometimes clients will start with questions like these --
Why This Company? (do some research – why do you want to work there?)
Why This Role?
Why Now?

3. Don’t answer a question with just a “Yes” or “No” or ramble on for an extended time. Just answer with
a short but complete answer. If you’re ever unsure if you answered what they were asking for, you can
always ask “Did that answer your questions?” Talking too much is the number one reason for candidate
rejections. Giving just “yes” or “No” answers come in as a close second.

4. If you don’t know the answer, tell the truth. Sometimes during an interview, they will try to technically drill
deeper and deeper until you don’t know the answer and that’s OK if you don’t know. They are looking to see
how you respond to the question when you don’t know. If you think you know the answer but you’re not
100% sure, then just tell them by stating “I’m not 100% sure, although I believe the answer is …”.

5. Try not to minimize skill sets. For example, if you have only worked on a given skill for a short period of
time or it’s been a while, you don’t have to mention that you have only used it for a little while or that it was a
long time ago, unless specifically asked for the timeframe. Talk about the successes you have seen with the
technology without going into the timeframe.

6. Keep your answers positive. Talk about how you helped make your projects successful and how you kept
them on budget and on time. The only mistakes I see on this are when the interviews get too casual and
things slip out like “My last project was great, but the Manager just didn’t have control” or “The project
manager really didn’t know how to manage projects”. These may all be true, although you don’t need to
mention them during an interview.

7. Never speak negatively about a previous employer or Manager. The person interviewing you may be
your next employer. Negative answers make them feel like they could be your next negative answer. It is a
deal-breaker. Every time.
8. Talk about how you “consulted” or did some special “value-add” in the past. If you can mention one or
two small items on how you helped a project succeed by going beyond the call of duty, those pieces of
information can be very powerful during an interview.

9. Always ask the interviewer at least one question. Most of the time you will naturally have questions about
the project team, the project itself, technologies used, etc… Make sure at the end of the interview that you
understand your role. If you don’t, then I suggest you summarize the role as you understand it, “I understand
my role to be …. are there other things I can help with?”

Other example questions could be


 How can I help the team?
 What difficulties is the team having?
 What is your biggest need in this position?
 What would be included in a typical day in this role?
 If you were to select me, how can I make the best impact in this role?

10. Present a positive and enthusiastic attitude to the position.

11. Always bring a notepad and pen along and make sure to take notes during the interview when they
talk about the project even if it’s a phone interview.

12. Research what the client does as a business, so you come prepared. We have had people rejected
because they did not know what the client does. Go to their website and be ready to tell them what
you know about them.

13. Close strong! Ask the interviewer if there’s anything more s/he needs to know about your background and
experience to help with the decision-making process. Ask what the next steps are. State that you’re very
interested in the position and that you’re eager to move forward in the process.

Tips for Video Interviews:

Location
 Make certain to find a quiet, private room for your interview. Do not attend a Skype interview from an internet
café or other public venue. Make sure you interview in a room that is free from distractions such as pets or
children. Noise or activity that may not be distracting to you will be distracting to an interviewer and you will
greatly lessen your chance for success.
 Make sure the table is clean and neat. You don't want to distract the interviewer.
 Be aware of your surroundings and the lighting.

Dress
 Dress professionally. Wear the same attire you would for an in-person interview.
 Solid, conservative colors (but not bright white) are recommended for Skype interview. Small stripes and busy
patterns cause the equipment to work harder to reconcile these patterns when the person moves, causing a
delay.

Practice
 Record or view yourself in your webcam to see how you appear on camera.

During the Skype Interview


 Look at the camera, not down at the desk or table.
 Be aware that the microphone picks up all the noise in the room. Don't tap your pen or shuffle papers.
 Speak slowly, but not too slow. Slow down one notch from your in-person speaking style.
 In a Video Meeting you cannot "turn towards" one of several viewers to indicate which of them you are
addressing in particular. Likewise, you cannot make direct eye contact to signal whom you are speaking to. It is
therefore important to get the names of the interviewers in advance, and to use the names to indicate who you
are focusing on at any point during the interview.
 Listen with your eyes. Non-verbal listening cues become more prominent in a Skype conference. While you are
talking, you will become more aware of the facial expressions of the interviewers, and they will be more aware of
yours. Try to be more conscious of what your expressions are saying to the viewer.

The Interview Process


 The interview process will be the same as an in-person interview. The interviewer's objective (to screen
candidates for employment) is the same.
 You will be asked the same type of interview questions. Also, be prepared to ask questions, as well.
 If you're not sure about how the interview is proceeding, it's fine to ask the interviewer how you are doing.

Practice Interview Questions (by Type):

Review of Your Background:


 Tell me about yourself.
 What were your day-to-day responsibilities in your current (previous) position?
 What challenges have you faced in your current (previous) position?
 What is your biggest accomplishment?
 What do you like/dislike in your current (previous) position?
 Why did you leave your last position?

Typical Interview Questions:


 What appeals to you about this position?
 What do you feel sets you apart from other applicants? Why should we hire you?
 What do you know about our company?
 What do you know about the position that you are applying for?
 What is your greatest strength? What is an area that needs improvement?
 Where do you see yourself/your career in 5 years?
 What are your salary expectations? What are you currently making?

Behavioral/STAR (Situation Task Action Result) Questions:


 Describe a time when you had to motivate and/or influence others.
 Describe a time when you had to work with a difficult person/people and how you handled it.
 Describe a time when you had to build and maintain relationships.
 Describe how you documented your last project. How did you structure it? What was your involvement
specifically? And what was the outcome?
 Describe a time when you were not happy with your performance. What did you do about it? What did you learn
from it?
 Have you ever made a mistake (the answer should be “yes”!)? How did you handle it?
 Give me an example of how you work on a team. What role do you fill?
 Describe a time when you took initiative to get something done, even though it didn’t fall within your
responsibilities.
Sample Questions to Ask the Interviewer:

About the Company:


 What do you like most about working for this company? Tell me about the culture.
 Why do people choose to work here rather than your competition?
 What are some short/long term goals of the company?

About the Manager:


 What traits do the most successful people on your team possess?
 What attracted you to the company and what makes you stay?

About the Position:


 How will my performance be measured in this role?
 How can I make a difference on the team?
 Why is this position vacant?
 Describe a typical day in this role.

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