Tag Archives: Job interview

What is Your Favorite Interview Question & What Does it Reveal?

My favorite interview question is:

Tell me about your first job.
Often this reveals an entrepreneurial spirit and strong work ethic. Some candidates start working in their teens and have run their own businesses well into college. These are candidates that get excited about start-up opportunities.

 

You should probably wait until you get the offer before you say that…..

  1.  So what exactly is it you guys do? If you are walking into an interview and you don’t know what the company does……you don’t deserve the job. Do your research before walking into the interview.
  2. Will I have to travel and/or relocate? This is a legitimate question but wait for the interviewer to bring up the topic.  If you bring it up first it may make you sound like you are not flexible and being flexible is very important in today’s job search.
  3. Will I have to work over time? How about…”What does the typical day/week look like?”  
  4. What is your vacation policy? Really? You’re trying to get a job and the first thing on your mind is how much time you can take off? Benefits discussion starts once you get to the offer stage of the interview process…you must chill!
  5. So what does this position pay? NEVER ask this in a first interview. Wait for the interviewer to ask you about your salary requirements.  We all need to pay our bills but there is more to the job than money. If you are focused on what the position pays you may make the interviewer think that all you care about is money and will be considered at risk to leave for the next higher paying job.
  6. How long do you think this interview will take? I have to be somewhere else afterward.  Oh for  God’s sake, if I have to explain what’s wrong with this question you’re really in trouble!
  7. How long is it before I can apply for other positions internally? Again, you are making your interviewer question your intentions. Ask this after you have been hired.
  8. Do not end the interview with “No, I don’t have any questions. ” Do not show up to the interview without a list of questions to ask. Take the time and do research on the company. Don’t you want to know more about who you will be working for?

As An IT Manager, What Are Your Bad Habits?

Seven Bad Habits IT Managers Should Avoid

An IT manager’s work is never done. From developing and implementing information systems to supervising server maintenance to researching methods to ensure the security of information that passes through the information server, a workday in the life of an IT manager is seldom a dull one. Even the best IT manager is guilty of a few professional bad habits, however, and these habits could prove detrimental to a smooth-running work environment.

  1. Overloading on new technology. It’s good to keep abreast of the latest advances in technology, but unless what you already have is no longer effective, there’s no need to “upgrade” every time a new operating system or software comes out on the market.
  2. Hoarding. Hoarding expertise or projects will eventually come back to bite you. You might feel a sense of job security if only you’re the only one in the IT department who has the expertise and knowledge required for maintaining your company’s network infrastructure, but what happens when the network goes down and you’re on vacation? Or sick? Since you’re the only who knows what to do, you have to suck it up and come in on your day off.  Taking on too many projects may win you a well-deserved pat on the back from management and clients, but it also means your staff may be too busy to handle emergency situations should they arise.
  3. Being greedy. Not to be confused with hoarding projects, IT managers who are guilty of being greedy are those with clients who write up requests for proposals (RFPs) with unrealistic demands or clients who refuse to spend what is necessary to complete the project yet insist on getting it done–and the IT managers go on to promise a deliverable that is not realistically possible. The IT manager is faced with the decision to either refuse the project because the client’s request is unrealistic–and lose a potential future client in the process, or try to complete the project and risk failure–and also the loss of a potential future client. An IT manager can negotiate with the client an early completion incentive into the RFP and/or a penalty for projects that run over-budget or late.
  4. Being lazy. You’d be hard pressed to find an IT manager who isn’t working hard, but many get comfortable in their roles and don’t go the extra mile to ensure peak network monitoring, compliance auditing and data security measures are in place. It’s better to put in a little extra effort to catch glitches now before they turn into costly problems later on.
  5. Envying what other companies have. Just because another company, or divisions within your own company, has a larger budget or better software to work with is no excuse to not effectively work with what you have. Instead of focusing on what others have, focus on ways you can improve operations within your own department.
  6. Management by intimidation. You won’t motivate your staff with constant verbal outbursts every time something goes wrong. It is demoralizing to your staff, and it fosters a mindset that results in a lack of collaboration and finger pointing.
  7. Pride. IT managers are very knowledgeable about their jobs, but some are too proud to acknowledge when they don’t know about a certain topic, or they think they can do everything themselves when they really can’t or shouldn’t. An IT manager who can admit when he has made a mistake or bad judgment call is viewed more favorably than those who insist they’re perfect.

Thank you to www.recruiter.com for this great article

WHY SHOULD I HIRE YOU?

This is one of those broad questions that can take you down the wrong road unless you have done some thinking about what to say ahead of time.

Answers that WON’T get you hired -

“Because I need a job.”

“I am a hard worker.” – LAME! Anyone can say they’re a hard worker. This does not set you apart from other candidates.

“I saw your ad and it looked like something I could do.” – Really?

Anyone can do this job, but not everyone can do it the way I can? –At this point…STOP TALKING! It’s time for you leave the interview.

You should hire me because of my commitment, I am very committed to my job – Better, but what can you do for me?

Hiring Managers want to know what you can do for them, that’s why they are asking…they really want to know.

This is a time to let the hiring manager know what you can do for them and why they should listen to what you have to offer. The more detail you give the stronger your answer will be. This is not a time to talk about what you want. It is a time to summarize your accomplishments and relate what makes you unique and therefore a viable fit for this position.

ANSWERS that will get the right attention in an interview—

“Because I have six years experience supporting customers in a very similar environment.”

“Because I have what it takes to fill the requirements of this job – solve customer problems using my excellent customer service skills.”

“Because I have the experience and expertise in the area of customer support that is required in this position.”

Think of yourself as a product and practice your sales pitch.