Interview Question - a Vision for IT

[mark]

Here's a question I just got asked at interview yesterday - I wondered how you guys would answer it....

What would your vision be for IT in the school in the next 5 years? You have an open budget.

[browolf]

blade servers and SAN/NAS. gigabit to desktop. site licences of decent software like photoshop, macromedia suite. fattest synchronous internet pipe.
new staff that have decent length industry experience. a specific web developer to build a proper intranet, an extranet system allowing work from home. email from outside. community portal. integrated school website.

[mrtechsystems]

@Mark

What was your answer

Lee

[mark]

I was a bit stumped to be honest - but then i'm crap at interviews. The one thing I usually can talk about is IT stuff but they said we don't want to know the technicalities. Fair enough - i'm used to talking to phobics too - but in this situation... er, no. I get brain stutter! Managers want management speak, so jobs are usually filled with types that talk the talk, don't you agree .

So I waffled around. It was the unlimited budget bit that was putting me off I suppose!

[StewartKnight]

I'd guess they were after 2 things;

(1) Are you up-to-date with the latest in IT?
(2) Can you relate this to education

Answer, bleat on about wifi & wimax, enableing teachers to do registrations on PDA's. Virtual learning, and remote access for teachers & pupils to access their work, using their own user accounts on the server, from home.

[mark]

I appreciate the wake up call really - you tend to get bogged down/ stagnant - staying at the same place a while - I miss those annual assessments! [I know - must be a bit of a masochist! ]

[GrumbleDook]

I was asked pretty much the same question 18 months ago.

My answer was typically Manglement speak even then

"It is not so much the latest technology we should look at but making sure what technology we have is used to the best advantage by students and staff ... and that it really has an impact on the teaching & learning that goes on in the school"

I am almost embarrased. I never knew I could spread such a large offering of bull/blag in one sentence.

[Geoff]

I am almost embarrased. I never knew I could spread such a large offering of bull/blag in one sentence.

But then how are we supposed to leverage our synergies going forward to create a win-win situation? You are generating negative ROI in this incumbent conversation, and have become a cromulent addition to the team. You will be capsized^W rightsized immediately.

[sahmeepee]

"It is not so much the latest technology we should look at but making sure what technology we have is used to the best advantage by students and staff ... and that it really has an impact on the teaching & learning that goes on in the school"

Outstanding! I'm almost afraid to ask: did you get the job?!

[GrumbleDook]

The job was well and truly got ... and I made such an impression I got the next job there too ... a promotion onto the Senior Leadership Team (I am glad we have an SLT at the school ... I have made the slip several times of saying manglement .... the last thing I want to do is say to some bigwig visiting from the SST is the I am a member of the Senior Manglement Team ... erm ... actually I have done once ... D'oh!)