Job Interview Tips & Advice

[ctbjs]

I don't know when your interview is Z but good luck with it in any case. I think most of the good info has been said here already. Aside from all the other usual stuff, make sure you are smart as, although it is not a requirement of a techie, it does give off a good first impression. An organised looking techie is likely to be organised in the real world. (how did i get my job!!! oeerrr).

 

Be nervous but not too nervous, be confident but not over confident. Enjoy your tour of the school but keep your eyes of the female students (or the male for that matter.... they are OUT OF BOUNDS) Focus on what your guide is saying and showing you as they are likely to be pertinent to the school and will probably find questions relating to it later. Keep your head as clear as possible and be honest to yourself and the school. If you start blagging it will be obvious.

 

Topics to look up on:

 

DNS... I always throw in a question on this and it is amazing how many people do not know what DNS is or does.

 

The prioritisation is always there and will normally be asked in the form of the head making a request for something of a low priority and a lower member of staff asking for something mission critical, it is always a case of deciding on the task and its overall effect rather than the individual making the request irrespective of who does your budget.

 

You have to remember with a position like this is that while you know a lot of stuff, someone else will know more, you will learn lots from them but I am sure they will also learn from you. Remember there is no I in TEAM.

 

Damn that sounds sad....but i believe in that. I learn lots from my two techies we work together ...for the good of the school.

[FN-GM]

Once again thanks guys, I have taken all your information inboard and i will be using your advice. The interview is on the 6th November, next week I will be doing some reading at the weekend and on Monday (have a day of my current job) to refresh my memory incase they ask any questions.

 

as ctbjs be always throws in a question about DNS what else are the typical questions?

 

Enjoy your tour of the school but keep your eyes of the female students (or the male for that matter.... they are OUT OF BOUNDS)

Will do or Won't whatever way you look at!

 

Thanks again.

[maniac]

Oh, here's another quick one, make sure you have a pen with you (if possible a nicer one!) as if you're asked to fill anything in, it looks more professional if you have your own pen. Yeah I know silly thing, but bet you've never thought about it! I've felt embarresed having to ask for one before because I didn't have one with me.

 

Also turn your mobile off. Infact I tend to leave mine in the car if possible after yes it's happened to me, thought I'd turned it off, and it rang in the middle of the interview; Very un-professional. Mind you mobile phones are more accepted now than 4 years ago when that happened.

 

Mike.

[FN-GM]

A pen i didn’t think of that one, good suggestion.

[torledo]

I don't know when your interview is Z but good luck with it in any case. I think most of the good info has been said here already. Aside from all the other usual stuff, make sure you are smart as, although it is not a requirement of a techie, it does give off a good first impression. An organised looking techie is likely to be organised in the real world. (how did i get my job!!! oeerrr).

 

Be nervous but not too nervous, be confident but not over confident. Enjoy your tour of the school but keep your eyes of the female students (or the male for that matter.... they are OUT OF BOUNDS) Focus on what your guide is saying and showing you as they are likely to be pertinent to the school and will probably find questions relating to it later. Keep your head as clear as possible and be honest to yourself and the school. If you start blagging it will be obvious.

 

Topics to look up on:

 

DNS... I always throw in a question on this and it is amazing how many people do not know what DNS is or does.

 

The prioritisation is always there and will normally be asked in the form of the head making a request for something of a low priority and a lower member of staff asking for something mission critical, it is always a case of deciding on the task and its overall effect rather than the individual making the request irrespective of who does your budget.

 

You have to remember with a position like this is that while you know a lot of stuff, someone else will know more, you will learn lots from them but I am sure they will also learn from you. Remember there is no I in TEAM.

 

Damn that sounds sad....but i believe in that. I learn lots from my two techies we work together ...for the good of the school.

 

I can't believe you said 'there is no I in team'. Who do you think you are, David Brent ?

[GrumbleDook]

There may be no 'I' in team ... but there is a 'me'!

 

Never forget that a team is made up of individuals and the sum of the parts should be greater than when separate, but the quickest way to lose the benefit of having a team is by forgetting or ignoring the individual needs.

[Halfmad]

I've recently (last week) been offered a senior post elsewhere (outside education) on the back of a good interview. My tips are fairly simple for I.T. interviews:

 

1. Expect to be grilled on technical issues, but it's also likely that you'll have a short 5-10 question questionaire to fill in prior to the interview, a bit like a mini-competancy test. So brush up on your weak spots and remember, 90% of the time there will be at least 2 DOS related command questions, a DNS/network question and generally a "prioritising workload" question!

 

2. Try to be honest, I always try to answer as honestly as possible without making myself out to be a plonker. I also don't like the idea of starting a new job with them expecting me to do something I have no experience of (but said I did in the interview). It's fairly easy to trip yourself up in an interview with one comment that the interviewers pick up on, so honesty is the best policy.

 

3. New shirt and tie, polish those shoes and put on your best trousers. you don't have to wear a suit (I never do) as put simply, some people like myself look stupid in them. However there's no excuse for going to an interview in your work clothes and having obviously put no effort into it. Most I.T. interviewers know only too well that you're shoes, shirts and trousers suffer when crawling under desks or in ceilings, but for an interview you don't have that excuse.

 

4. Stress that you like working in a team, but don't make out that you're incompetent if left on your own. Teamwork is essential in I.T. and becoming more so, but you also have to have the ability to "go solo". I.T. managers don't like having to pair people up unless the workload dictates it.

 

5. Always ask questions after at the end, never simply say "no I've no questions." If one of the interviewers does the job you're applying for then ask them what they're typical day would be, how jobs are allocated, how the team is structured. 3 or 4 questions max though as time will be limited before the next candidate arrives and you want to give them time to talk about how great you are!

 

6. Posture - look relaxed but sit straight and watch your shoulders don't slump. Keep your hands in sight and don't fiddle.

 

7. Eye contact - look at everyone when answering - in the eyes, smile when speaking about your past experiences and ensure you get a nod or two out of those you're looking at, it's good confirmation that you're point is being recieved.

 

8. Don't "uhm" and "err". If you need to stall before answering then take a breath but dont' suck atmosphere too long. You are allowed to think about your answers and you can talk slowly and reinforce your points with gestures. It's difficult to explain but doing so properly can make a short answer have more of an impact and you'll seem more sincere than someone blurting out the first answer they come up with.

 

9. I was asked what issues I'd run into during my time in my current post, I hadn't actually thought of any prior to going in but came up with a simple one involving SIDs and mentioned the issues it caused and the ways of rectifying it. Always tell them how you fixed it, including any little utilities and commands, at least that way they know you actually did it and aren't making the whole thing up.

 

10. Learn about the organisation you've applied to work with, any sister organisations but most importantly if there's any abreviations in the job description - find out what they mean! They could be more important than you'd expect!

 

11. It's OK to admit when you don't know something or where your knowledge is weak, but put a positive slide on it by saying "I've had little experience of this, but as with everything else i'll brush up and learn it very quickly." My friends always think I'm daft for admiting that I'm rubbish at something in an interview, but I've had 7 interviews in my life and I've always been offered the job.

 

12. Lastly "why are you moving / why do you want this post". Mention new challenges and career progression. Many people are scared to say they they're out to better themselves but lets face it an employee without ambition is more likely to become lazy after a year or two.

[Heebeejeebee]

Our tour of the school is done by a bunch of responsible students who then give feedback to the interview panel. Their opinion counts to about 20-25% of our 'points' system depending on the role.

 

Make sure you come across as 'kid friendly' and talk with confidence.

 

HBJB

[ctbjs]

The Slough Office of Wernham Hogg has now closed and moved north!!

 

@Grumbledook

 

Very philosophical Tony. Indeed, a team is nothing without its individuals and you want your individuals to work both, together and independently but for the same cause which is where the no I comes in.

 

I would like one mate to eat with another mate as well as with me if that is not tame and we certainly don't want any of us to be treated like a mat

 

sorry can't think of any other words in team.

[GrumbleDook]

Would they eat some meat together?

[GrumbleDook]

@halfmad

 

Succinctly put and fantastic advice. Did you take the job?

[Jobos]

I sat on the interview panel last year when my old school was recruiting for a technician. It really opened my eyes on the interview process having only been the interviewee before. After asking the technical questions I gave them a task to do on a spare 2003 box.

 

There is a user called Joe Black who is complaining that he can not access the files in the share ‘server1\staffonly’. Give him access to the files and explain your actions.

 

I didn’t think the task was that hard but not one of the candidates could do the task. It makes you think!

[Halfmad]

@halfmad

 

Succinctly put and fantastic advice. Did you take the job?

 

I'm still awaiting the official offer for it as I haven't had any details of the pay they're offering, although I know the pay scale (miles higher than my current one!). Essentially if they match or beat what I'm on then I'll take it - opportunities like this don't come along that often for us poor folks without degrees

[Halfmad]

I sat on the interview panel last year when my old school was recruiting for a technician. It really opened my eyes on the interview process having only been the interviewee before. After asking the technical questions I gave them a task to do on a spare 2003 box.

 

There is a user called Joe Black who is complaining that he can not access the files in the share ‘server1\staffonly’. Give him access to the files and explain your actions.

 

I didn’t think the task was that hard but not one of the candidates could do the task. It makes you think!

 

Practical tests like that are a great idea, I had one when I joined the council 8/9 years ago. Essentially they lined up 5 faulty computers and asked me to tell them what was wrong with each one from either the error message or the hardware fault it was giving. They were all fairly simple (Mac had a dead battery, Dell had a faulty HDD clunking away). Then asked me how I'd make a new user with the same groups etc as an existing one - then asked me to do it on the spare NT box nearby.

 

I always think it's a good idea to put in actual faults people would see, rather than just theory and their opinions of how things should be done. It helps prove a skill level as well as allowing good candidates to show off a bit

[FN-GM]

I really appreciate your advise thanks again

[GrumbleDook]

Some people think I am evil for the way we have interviews of support staff.

 

They get a tour with me where they are bombarded with information and leading questions, they have a short written test (a cheeky one actually ... it gives them 12 questions and asks them to answer the 3 most appropriate for their skills and experience ... at the beginning it say to read all the test and follow instructions on the last page ... the instruction is to answer three Qs ... and we still get 50% answer more than three!), they have a hands on test (based around user management, OUs, GPOs and DNS) and not forgetting the panel of students to see how they react to kids.

 

This is topped off with a formal interview where we pick their brains about information they have been given during the day.

 

Intense, but worth it.

[webman]

Intense?? It would be easier to get a job at MI5!

[mattx]

There is a user called Joe Black who is complaining that he can not access the files in the share ‘server1\staffonly’. Give him access to the files and explain your actions.

 

I didn’t think the task was that hard but not one of the candidates could do the task. It makes you think!

 

You are kidding ?

[mattx]

they have a short written test (a cheeky one actually ... it gives them 12 questions and asks them to answer the 3 most appropriate for their skills and experience ... at the beginning it say to read all the test and follow instructions on the last page ...

 

Is this to spot a techie who actually RTFMs ? ;-)

[torledo]

Some people think I am evil for the way we have interviews of support staff.

 

They get a tour with me where they are bombarded with information and leading questions, they have a short written test (a cheeky one actually ... it gives them 12 questions and asks them to answer the 3 most appropriate for their skills and experience ... at the beginning it say to read all the test and follow instructions on the last page ... the instruction is to answer three Qs ... and we still get 50% answer more than three!), they have a hands on test (based around user management, OUs, GPOs and DNS) and not forgetting the panel of students to see how they react to kids.

 

This is topped off with a formal interview where we pick their brains about information they have been given during the day.

 

Intense, but worth it.

 

Worth it ? For them or for you.

 

If working for you really is worth all that jumping thru hoops and they're reasonably well renumerated and they develop as people and go on to bigger and better things then I don't have a problem with that. And I have no reason to think the successful candidates aren't. But Anything less and well it's a bit sadistic, but then i suppose it's something for them to talk about when they leave dissapointed (or relieved) that they didn't get the gig.

[torledo]

Hey

 

I have applied for a few jobs in schools, one has got back to me and has invited me for an interview and a test. I'm not sure what the test is the person who I spoke to didn't have any more information about it. someone suggested it could be a computer with a fault of some kind and i will tested on how i identify the fault and fix the problem.

 

Please can you give me some tips and advice please?

 

Thank You

 

Final bit of advise, on a lighter a note, send them a photograph....

 

On second thoughts no don't. Unless they're recruiting for the lead role in

a stage adaptation of Billy Elliott.

[GrumbleDook]

Intense?? It would be easier to get a job at MI5!

 

Getting a job at MI5 is not too hard nowadays ...

 

You just have to have been to the right school / university / rugby club ...

 

erm ...

 

I'll get my coat, it is the long black leather one with a KGB manual in the pocket!

[GrumbleDook]

Worth it ? For them or for you.

 

If working for you really is worth all that jumping thru hoops and they're reasonably well renumerated and they develop as people and go on to bigger and better things then I don't have a problem with that. And I have no reason to think the successful candidates aren't. But Anything less and well it's a bit sadistic, but then i suppose it's something for them to talk about when they leave dissapointed (or relieved) that they didn't get the gig.

 

It weeds out those that can blag to senior manglement, those that don't like kids, those that rely on others to the extent that they do not take ownership of their own jobs.

 

It finds those that can take in a lot of information in short time, those that can improvise and adapt, those who have the potential to go on to bigger and better things.

 

It is not a *fun* process, but it is not as nasty as when I was first taught how to do interviews like this ...

 

At least I provide the complete technical library and access to the 'Net during the hands-on test, there is always someone available to answer queries about how the school approaches things during the written test and whilst they are walking round with me the leading questions are aimed at giving an idea about what areas to ask them about during the interview which will allow them to sell themselves in an honest and open manner.

 

I am truly lucky to have the team I have, lead by a hard-working NM, with the team having a broad range of skills and interests.

 

I have been lucky to have 3 placement students that have been wonderful and the present one is of the same mold.

 

I would rather readvertise than pick someone who cannot do the job and is the top of a small bunch.

[maniac]

I went for an interview at the Kent Messenger group a while back. They had a group interview as the first stage, which is really weird as you get to see all the other people you're competeing against. The first thing they did was get you to introduce yourself and state what you're current role is, and what professional qualifications you have (if any.) There were somne really well qualified people around the table, and then me with (at the time) '2 years experience as a network manager, and no profesional qualifications' They invited me back for a second interview thou, which goes to show al those bits of paper don't always count!

 

The best part of the group interview was building a giraffe from newspaper in a team. Very origenal and funny task for an interview. It was that which got me the second interview as I named ours 'norris' with a little name badge round it's neck. They said they could see I had a sense of humour from that, and that was the main reason they invited me back.

 

I guess the moral here is don't be afraid to be yourself, remember it's you they're employing the person, not just because of what you know/can do.

 

Mike.

 

Edit: I didn't get the job after the second interview needless to say. They did say it was 'close' but then they would say that!

[titch]

What age group is the school mate?

 

to go along with the pen thing, a diary/notepad is always useful (especially If you have the memory of a fish like me)

 

On your tour of the computer rooms engage with some of the students briefly e.g ask them what they are up to, what programs they are using etc. Was told that was why I got my job as I seemed "approachable".

 

Obvious one but tell them what they want to here, all schools are on a tight budget so anything money saving you can add to the conversation is great. Tell them about something you "ad hocked (bodged)" and worked brilliantly. Another thing that suprises me when I go to different juniors is how many dont have the photocopiers networked and are using expensive printers. Without being cocky advise them on plumbing them in to the network.

 

From what ive seen on this forum you will do great in your interview so don't worry, nerves are the main thing that can hold you back in an interview.

 

Good Luck