What's your job interview experiences like?

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I got there about ten minutes before the interview time and straight away was taken into a room to sit a technical written test of 20 questions to be completed in 20 minutes.

A rusty jug of water was on desk with a glass but did not touch it was under pressure but thank God questions were not too bad. Explain how you would go about setting up a network printer etc type of written questions.

After that straight into another room met with the IT manager and a program manager showed my passport and other docs then they took photocopy of my passport.

Then another flying session of asking technical questions especially not even taking into account I have just got off a written technical question with no breathing space. If exchange server is down one user can still access e-mails but no one else in that dept can, how would you go about resolving problem and explain steps you'd take to resolve issue type of questions etc.

I tell you guys and gals I got out of interview asking myself is it worth it? I think contracting might be the way to go plus good pay too. All for under £27k pa permanent infrastructure jack of all trade type of role

I am definitely advising people to stay away from IT as a career or unless they got the steam and backbone . All for peanuts I bet other professions don't go through such hassles.

I wonder but am not amazed as there is no respect for IT as a profession especially when things barely get broken i.e. network down no e-mails for 24 hours then maybe they might remember the input of the IT dept.

Lets here what your experiences have been like and if you like attending job interviews. I certainly and seldomly don't.

 

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Wow! so no one on this forum has been to a interview? Seems like it's only me then

 

I havent actually had an IT Interview as such, only the usual interview for general admin job.

I then got asked if I wanted to get into the IT Dept, so there wasnt an interview just a question and a "Yes please" from me!

Guess I was lucky?!?

 

Well - you haven't exactly allowed much time for people to respond!

My last interview consisted of sitting down in an office with the department manager and discussing the state of the Internet industry.

Mind you - I was assured of the job beforehand - this was just for form's sake.

Harry.

 

I've had lots of interviews for IT positions and no two are alike. Some have a written portion but most don't (at least the ones I've had). My most recent job interview consisted of a round-robin interview with each and every member of the team asking me questions in turn from a form. Some of my answers inspired them to ask further questions. Took about an hour. I'd have been hired if they hadn't dragged their feet and Micron hadn't imposed a hiring freeze, alas.

The interview to get the contract position at Micron was over the phone and took about 10 minutes. I think they just wanted to see if I was breathing and had even heard of html and SharePoint.

I've had job interviews where I really impressed the interviewer and job interviews where the interviewer and I mutually agreed that it was a bad fit.

No matter what field you go into, interviews are always an ordeal. Just try to stay relaxed, tell the truth, don't try to bullsh*t your way through.

 

Thanks for a well put feedback Trip, I always try to stay relaxed at interviews but sometimes nerves still play but I don't believe in telling a lie to land a job either. I supposed this the reason while it took a while to land my first IT job four plus years ago.


Thanks again for a useful input.

Please, I am not referring to ppl who knew they would get in bcos of word of mouth or networking i.e. you knew the IT manager and everyone else in the IT dept prior to face value interview. No offense but I got all my IT roles through interviews, technical written test and IT recruitment agencies not because I knew someone there. Life of the hard knocks, knock knock who's there it's Onoski the IT hustler.

 

Thursday, asked If I would be available for a telephone interview on Monday 5.00pm(today). Gets the call, sorry we're not taking anyone on at the minute.

BUMMER!

 

Never mind Mondos, something much worth while would eventually turn up. It's just a shame that most of these recruiters don't have any dignity failing to realize that they too were once a job seeker. What goes around comes around.

You'd find out most jobs have already been filled even b4 job vacancy was advertised. just to cover legality etc.

 

I think that probably says it all then

 

I used to be a contractor. There was one period when the jobs just vanished. I was *seriously* in debt for a period. To the point that my house was very nearly reposessed.

About 7 years ago, with the introduction of IR35, I decided that the previous 3 contracts had been jobs in all but name, coupled with the more relaxed market in jobs; so I ditched the contracting and went employed.

Harry.

 

I have to agree with this, i have done many jobs and without doubt working in IT is *hard* it is not for the faint hearted and it can be very stressful at times.

 

I had an interview in the middle of February after about 6 weeks of applying for jobs.

It seemed to go well and after being told by the interviewer that they were interested in me for my customer service experience I felt quite confident. It was between me and 2 other people.

Anyway, I was told that they would let me know in a couple of days. 2 weeks later I send a polite e-mail and get no reply. I'm thinking that this is a bit rude not to let me know. A couple of days later I read on TheRegister that thier parent company has gone in to administration.

After that I decided to take another job in the industry I'm in at the moment as I couldn't stand working for the company I was with, only now I feel that I owe it to my new employers to give them at least a year of my time. Seems only fair after they have invested in me.

This at least will give me a chance to get some voluteer experience.
Does anybody have any experience of volunteering and can point me in the right direction?

 

Im currently volunteering at my old school. I knew the ICT Tech/Network admin whilst I was at school, I told him that I was struggling to find a job within IT so he spoke to the head guy and let me assist him 1 day a week. I have gained quite a bit from working there, but still havent landed a job yet But I'll keep trying and see if anything happens.

Kraven

 

Thanks for all the feedback as everything said has been taken on board. The bottom line is that the IT job market and career is not as lucrative as it used to be. All the same am not too disheartened as am still employed working full time in IT could be worse. Cheerio

 

That's strange, because Bill Gates recently said we were all virtually guaranteed $100K/year jobs:

FROM: http://www.washtech.org/news/industry/display.php?ID_Content=5135

 

A career in IT *is* lucrative if you're good at what you do. And even through multiple jobs, I've not been unemployed in IT, ever (the last time I didn't hold a full-time job of some sort was the late 80s, after high school).

Compare IT job salaries to other jobs... IT folks do a whole lot better than your average Joe on the street. My brother is a manager of a drugstore, my sister is a pharmacy tech, my father was a manager of a grocery store, and my mother was a hairdresser. None of their salaries are (or were) close to what I'm making. Not bragging... just saying that you CAN make a good career in IT making good money. But it doesn't come the first month, or the first year. You have to build experience to get the better paying jobs.

Back on topic - interviews vary. However, it has been my experience that the best jobs with the best people to work with had the most difficult interviews. A company that will take the time to put prospective employees through a rigorous interview process usually does so because they care about getting good, high-quality, motivated, intelligent employees.

 

It all paid off got call from company on Wednesday afternoon on way to another interview saying I have been offered the role if I'd accept and I said yes sir

Thanks for your input Michael and everyone else greatly appreciated. I don't think it's always the most experienced person that lands the job.

An interview is like selling a product it's a lot to do with communication skills and how you come across too. Hang in there everyone looking for a new role or a start in IT it's doable.

 

that's excellent news, well done

When do you start?