IT Certification FAQ

A: What they are looking for is information about you that is not included in your resume.

• What do you know about this company?

Always research the company, use the internet, call them - identify yourself - tell whoever answers that you are seeking information on their company.

• What are your goals?

What they are really asking is where do you see yourself 2 years, 5 years, 10 years and 20 years down the road, and how do you expect to get there. How do you plan and improving your current skill level. Do the research, determine a career path, find out what it takes to follow that path. Then ask them "Assuming that I am hired, how can 'this company' (use company name) help?"

• What are your strengths and weaknesses?

Before the interview, write down several of your weaknesses, be brutaly honest about this, after all only you will ever see it. Then determine how you will present them in a postive light, (sometimes this is not possible, but try anyway).

Do the same thing with your strengths, and describe them in very postive terms and if possible how they can compensate for your weaknesses.

• Why do you want to work for this company?

What they are really asking "This is going to be more than just a job to you". Do the research about the company, and then describe how you see yourself fitting into their company.

• What has been your most significant achievement?

What are you most proud of, (be very honest about this one), there is no right answer.

• How would your last boss and colleagues describe you?

Ask your old boss and colleagues how they would describe you.

• Why should we hire you?

Because you're hard working; describe how you see yourself fitting in their company, describe what you will bring to the position; ask them what they are looking for and describe how you fit that description (and above all, do not use words such as honest or loyal or trust worthy).

• What are your salary expectations?

Contact your local labour department and ask them what is standard for the positon you are applying for, call the company -- identify yourself -- explain that you are applying for a positon and ask what the salary range is. When answering give an amount that is in the middle of the range, unless you have 2 or more years of previous experience that can be applied to this new positon, then use the top of the range or go over by 10%.

What you should do is write down your answers to these questions and read them over a couple of times till they are clear in you mind, (do not rehearse them unless you have acting experience), and above all just be yourself, stay calm, and relax, they are just as interested in you as you are in them.

Oldbie

source: alt.certification.mcse
added: March 2003

For more answers to tricky interview questions, check out:

http://www.technical-resumes.com/interviews3.html

http://www.find-computer-schools.com/Tts/crcResume.aspx?&page=11

<< Previous   ^ Up   Next >>

Latest from hardware forums: - Upgrading My Graphics Card And I Have Some Questions Please - Help with booting proplem please - Raid 0 set up - 12v jumping from 11.64 to 11.71 - x2 4800 vs Fx60 - 1 - reading dvd disks in a cd-rom drive - ARGOSY - HD363N - Network Storage - AGP 8x Graphics card in AGP 4x Motherboard compatibility que - M2N-MX power management under XP - product id troubles - Will this cable work with my sun servers? - 1 - Gateway 310X System Restore CD - Outlook PST File Problem - Help Please.... - Replacing a Dell case/CPU fan

Free certification materials:

Free MCSE exams - ExamSimulators.com (they also offer 100% Money Back If You Don't Pass Guarantee - sounds great!)

We recommend CBT Nuggets computer based training. Check out their Free Videos or CD first!