Interviews don’t have to feel like interrogations. Follow these tips and you’ll be a success in no time—no matter what side of the desk you’re sitting on.
Surviving the High-Tech Interview
Interviews don’t have to feel like interrogations. Follow these tips and you’ll be a success in no time—no matter what side of the desk you’re sitting on.
As a consultant for a large network consulting company,
I often must go through a technical interview before being
accepted by a client. Not long after I joined this company,
I was also asked to conduct interviews for prospective
consultants as part of our hiring process. My experience
on both sides of the desk has given me a unique insight
into the technical interview process, which I’d like
to share with you now.
The Interrogation
I recently had lunch with a friend from another firm
who was interviewing for a very big project management
position. Knowing that he’d just gone through a technical
interview, I asked him how it went. He sighed with relief,
knocked on the wood table, and said, “I made it!
I’m so glad they didn’t ask me anything about
my experience with Y2K issues!” He was celebrating
the fact that the interviewers hadn’t discovered
his lack of experience, despite the fact that Y2K issues
were to be a major portion of the job’s responsibilities.
This is a common reaction to the interview process. (Many
people feel that “interrogation” is a more appropriate
term.) The common fear is that, with one slip of the tongue,
our skillful interrogators will proclaim us total frauds,
undeserving of even the most menial positions. In reality,
nothing could be further from the truth. You must rid
yourself of this mindset if you want your interview to
be a success.
First, be absolutely, brutally honest with yourself as
to your current level of skill, experience, and training.
Make sure your resume is up to date and reflects this
honest appraisal. Have nothing to hide and you’ll
have nothing to fear.
Second, think of the interview as your chance to discuss
a subject you may rarely get to talk about at length but
that you’re an expert on: yourself. How often do
you get the chance to talk about yourself for nearly an
hour and not be considered an egomaniac?
Third, interview the interviewer. This is your opportunity
to discover if this position is right for you. Think of
it this way: You’re the expert on your skills and
background. Your interviewer is the expert on what the
position requires. Don’t let this be a one-sided
conversation. Ask questions. Many technical interviews
are more assessments of your skills than traditional job
interviews; but don’t let this intimidate you. Be
curious. Be confident.
I always remind myself that the person conducting the
interview has more reason to be nervous than I. (Of course,
this isn’t helpful when I’m the one conducting
the interview, but I have another tip for that.) Think
about it. If you make a mistake and accept a job that
isn’t right for you, you can always move on to another
job. The interviewer who recommended you, however, is
left with the reputation of having done a lousy job.
Finally, do your homework. Find out as much about the
company and the project as possible before the interview.
Everybody agrees that this is an important step, but you’d
be amazed at how few people actually do it. Visit the
company’s Web site. Talk to people. And don’t
forget to brush up on the skills that the position will
require. I was recently accepted for an assignment as
the primary administrator for e-mail services in an 11-domain
WAN for nearly 10,000 users. Since the network was using
Exchange Server 5.0 and my last assignment was mainly
Windows NT administration, you can bet I spent some time
brushing up on my Exchange knowledge prior to the interview.
The Grilling
One of the weirdest technical interviews I ever experienced
turned into the best use of all of the advice I just gave.
It’s also the best example of how not to conduct
an interview.
I arrived early because I was told I needed to fill out
a form. The form turned out to be a questionnaire that
had me rate my skills from 1 to 5 on over 200 applications
and operating systems. (I was tempted to write “MCSE!!”
across the middle in huge block letters, but I resisted.)
I finished the questionnaire prior to my appointment time.
Then I waited and waited. After 30 minutes passed, I asked
the receptionist if we needed to reschedule. She made
a quick call and assured me that it would only be a few
more minutes.
Fifteen minutes later I was ushered into a large conference
room where I was introduced to six people, only one of
whom had an IT-related title. The others all had on severe
business suits and even more severe expressions. The only
available chair was away from the table, against the wall,
facing the six interviewers. The only thing missing was
a spotlight in my eyes! My attempt to level the playing
field by picking up the chair and joining them at the
table was met with sour looks—but no one protested.
Each of the participants had a copy of my resume and
the lengthy questionnaire, but I didn’t see anyone
refer to them. Instead, they each asked me a question
from a typewritten sheet, which looked to be a series
of questions and answers that someone with a technical
background had given them. If my answer didn’t fit
the answer on their sheet, they’d ask the resident
techno-type if “that was right?”
I’d love to tell you that I walked out, throwing
them a cutting yet witty barb from over my shoulder. Reality
is always slightly less colorful, however. I answered
their questions to the best of my ability, asked a few
of my own, and didn’t let the situation anger or
intimidate me. During my questions, I discovered they
recently had several network administration jobs open
up—they wouldn’t tell me why, which answered
the question. I also discovered that they were looking
for someone who could do whatever it took to fix their
network problems. Now, after more questioning, it became
apparent to me that “whatever it took” meant
long hours with no overtime compensation and no additional
budget, and the network still had to be up during extended
business hours. After an hour, they had run out of their
prepared questions and said they’d let me know of
their decision. Needless to say, I didn’t waste time
getting back to my car.
I found out later the next day that I had “passed”
and was invited back for the next level interview. I had
seen all I needed to see and heard all I needed to hear
to make my decision: I declined the offer.
I’ve found that the best results come from a less
formal approach, the complete opposite of the interview
I just described. Many of the interviews I conduct have
been over the phone. This is primarily because of my schedule—it’s
much easier for me to set up a time to talk with someone
in the evenings. Also, and I’m sure opinions vary
on this point, I find people much more at ease under these
circumstances. Think about it: They’re at home; I’m
at home. No office stress, no rushed lunch meetings; just
two people chatting on the phone.
Is It a Fit?
Here are a few tips for determining how well someone
will fit the needs of the available position. First, as
I’ve just recommended to interviewees, do your homework
before the interview. Read the person’s resume. Check
into the company where the person is currently working.
Prepare some notes for the interview. There’s nothing
more nerve-racking and unproductive than to have to resort
to the standard, “So, tell me about yourself”
or “Where do you see yourself in five years?”
It’s often just a lazy way of covering up for the
fact that the interviewer isn’t prepared. (Unfortunately,
all interviewees should still have answers prepared for
these questions.)
Second, keep it casual. This isn’t a homicide investigation.
I usually start out by asking about the person’s
current job. What does he or she like about it? What doesn’t
he or she like? One red flag I look for is the amount
of enthusiasm displayed when it comes to the IT field.
I’m always wary of people who, when discussing a
network problem, are more concerned about placing blame
than about finding a solution.
I remember one young man who particularly impressed me
during an interview. He told a story about how exciting
his first day on the job was. The UPS failed during a
power outage, and when the power was restored, the network
was a complete mess. He said it was the best thing that
could have happened to him. He’d found out more about
their network in a few hours that he would have found
out in weeks of on-the-job training. Talk about looking
for a silver lining! I couldn’t help but be impressed
by his willingness to learn and his dedication to his
craft.
Third, find out about the person’s certification,
training, or education. Being an MCSE, I know what it
takes to earn the title. However, I also know that, without
the day-to-day experience of working with the products
and regular refresher training, the knowledge will fade
away. Rarely will I ask a “test” question; instead
I try to trade war stories. I’ll relate an experience
where I was able to solve a problem because of something
I read or learned while studying for an exam. My goal
is to get the other person to tell me a similar story.
Usually, this gives some insight into the person’s
depth of knowledge and experience.
Fourth, try discussing some new IT-related item in the
news. Our business is constantly evolving, and I’m
always looking for people who like to keep their skills
sharp. Ask if the person is studying for more exams or
learning any new software. Ask what trade magazines the
person reads. During Windows 98’s early beta testing
period, I referred to it by its beta name by asking an
interviewee if he’d had a chance to work with Memphis
yet. There was a slight pause before he replied that he
didn’t get to travel much. If you look away from
this business for two seconds, you can get left behind.
Some of the best recommendations I’ve given have
been to people I know stay in touch with current IT trends
and developments.
Finally, be brutally analytical. Look at the facts and
make a value judgement based on what you know about the
position and the person. You won’t be doing anyone
any favors by approving someone for a position for which
he or she isn’t ready. It doesn’t do your own
professional career any good, either. I always ask myself
if I want my name stamped on this person’s resume.
This mindset helped me when I had to give a thumbs-down
review of a prospective hire. The young man had obviously
misrepresented himself to our recruiter. He had several
fabricated items on his resume regarding his training
and experience. In this interview, I did ask many test
questions to prove to myself (and to the interviewee)
that he wasn’t what we were looking for in a consultant.
This is obviously a very rare occurrence, but the point
is that you must remember that your name will be linked
to this person’s performance.
Behind the Desk
If you don’t do technical interviews for your company,
think about trying it. It has helped me better understand
the process, and I know it has improved my skills when
I’m the one being interviewed.
Make sure you have reasonable expectations for each candidate.
Ask your recruiter about the position for which the person
is being considered. A candidate being considered for
a first-level user support position wouldn’t need
the level of knowledge an NT WAN administrator would need.
Adjust your questions to match the needs of the position.
Consider the phrasing of your questions. Try to ask questions
that’ll start a dialog rather than test your interviewee.
For example, “What’s the biggest problem you’ve
faced when configuring DNS?” is better than “Explain
DNS to me.”
In Front of the Desk
Wear clothes that make you feel comfortable. If you feel
that wearing a suit is needed, then wear one that fits.
If you aren’t comfortable in a suit, then go business
casual. The important thing is to give a positive visual
impression. If you feel confident and comfortable, you’ll
surely do well in any interview.
Use mental imagery. I know this creeps into the “who
needs it” category for many, but it has certainly
worked for me. My favorite trick is to imagine the person
sneezing without a handkerchief. Whenever I feel myself
getting nervous or intimidated by someone, aaaaaahhhh-chooo!
It never fails.
The best way to get good at something is to do it. The
worst time to interview for a job is when you need one.
Go out on interviews any time you get the chance. Ask
friends to role-play with you for practice.
During a tech interview, if you don’t know the answer
to a question, just say so! There’s nothing more
obvious than someone faking his or her way through an
answer. Albert Einstein said, “If you can’t
explain something simply, then you don’t know enough
about it.” Make sure you’re giving the interviewer
the benefit of an accurate assessment of your skills.
Most important, remember that this is an opportunity
for both parties to see how best to match the needs of
the position with the skills of the individual. When compared
to all of life’s pleasures, I can’t say I’ve
ever really enjoyed being interviewed or interviewing
someone else. But I can say that I’ve enjoyed the
benefits that have come from doing it right. Good luck
and gesundheit!