Sys Admin interview

mrhaun03

I got an interview for a Sys Admin position in the healthcare field. I never interviewed for a position like this and really want the job. What kind of questions can I be expected to be asked? I'm sure they're going to ask about HIPAA, which I know a little about. But, technical stuff, what do you think I'll be asked?

BeaverC32

What is the job description? System Admin could mean a variety of things depending on the employer.

mrhaun03

I'll be managing the servers, switches, routers and acting as tech support as well. The job description was very vague, so I'm assuming they don't have a huge IT staff if any.

nicklauscombs

If that's the case I would imagine they're more interested in your communication skills (especially if you're dealing with tech support) and ability to juggle many different projects at once and won't drill you on deep down in depth tech knowledge. Highlighting your abilities across a wide range of technologies as well as your communication/people skills seems to me to be the best way to go.

empc4000xl

i just had 2 in the past few days. One of them was similar to yours, where it covered a broad range of topics

I was asked about basic network T/S. Always start T/S at layer 1

DHCP what is it?

DNS

How to create a access list.

How to add a machine to a domain.

If u run outta ideas what do you do. Make sure you know about M/S and Cisco's help and the almighty GOOGLE

what are the different types of groups on WIN server

What is a Default Gateway used for

Very basic stuff. I don't think they expect you to know the deep down details unless you were applying for a senior position and had 10+ years in the industry where u should know this stuff like the back of your hand.

dynamik

I've posted these a few times, but they're good resources:
http://www.trainsignaltraining.com/it-job-interview-questions/2008-04-16/
http://www.trainsignaltraining.com/job-interview-tips/2008-06-18/

mrhaun03

Thanks for the replies guys. I wasn't thinkin it would be too technical. The way things seem is if they don't currently even have an IT staff. So I think I would be creating everything from the ground, which would be a great opportunity for me. I'm very excited about this job.

They have a few different locations through out the city, but I'm not sure if i'll be overseeing all the other locations as well. All together, it's a position I really want.

Thanks for the links dynamik! Good info there!

mrhaun03

I got the interview on tuesday. I hope I get it. I'm ready to move up outta the Help Desk roles.

remyforbes777

What experience beyond help desk do you have. I am not referring to work experience but experience in general. Do you have a home lab running various servers? These are things I would mention to them in the interview so they won't think you are a complete noob at administering Windows servers. Thats actually how I got my last job as a Network Technician. I was asked what do I have running at home and I told them about the various Linux and Windows servers I had. Most people they interviewed were saying they didn't have anything running and when they got home they didn't even think about computers.

jamesp1983

I went right into a sys admin position after working desktop support for about 2.5 years. My boss basically gave me the 70-291 again, it was a beast of an interview. Be ready for anything.

mrhaun03

remyforbes777 wrote:

What experience beyond help desk do you have. I am not referring to work experience but experience in general. Do you have a home lab running various servers? These are things I would mention to them in the interview so they won't think you are a complete noob at administering Windows servers. Thats actually how I got my last job as a Network Technician. I was asked what do I have running at home and I told them about the various Linux and Windows servers I had. Most people they interviewed were saying they didn't have anything running and when they got home they didn't even think about computers.

I don't have anything setup at home...something I plan on doing very soon though. At my last help desk job, I did get a lot of experience working with our servers. Exchange, 2000 server and server 2003, which is all on my resume. So I think do I have the knowledge for the position.