Interview Tommorow

Cal_0808

Hi guys

Just wanted your advice, I have my first real interview tomorrow for a junior network engineer job. If successful this will be my first job despite doing part time ad hoc sort of work for a local ict company (just desktop support).

The recruiter has told me that it will be a panel interview consisting of 50% technical questions and 50% character questions. He only told me that I got through the phone interview and that they want a face to face one yesterday so im quite quite nervous lol.

He said they were looking for someone with excellent knowledge of the basics of networking and with soft skills. I believe i've got the soft skills nailed (work on the customer service desk for supermarket when in college). However even with a CCNA under my belt im concerned about the technical side because he said it would be very in depth basics (???).

Any advice you guys could give me would be much appreciated

Thanks

thenjduke

Be yourself. Do not lie and express your strong points as well as weak points. Employers known when you are lying.

laidbackfreak

+1 for above

Just relax they have already decided you meet the technical criteria else you wouldnt have got this far. They wont expect you to know everything but as long as your confident in your answers and the ones you dont know you can offer to learn (tech skills can always be learnt) then thats good enough
Soft skills on the other hand, while they can be taught there not exactly easy to learn, just take a look at call centres for an example !

Do your homework before you go there and you'll be fine.

tpatt100

thenjduke wrote: »

Be yourself. Do not lie and express your strong points as well as weak points. Employers known when you are lying.

Pretty much this, good luck.

miller811

Do yourself a favor and take a look at the questions/answers listed on this site.

Do not underestimate the general questions and what they are trying to uncover.

HR Interview Questions

Paul Boz

My biggest tips:

1.) Don't over-inflate your value or skills. They will cut through that like a warm knife through butter.

2.) don't worry if you don't know the answer to a technical question. If you BS them they will know it. Try your hardest to accurately answer their questions but if you're unsure of the answer explain how you would quickly get the answer. There are really two scenarios here. Imagine you're asked a question about OSPF area types and you haven't really studied OSPF to that degree. You can either A, BS them and make it obvious that you don't know, or B, explain what you can and mention that you could quickly reference the Cisco DocCD for a better explanation. The ability to quickly reference material is what makes someone a good IT employee, not knowing it all. That's impossible.

3.) Be social but not obnoxious. I've interviewed lots of folks who come in and are extremely nervous, shy, and or disconnected. On the other hand I've met people who skirt around the serious bits of the interview by telling anecdotes about dumb stuff ranging from hobbies to what their pets look like. Just be outgoing when you are greeted and during the social questions then turn on 100% professional mode when you're doing the technical portion. This will show them that you can both be serious and "let your hair down."

4.) Please god dress nicely. Dress like you're the boss. They may say that they have a casual dress code but that doesn't mean you shouldn't wear a nice button up, slacks, and a tie. They want to see that you have the capability to interface with others in a professional manor. We get lots of people in for interviews who assume that "security engineer" means "wear blue jeans and a T-shirt to work" (which is the dress code at work) and come to the interview dressed in a polo that's not tucked in. Engineers at our company have to go on-site to clients around the country, often speaking to CEO/other execs and or board members. It is critical that we be able to "dress up" even though its not the norm in our office.

dps

1. Read and review the job description and learn more about the company. It's good if you have a general understanding of what they are looking for.

2. Review the resume you submitted and have extra copies.

3. Know the names and roles of your interviewer(s).

4. Have a good, firm handshake.

5. Dress for success. Make a great first impression.

6. Calculate the time to drive to the interview location. Do NOT ever be late.

7. Prepare to ask questions. Ex: Major responsibilities of the job? (If they haven't discussed it yet) Career progression? Travel involved? Etc.

8. Relax and be yourself as the other guys already said.

Cal_0808

Thanks for all your advice guys

Im setting off soon and i should know whether i've got the job or not so i'll let you know!

L0gicB0mb508

Good Luck!