Interviewing for a job at a data center

Anonymouse

I'm going to be interviewing for a job at a data center for an entry-level position building servers, racking/stacking, and deploying Cisco network equipment. Any tips or insight that could help me with preparing for it? So far all I can think of is researching their company and possibly some new interview threads (slacks and shirt).

WafflesAndRootbeer

Bone up on UPS (power supply) stuff, anything involving rack mounted equipment, and anything else relevant to what you might be asked to do there. Also hit the gym. You need to built your upper body strength to deal with moving all the stuff around. A lot of people get broken by data center work because they are not fit enough to handle the equipment moving.

Anonymouse

LOL that's good. I'll be glad to do some heavy lifting on the job instead of sitting at a desk. I'm in decent shape from mountain biking and diet but still have a flabby gut. In data centers do the techs typically handle the cooling system or is that something that differs from place to place? Good looking out on the UPS and rack mounted equipment!

networker050184

I think its a much more beneficial to spend your time brushing up on the skills you have listed on your resume than to try and learn something new for the interview. When I interview someone I'm expecting them to speak in depth about what they claim to know. If they don't claim to know something on their resume I don't expect them to have much knowledge on the subject.

networker050184

Anonymouse wrote: »

LOL that's good. I'll be glad to do some heavy lifting on the job instead of sitting at a desk. I'm in decent shape from mountain biking and diet but still have a flabby gut. In data centers do the techs typically handle the cooling system or is that something that differs from place to place? Good looking out on the UPS and rack mounted equipment!

From my experience data centers have techs that handle the cooling and all that. These people differ from the systems/network guys which I assume is what you are going out for. I doubt you will have much to do with that aspect unless this is a very small data center where everyone wears multiple hats.

lantech

What you do will depend on the company you are with. The two previous data centers I worked in had dedicated teams to facilities work. The one I work at right now is smaller and we do a little bit of everything here. Just depends on where you work. Without the actual job description it's kind of hard to say.

You might want to brush up on your cabling specs.

Good clothes is always a good idea. The first data center I worked at had an opening for a network engineer come up. This was right after I got done with my Cisco classes. I saw every one of the people that came in for interviews. They all looked terrible. Wrinkled clothes, no ties and even one didn't even bother to wear a dress shirt. When I did my interview I took the time to change clothes and wear a shirt and tie. Probably should have worn a jacket as well. The head of the network department said he was impressed that I actually changed for the interview and said it was something I didn't have to do since I already worked their. Remember, always dress like you want the job.