Interview Advice

silverp1

Hi guys,
I was hoping you could give me some advice for an upcoming interview. I'll be interviewing for a linux support position with a local company - I've already worked through 2 interviews and they asked me to come back for a third interview to meet with the CEO and COO. I have to admit, this makes me a bit nervous as I've never interviewed with people that high up on the food chain. Do you guys have any advice?

I've read an article or two about the CEO and I've learned that he started the company by himself a few years back. What would you guys recommend in terms of questions to ask? I'm not a linux guru, but the firm knows this and I have been upfront and honest about the lengths of my knowledge - I just want to come off as versed as possible without sounding silly.

Any advice at all would be much appreciated! Thanks!

redz

Few things:
Dress to the nines, but nothing abrasive that could potentially detract from their attention (stay away from strong, warm colors). Ties with no patterns are generally your best bet, but if you have to go with patterns, keep it classic and avoid paisley at all costs (there is a large contingent of anti-paisley professionals - you don't want to risk hitting some unknown pet peeve).

CEOs and COOs are people, don't stress out about "how high up in the food chain" they are. Be respectful, but treat them as people. If it turns out they're horrible monsters, you won't get the job that you would hate anyways.

Be honest and confident in what you know. You may not be a Linux guru, but as you said, they don't expect you to be one. If you anticipate technical questions, then make sure you can either answer their questions or, if you don't know the correct answer, demonstrate that you know how to find it on your own ("Honestly, sir, I would Google how to perform that task, because I'm not certain").

I ran across this article on LinkedIn yesterday and enjoyed it: The 3 Questions People Always Forget to Ask in an Interview | LinkedIn Form your own opinion and decide whether or not you'd like to ask something akin to these. There's some good information in the comments, too.

silverp1

Redz,
Thanks for the advice! I interviewed today and I was offered the position on the spot - I'm super excited!

dsgm

Congrats to you sir

silverp1

Thank you sir!

shart1971

Congratulations!!

redz

And here I was trying to sabotage you with horrible advice...

Congrats, though, I'm happy for you!