Interview with an educational institution

NicWhite

Hi Everyone,

Just a question for the experts. I know this has been beaten to death but what should one expect from a 2-hour panel technical interview and "test" at an educational institution for a help desk position?

What knowledge is usually tested on the exam. I don't need exact questions, just need to know what areas to review. Ex: overall A+ content, etc.

Thanks in advance.

the_Grinch

College level or K12 level? Overall it would be about the same, but there would be subtle differences so I will cover both.

Both - Expect to answer the typical help desk related question. Generally this doesn't mean getting the answer right, but more as to see what your process is. The biggest thing will be customer service because in the beginning this is the most important part. Example questions would be:

User calls and says they cannot print, what would you check first?
User calls with the error "This page cannot be displayed" and unable to access network drives, what would you do?
User is receiving pop-ups and is unable to use their desktop, what would you do?

Pretty standard questions and problems you will see.

Now for the differences in interviews:

College/University - You'll probably have a few interviews with several people. Change management (for the most part) exists at the College/University level and there is usually a ton of procedures you'll need to learn/follow. These positions usually if you are hired on the desk, you'll stay at the desk and you'll be in the position ofor some time before a promotion or movement becomes available (university I was at had 15000 employees and IT promotions were rare). Interview wise, they tend to just talk through the problem. I've always found at Universities customer service was important, but it was very much a who's who (Executive Staff and certain professors always came first).

K12 - You'll be doing everything. Limited budget means making things work because there isn't an alternative. This was the only position where I had a hands on interview. RAM chip not fully in place, Flash update, etc. Customer service is important, but the who's who usually ends at Principals and the Superintendent. Also, not a ton of room for advancement, but you'll touch everything (at least in the two districts I was at no one was assigned to just being a network person or a systems admin). You won't be on the bleeding edge of technology, but it does get you in the trenches.

NicWhite

Great. Thanks so much. It is for a university. I will be passing this info along.

Ivanjam

@NicWhite - good luck with the interview!

NicWhite

Hi @Ivanjam

It's not for me, it's for my husband. I am trying to get into IT from the healthcare nursing angle but need to acquire some more knowledge.

BTW how are things going for you job wise? I see that you are in school, maybe you can apply for internships through the government. Checkout this site: USA Jobs Internships

If you decide to apply, remember to make your resume as detailed as possible. And they usually ask you to submit copies of your transcripts. You must make sure you pay attention to the required documents. These internships can provide transition to permanent jobs if they like your work and provide status so that you can apply for status jobs later on. Status jobs are jobs not open to the public.

I usually see a few things for the DC, Maryland area. I don't remember where you said you would consider moving but if you need any other tips, let me know.