Getting ready for an IT job interview

If you have an interview for an IT role coming up, you’re obviously looking to step up in or to join the lucrative career ladder that the technology industry is home to.

The IT sector offers new and current recruits a world of growth and low unemployment rates. Indeed, only one in ten organisations report being satisfied with the tech team they currently have, citing an IT skills gap for this low figure.

With the average tech professional earning a 5% salary boost last year, if you have an interview for an IT job lined up, it’s important to show your skillset, impress potential employers and not let the opportunity go to waste.

Europe’s top eLearning provider, The Learning People, talks through getting ready for an IT job interview.

Prepare, don’t bluff

As simple as it sounds, ensuring you have left enough preparation time is the first essential thing to focus on when you are offered an interview for any IT role.

This includes researching the company, researching the job role, researching basic things such as how to get there and the time it will take, and researching the people who may be interviewing you.

You can do this through LinkedIn or through any information you can find on the company website – remember the vast majority of companies will now be researching you before the interview too.

By putting together a list of common IT interview questions, you can prepare well thought out answers and practise them with someone beforehand.

The more preparation you carry out before the interview the more confident and calm you will feel and therefore appear to the interviewer.

Remember, especially in an IT role, it’s incredibly difficult to bluff your way through answers successfully when you probably have an expert sitting right across from you – so avoid doing so at all costs.

Understand how IT works in the company

With any IT role it’s all about context.

There are often several different techniques and ways of doing things, and each company will have pre-existing formulas and product lifecycle templates they’ll expect you to follow.

It’s important to be aware of this when heading to an interview; looking at previous projects the company has worked on is a good indicator of this.

As well as this, the IT industry is so fast paced and progressive that any interviewer will be looking for a candidate who shows a genuine interest in trends and developments, and who is interested in ways they can implement this to their work.

Ensuring your IT knowledge is up to date and that you’re aware of emerging technologies by looking on technology forums and blogs will mean you will be able to talk in the interview with integrity and enthusiasm.

Some forums can also be an invaluable resource for advice and real life experiences from the IT community who may have been in your position before, so it’s worth having an explore and asking some questions.

In any company you will become a part of a team, so showing that you can communicate clearly and respect the company culture is also a good character trait to show prospective employers.

Provide examples from experience

Whether you are still currently in training or have completed it before the interview, it’s important to be able to talk about specific examples where you have learnt useful lessons for a working environment.

If you have worked through any Practice Labs, being able to talk through any situations you have rectified or real life scenarios is an invaluable conversation filler throughout the interview.

Documenting projects you have worked on in the past that reflect your skills and contribution as a team member, is a great way of illustrating to the prospective employer what you can do and your enthusiasm in the role.

Think to the future

Lastly, look to the future in terms of how you see the IT industry progressing and where you want your career to head.

Employers will always be impressed to see you eagerly looking ahead and being passionate about advancements in the industry – if you can exhibit this they’ll also believe you’re someone worth investing in because you won’t shy away from change.

Every employer will also appreciate you being honest about where you want your career to go in the coming years.

Thinking about this and formulating it in your mind before your interview will mean you don’t hesitate in the interview when asked similar questions.

It will also let you feel confident with a goal in mind.