IT Manager Interview Questions

When preparing for IT Manager jobs it is key to understand that there are likely to be 2 elements to the interview, the technical side and the management side.

As a result it is important that you have considered your strengths and weaknesses in both.

The technical side of the interview is likely to vary widely dependent upon the systems in place in the company you are applying to and which systems you will be responsible should you land the job. With this in mind it is likely that you will only be asked technical questions based around the skillsets and technologies that you have mentioned on your CV.

The management side of the interview is likely to be designed to find out more about your behavioural character and management technique, as a result it is likely that you will be asked open ended questions aimed at getting you to recall examples of situations and how you dealt with them.

We have put together a few example questions that you could be asked in this section of the interview to help you prepare your own answers to.

1. Give me an example of a time in which you needed to choose between two or more important priorities in making budget decisions wherein the organization could only fund one of them.
2. Tell me about a time when you had to work with someone you were managing who was not performing to standard?
3. Tell me about a time when you needed to negotiate something. It could be costs for equipment or software, salaries, or even a conflict between two people.
4. Describe a situation in which you had to deliver the same basic message, but to different audiences. How did you tailor your remarks for each group?
5. Describe the system you have used to forecast and manage budgets.
6. Describe a time when you had to develop and present plans that anticipated new technologies not yet in use in your workplace. How did you go about researching them and creating a case for early experimentation and/or pilot programs?
7. Who are the thought leaders in Information and Instructional Technology that you listen to and follow? 

It is a good idea to have a bank of examples to use for these types of questions to ensure that you can highlight the relevant skills without repeating yourself.

For more advice on perfecting your interview technique, we've partnered up with CV Knowhow who offer interview coaching so click here to find out more.

Good luck!