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IT Specialist Interview Questions

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  1. Can you tell me about the software packages you’ve used over your career? See answer
  2. Which online resources do you refer to on a regular basis in order to do your job? See answer
  3. Do you prefer on-site or cloud-based solutions for IT software in the business environment? See answer
  4. How do you keep your technology and programming skills current so that you can do your job well? See answer
  5. Can you tell me about a time that a project did not go as planned and what you did about it to fix the problem? See answer
  6. When asked to choose between two functionally equivalent business tools, how do you recommend one for management? See answer
  7. Discuss two main differences between REST and SOAP web services.
  8. Tell me about two importance of documentation with respect to the end-users of IT services.
  9. Do you have experience managing databases? Can you explain the meaning of a truncate statement?
  10. What tools are used for authorization and authentication in business software?
  11. Have you ever worked with difficult software vendors? How did you manage them?
  12. How many programming languages can you work with?
  13. Tell me about the biggest IT project you handled.
  14. What will your day-to-day duties be like from the description of this job?
  15. Describe the use of clustering.
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6 IT Specialist Interview Questions and Answers

Q:

Can you tell me about the software packages you’ve used over your career?

A:

This is an important question to ask because it shows you if the IT specialist knows the software packages that are in use at your organization. The answer can tell you how much experience they have with different products and which versions they have used. Their response also gives you an idea of how the IT specialist uses these programs and what they see as the pros and cons of each. What to look for:

  • Description of software and versions used
  • Level of experience with the software
  • Demonstration of how they use the software
Example:

“I use MySQL to build and repair sites, and I have 10 years of experience with it. I use the ZenDesk tool for CRM and tickets.”

Q:

Which online resources do you refer to on a regular basis in order to do your job?

A:

You should ask this question because it shows the IT specialist’s knowledge of and ability to make use of available online resources. It also shows the candidate’s skill level in researching answers to solve a problem. The IT specialist’s interest in continuing to learn new skills is also reflected in their response. What you should look for in their answer:

  • Concise description of resources used
  • Ability to list features of each online source
  • Describe how the site helped solve their problem
Example:

“I use GitHub in order to pose questions to other IT specialists and to help others in the field find efficient solutions to problems.”

Q:

Do you prefer on-site or cloud-based solutions for IT software in the business environment?

A:

The answer to this question is important because it reflects the IT specialist’s experience in using different types of tools. Their response can be useful if your organization plans to employ both environments or convert from one type to the other. The candidate’s reply to this question reflects their comfort in using both types of storage and their level of experience with each option. What to look for:

  • Objective description of features of the solutions
  • Experience working with both types
  • Clear expression of their preference and why
Example:

“I have six years of experience in on-premise solutions, but I prefer cloud-based solutions today because they increase flexibility for the organization’s staff.”

Q:

How do you keep your technology and programming skills current so that you can do your job well?

A:

The answer to this question is important because it shows the candidate’s passion for the job. Willingness to learn new skills is an essential quality for an IT specialist to have since technology changes at a fast pace. The candidate’s ability to keep their knowledge current will help your organization with modern software and website design. This question also opens up a conversation about professional development opportunities. What you should look for in the answer:

  • Participation in continuing education
  • Attendance at professional conferences
  • Personal projects or attendance at forums and programming events
Example:

“Each year, I attend the IBM Think conference. I am also a moderator in the Reddit CSS hub that IT specialists use to learn online.”

Q:

Can you tell me about a time that a project did not go as planned and what you did about it to fix the problem?

A:

This is useful to ask because it shows the IT specialist’s ability to make on-the-spot decisions. It also demonstrates their skills at considering the potential problems of any project and planning for those issues. The capability to recognize that something is not working and that a new solution is required demonstrates flexible thinking and good critical-thinking abilities. What you should look for in their answer:

  • Clear description of what happened
  • Detailed summary of actions taken
  • Lessons learned from the incident
Example:

“A software release did not deploy properly, so we created a workaround, identified the problem lines of code and redeployed the software successfully.”

Q:

When asked to choose between two functionally equivalent business tools, how do you recommend one for management?

A:

IT specialists are the in-house experts on everything from software and computer hardware to networking solutions, so management depends on them when choosing new enterprise tools. This question helps interviewers learn about candidates' business experience, decision-making skills and their ability to choose products based on the needs and budget of the company. A skilled IT specialist can choose a product that offers more flexibility, low upfront and maintenance costs and ease of use. The candidate's answer should emphasize:

  • Decision-making skills
  • Understanding of the company's core needs
  • Knowledge of the business side of IT
Example:

 “When asked to choose between two functionally equivalent business tools, the first step is to determine the initial investment versus the return-on-investment of both products. I choose a software with lower running costs, such as a one-off payment over a subscription-based alternative. A cloud-based system should also be cheaper than an on-premises solution that requires more investment in dedicated servers and other IT infrastructure. I also choose a product that is easier to use and comes with exceptional customer support over a cheaper alternative with poor after-sales services.”

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