The Final Trial · Interviews
Two interviews, two different jobs to do
Most hiring processes start with a conversation about you and finish with a conversation about your skills. Prepare for each one differently, because the people across the table are deciding different things.
Trial 1
The good fit interview
WhoA recruiter, an HR contact or the first interviewer
What they decideAre you easy to work with, reliable and a believable match for the job?
What it coversIntroductions, personality, teamwork, reliability, goals, and the questions you should ask them
Trial 2
The technical interview
WhoThe owner, an IT director or a senior technician
What they decideDo you understand the basics, and do you think in an organized way?
What it coversNetworking, command line, servers, backups, firewalls, virtualization, everyday tools and troubleshooting scenarios
How to use the answers
- Read the question and answer it out loud in your own words before you read the sample.
- Compare your answer with the sample and notice what you left out.
- Swap the examples for your own real stories and lab work, because an interviewer can tell when an answer is borrowed.
- Keep technical answers short and complete: the main idea, why it matters, and one example if you have one.
- If you do not know something, say so and explain how you would find out. That is often better than a guess.
What a good answer looks like
- For the good fit interview: warm, honest and specific, about one or two minutes long, built from a real story.
- For the technical interview: short and organized, showing a method, such as working from the physical connection up to the service.
- For both: honest, so never claim experience you do not have.