If you're a graduate looking to get into IT and need to get a feel for the kind of questions employers might ask at interview, then make sure you research these graduate IT interview questions below. These questions and answers are taken from real graduate interviews, and compiled to give you an idea of what to expect and how to prepare your answers.
Example IT Interview Questions:
Imagine you are a couple of months into a 6 month project and it is about to overrun on costs. How would you deal with this most effectively, what steps would you take?
This will become a common problem for you in IT. A good way to approach this problem would be to re-estimate the new total cost and then consider if the overall objective of the project is worth this new cost. Depending on the scale of the project it may be a good idea to discuss this with a superior. At the end of your answer tell the interviewer how you would implement a system to avoid this problem happening again in the future, and even ways you may have prevented it in the first place.
Tell me about a time when it was necessary for you to communicate technical information, clearly, to an audience.
As an applicant you should appear to keep very up to date with current technological advancements and should be able communicate that information succinctly and clearly. You may have been required to present at seminars at university, which provides a suitable example. The key here is to demonstrate that not only can you communicate with other IT specialists, but also with those with less knowledge in this subject area, so avoiding use of jargon and avoiding sounding patronizing.
Could your work performance be improved by incorporating new technical knowledge and developments?
As a job seeker you should push for new technical training in order to implement this new knowledge into work practices. Acknowledge that the sector of IT is evolving constantly and that technical knowledge must be updated and incorporated regularly. However also note that a solid background knowledge is key to build upon, and that you have this, as well as being willing to adapt to new developments.
As technology changes, so does IT. Are you willing to keep up with new concepts?
The key here is the type of examples you give. For instance, “I always look on Twitter for the latest tech trends” or “I’m just really interested, so I would just generally keep up” would not cut it. You need specific examples of research that you do, events that you attend, relevant publication subscriptions that you have. Show them your interest is genuine.
Are there any relevant IT projects that you initiated and carried out successfully? What software did you use and why?
Note the word ‘relevant’ here. Make sure that you have thought about your example, and how it relates to the company you are interviewing with. Equally, when you are speaking about why you used certain software, you need to ensure your reasons are well-prepared - “Because it was what we had” is unlikely to turn any heads.
Tell me about a time when you were able to individually deal with a technical difficulty?
This is a classic competency question, so your main focus should be structuring your answer well. A good example, trapped in a rambling speech, will do you no good. Use the STAR technique here (Situation Task Action Result) and use it to give your answers a clear narrative flow.
Demonstrate your technical knowledge and skills.
A question as broad as this is almost meaningless, yet you will meet it time and time again in interviews. Your best bet here would be to ask if there is a specific area they would like you to focus on, such as: programming language, development methodology or past projects. If they won’t budge, then pick your biggest and most technical piece of experience and use the STAR technique to guide you through.
Has IT ever let you down?
Of course it has, but you need to think about how to communicate this, and what knowledge you need to demonstrate. Focus on areas where overconfidence in the ability of IT, or a lack of understanding about a system has let you down. This way you can make a point about how IT doesn’t always work, but the real problems stem from where the perception about what it can do and the reality don’t quite match up.