I recently posted about my experience organising recruiting for IT positions. I though I would follow this up with advice for those on the other end of the interview panel, based on my experience as someone involved in and responsible for hiring staff at a number of organisations. Much of this advice is relevant to any job applicant, but some is specific to IT positions.

CV and Covering Letter

If you are applying for a position, avoid applying for numerous positions with the same CV. This is something that is obvious when panel members read applications. Look for the positions that you are seriously interested in, research the organisation and take the time to customise your CV for the position.

If you are applying for a position above an entry level position, a covering letter that addresses the selection criteria is expected. You should be able to show that you are capable of covering each criterion.

As an IT professional, when writing your CV and covering letter, you should be able to demonstrate capable word-processing skills. Many people think they know how to use a word processor, but if your skills are not more advanced than when using a typewriter, you’re going to meet sticklers like myself who will judge you on your document writing skills. Think about document writing as you would when writing source code. Your document should be structured with headings that use heading styles. Formatting should avoid unnecessary white-space and include proper formatting mechanisms, such as tabs and tables. Unless it is required, submit a PDF, not the word processed document.

• Length
  For most positions, two pages should be your CV length limit. Exceptions are positions in higher education where research background may be expected. Keep your text brief and use points. An easy-to-skim CV will quickly get you to the next round.
• Logos
  Consider adding company logos in your experience list. It quickly shows where you’ve been and is eye catching.
• Diagrams
  A quick way to show something relative is with quick diagram, such as years of experience in past positions as a graph or timeline. Some of the most intriguing CVs I’ve seen include such simple diagrams.
• Personal Photo
  Should you add a photo of yourself? Some people are against this. In some parts of the world it is expected. I think that if you have a vibrant, friendly smile, I would add a good photo of yourself next to your name. If you are a female applying for an IT position, I would definitely recommend this.
• Spelling and Grammar
  If you think spelling and grammar isn’t important for an IT position, think again. Day-to-day communication in IT is written, such as documentation, reports and even bug tickets. If you’re not a native speaker of the language you’re applying in, find a friend who is and ask them to check your writing.

Before the Interview

So you got the call and you’re heading for the interview. Don’t waste your time waiting anxiously; get prepared.

• Research
  Do more research about the organisation. See if you can determine what technologies the organisation is using that may be relevant to the position. Look for information about history, corporate structure and current newsworthy events. If you are given the names of the interview panel members, look for information about them and their roles; this may help you answer interview questions from them in the most appropriate way.
• Write questions
  At the end of an interview, you’re often given the opportunity to ‘reverse the tables’ and ask questions yourself. This is a chance to demonstrate the research you’ve done and leave a good impression. Being ready to ask questions shows you have envisioned yourself in the position and are enthusiastic about working in it. Have a few more questions that you will ask so you can pull them out selectively. It’s OK to ask about salary expectations for the position if that hasn’t been covered.
• Anticipate answers
  Many interviewers will ask similar sorts of questions. See my guide for some examples.  Think about occasions where things have worked in past positions and where they have failed. Think about relationships you’ve had with fellow workers, where that was successful, where you had conflict and how you dealt with that. Write some of these cases down. Be prepared to be honest; answering dumbly that you “can’t think of an occasion where something has gone wrong” can be viewed as dishonesty.
• Schedule yourself
  When presented with a set of items to remember, people tend to remember the first and the last items better. When marking assignments, markers will often fall into patterns over time, biasing submissions they see early or late in the process. Interview panels will be more open to the first interviewee, critical of following candidates as they hope for someone ‘just right’, but the last applicant has the best chance to swoop in and prove that the whole depressing series of interviews was worth it after all. If you have any opportunity to nominate your time-slot, see if you can get in last or, if not, then first.

The Interview

You’ve made it in the door. You looked good enough on paper, but now you have to prove you’re ready for the job. As well as probing you about your skills and experience, much of an interview is about picturing how well you will work with the people within the organisation. An interview can draw you from the bottom of the list to the top, but a single answer can drop you out of contention.

• Consider your attire
  As much as we may be casual about attire in IT on a daily basis, avoiding fashion trends and false pretences, what you wear to an interview should be a step-up from the norm. In some cases, that may mean full business suit for ladies and men. See what people are wearing there and go a notch higher. If you’re not sure, it’s OK to ask what to wear to an interview.
• Don’t show up early
  You may be eager and definitely want to give yourself buffers so as not to be late, but showing up early is a bit annoying for interview panels who are trying to keep to a schedule. Showing up early sets in motion a series of actions that eventually interrupts someone who may subconsciously judge you. Be there on time or a couple of minutes early; if that means lurking in the carpark until your time, do that.
• Be ingratiating
  Your opportunity to warm up and share what a great person you are comes at the beginning. Don’t skip straight to the skills and experience, however keen you are to demonstrate these. Imagine the interview panel are your best friends; even if they appear weary after a series of interviews, you need to be smiling and respectful of the panel and their process.
• Be specific
  When answering questions, be as specific as you can. Listen to the questions as they are asked and, even if you have to take a few seconds before answer, consider how you will answer. Giving general answers may cover the question, but it won’t make you a standout applicant. If you can use specific examples from your experience, this is a plus: you’ve been there and done that. Avoid waffling; a concise answer is good. Look at the expression of the person asking the question to see if they are satisfied with your answer to the question, otherwise ask for clarification. Consider the role of the person asking and what perspective (technical, managerial, end-user) they are asking the question from. Be confident about technical skill questions; if asked about something you haven’t worked with previously, answer honestly but show an interest in learning new skills.
• Be wary of scenarios
  Almost all interviews will include a scenario; expect some verbal role-play, written response, coding task or a combination of these. Your answer to a scenario is not as important as how you answer it. The scenario may test how you might interact with clients. When faced with a conundrum, it’s more likely that you’re being tested on whether you can come up with a workaround, rather than following corporate rules or passing decision-making responsibility upwards.

Afterwards

If you’re waiting for a long period after an interview without hearing any news, it’s probably not a good thing. It doesn’t hurt to call up and ask how the process is going. Put your efforts into other positions after a week or so, if you haven’t already.

If you were unsuccessful, do ask for feedback. As well as helping you with future applications, it shows you’re a mature person and keeps you in mind should the chosen application not work out.