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Systems Administrator interview: tips and questions.

The main function of a systems administrator is to ensure that all computers being used by the company are operating properly.  The demand for systems administrators is growing exponentially as all companies depend on experts to manage servers and provide hardware support for laptops, desktops, monitors and printers.  The systems administer should have the ability to learn new technology and implement it; an extremely high knowledge base of Windows and Linux administration is essential.

A systems administrator will have had a university education and will have a Bachelor’s degree at least, but preferably a Master’s degree in computer science or an associated course.  A systems administrator will deal with different problems which may include the design and configuration of software, hardware devices, and also test operating system software.

There are many skills required to be a successful systems administrator.  The job is constantly evolving as computers and software become more and more efficient and capable of dealing with complicated hardware devices.  They also deal with the organisation of software resources.

The Interview

Systems administrators are highly sought after, and if you have the relevant university degree coupled with the aptitude necessary for this role, you should be confident that your ability will stand you in pole position.

It is important to show that you’re not over-confident.  You will need to work with other people so you must be a team player.  Appropriate business clothes should be worn, and you should make sure that you have spent time researching the company in which you are seeking employment.

Ensure that you arrive in good time for the interview and remember to switch your mobile phone off when you arrive at the company.  Greet the interviewer with a warm handshake and remember to smile.  You want to work there, so it is important to show that you are pleased to be there.

It is possible that the interviewer doesn’t know much about the work of a systems administrator and what is involved on a day to day basis.  If you are asked to explain what you do, speak clearly and in layman’s terms, without sounding patronising.

It may be that this is the first interview and another will be scheduled for shortlisted candidates.  Make sure that you are recalled by confirming your desire to work for the company.

At the close of the interview, thank the interviewer and if there will only be a single interview indicate that you will accept if the position is offered to you.

  
Hi all, i had this question which completely left me blank and i was waffling on.
I applied for the receptionist role at a higher education institution and it was in the health and well-being department so they provided support for those needing counseling, medical help or those with disabilities.

I was asked working as a receptionist required working autonomously and how would i handle confidential information. I replied with i would ensure that i read up on the companies policies and procedures and research what i should know and make sure i wouldn’t divulge confidential information.

Looking back i think my response should have been

‘Working on the hotlines for the clearing period where a large volume of calls were made by potential students wanting admission to the university i would ensure that files that were not important were shredded and destroyed and important files were stored away, also confidential information wouldn’t be revealed to those who weren’t the individual looking for a place at the university and was polite and clear about abiding by the confidential act as i know the university reputation is important, also if i was away from the computer i would make it was locked so no one other than myself would access any personal information’

Could you help by saying would this reply have been better and what other answer would you have given using the example of the hotlines.

Thankyou

  
What are you passionate about?

With this question, the interviewer is trying to work out what motivates you as an individual and whether or not you actively pursue activities that help to get you motivated. It usually will not matter if you answer this question in a way that seems to relate directly to your work, or one which seems to be completely unrelated to it. The end result of you pursuing your passions is always the same. It will make you happier, and a happy worker is a productive worker, and a productive worker has a happy boss. However, you should still exercise caution in ensuring you don’t answer with something that could negatively impact on your job. For example, if you are passionate about breaking the world record for the number of sick days taken in one calendar year, I would recommend you keep it to yourself.

When structuring your response to this question, be sure to include examples of how you are actively engaging in your passions.

Example Answers

For example, "My passion outside of work for the last 7 years has been stock car racing. In my spare time I enjoy maintaining and repairing my race car. I also enter races whenever I can and have had some success in doing so."

This answer shows the interviewer that you have your own way to unwind that will increase the likelihood that your morale will be relatively high. It may also make you sound more interesting and engaging, which in turn, will help create a positive image of you.

Another example, "My passion is finding the solutions to problems that come my way. I have found that working in engineering, as I have for the last 16 years, is the perfect outlet to pursue this passion and I can honestly say I enjoy doing what I do."

This answer is obviously work related and would have a similar effect on the interviewer. As you seem genuinely interested in your job, especially if you can say you have been enjoying it for an extended period of time, you are much more likely to maintain a high level of morale.

Good luck.

  
If you have been selected for an interview for a Driving school, then you need to make sure you prepare well for your interview and do your research well.

Start by thoroughly going through the job description and job role to ensure that you know what parts you can do and think of examples of work that you have done which is related and that you could use as examples. Have you worked in this area before or do you know of this area well, could you use examples as to road names, locations etc to prove this during your interview?  Have you compared any driving schools, what makes you want to work for the one you are being interviewed with?
How do you feel that you get the best out of your pupils and why?How do you attract new pupils to your lessons?When are the majority of your lessons taking place?How many people have you helped to pass their driving test?How many people have failed and why?Name 10 important facts from the highway codeCan you recall a particularly good pupil and how long it took for them to pass their test?Can you recall a not so good pupil and what happened and why? How did you deal with this?What time of the day do you prefer to do your lessons and why?How many lessons do you think you can do in one day?Do you have any restrictions on when you can work?When did you pass your driving test and how do you think you would pass today?You need to know everything you possibly can do, look at their website, how successful are they?  Get a feel for what they have done in the past and how they are perceived in the market place.

Although you are not bound to be asked any of these questions, it gives you an idea on what types of questions you could be asked and this will obviously vary from the company and the person interviewing you.

The role of a Driving Instructor is very competitive these days with numerous companies and people working for themselves. How successful you are depends purely on results and the reputation that you build for yourself over time. 

Good Luck.

Related: Driving Instructor Job Description

  
If you have been selected for an interview for an interview then you need to make sure you do all the preparation you can to make you shine to your future employer.
Preparation is definitely the key here!

Start by thoroughly going through the job description and job role to ensure that you know what parts you can do and think of examples of work that you have done which is related and that you could use as examples.

Once you are confident you can do what they are looking for then you need to ensure that you have researched the company thoroughly. You need to know everything you possibly can do, look at their website, can you find any press releases, news feeds that they have done? Get a feel for what they have done in the past and how they are perceived in the market place.

You also need to think carefully about what kind of questions you may be asked and below is a list of questions that you can think about prior to your interview:
Can you tell me what marketing strategies you will use to generate leads?If you are successful, what will your first goals be in your new role?If you were in charge of the social media budget, how would you allocate it?Have you ever had to handle a social media crisis?Although you are not bound to be asked a quarter of those questions, it gives you an idea on what types of questions you could be asked and this will obviously vary from the company and the person interviewing you.

Be prepared and remember that there is a lot of competition amongst Social Media, so you need to be able to shine above all the test.

Good Luck.

  
If you have been selected for an interview for an interview then you need to make sure you do all the preparation you can to make you shine to your future employer remembering that a key aspect of any journalism role is researching.

Preparation is definitely the key here! As a good journalist you will already be very good at doing your research, so ensure that you do the same for before you get the job!

Start by thoroughly going through the job description and job role to ensure that you know what parts you can do and think of examples of work that you have done which is related and that you could use as examples. Have you worked for any newspapers before, even as work experience, what can you draw from this time. Or perhaps you can draw your experiences from when you were learning at college or university.

Once you are confident you can do what they are looking for then you need to ensure that you have researched the paper/magazine etc thoroughly. Who are their competitors, who would you be working against to get the best news? How can your news be better?

You need to know everything you possibly can do, look at their website, go through recent stories and articles that they have written on a number of topics. Make sure you know these well enough that you are able to comment on them and draw some comparisons.  Get a feel for what they have done in the past and how they are perceived in the market place.

You also need to think carefully about what kind of questions you may be asked and below is a list of questions that you can think about prior to your interview:
Can you tell me how you research and how successful you have been doing this to date?If you are successful, what are would you like to be in and why?If you ran the paper, what areas would you say are the most newsworthy and why?Have you ever missed a deadline? Although you are not bound to be asked a any of those questions, it gives you an idea on what types of questions you could be asked and this will obviously vary from the company and the person interviewing you.

In the media world, employers are looking for a good communicator that will be different and this is where you need to make your skills and personality stand out.

Related: Journalist Job Description

Good Luck.

  
If you have been selected for an interview for a Warehouse environment where they are looking for a Forklift Truck Operator then make sure they know what level you are at and take your Fork Lift Truck operators licence with you when attending an interview.

Start by thoroughly going through the job description and job role to ensure that you know what parts you can do and think of examples of work that you have done which is related and that you could use as examples, such as any previous warehousing experience you have had.

During your interview you could be asked some of the following questions so ensure that you read through these carefully giving time for you to think of the responses you may give:
When did you take your fork lift test?What made you want to be a forklift truck operator?Have you ever had any accidents or been around any accidents? Describe these in detail showing your involvement.Describe how you understand a warehouse to work and the processes of accepting a delivery?What do you understand about Health and Safety?Have you ever had any Health and Safety training and to what level, where etc?What goods/products have you been used to working around?What turnaround time did you work to when sorting deliveries in bound or out bound?How big was the last warehouse environment you worked in?Who did you report to?How did you report to them?You need to know everything you possibly can do, look at their website, how successful are they?  Get a feel for what they have done in the past and how they are perceived in the market place.  Do you know anyone who has worked there before within the warehouse/Fork lift role?

Although you are not bound to be asked any of these questions, it gives you an idea on what types of questions you could be asked and this will obviously vary from the company and the person interviewing you.

The role of a Fork Lift Operator is a very responsible one. Working in a busy warehouse dealing with mass products each day can be recipe for disaster in the wrong hands, therefore it is important to come across well with a mature attitude towards your work and safety at work. 

Related: Forklift Truck Operator Covering Letter Example

Good Luck.

  
If you have been selected for an interview for a Car Valet, then you need to make sure you prepare well for your interview and do your research into who you will be working for – direct clients or through a company?

Start by thoroughly going through the job description and job role to ensure that you know what parts you can do and think of examples of work that you have done which is related and that you could use as examples.

Have you done anything like this before at a previous company or can you draw upon personal experiences such as helping families with their car cleaning etc? Any experience helps you to shine above the rest.

Have a think about some possible questions you could be asked at your interview and start to prepare your answers although do not make them sound parrot fashion; you need to sound as real as possible.
What products have you used in the past for cleaning a car?Talk me through the process of valeting including shampooing a car and how long do you think it will take?How long does it take to wash a car only?How do you communicate with your clients?Have you been used to mobile valeting and if not is this something you would consider?How do you go about waxing and polishing a car?What kind of service do you expect to give your clients?Although you are not bound to be asked any of these questions, it gives you an idea on what types of questions you could be asked and this will obviously vary from the company and the person interviewing you. To do this role you will need to be a confident communicator and exceptionally hard working in all types of weather.

Good Luck.

Related: Car Valet Job Description

  
Before attending any interview it is imperative that you have done your research thoroughly.  You need to compare the company you are going to be interviewed by with other market leaders and note the differences and you may be able to use these reflections during your interview. It will show that you have given the interview a great deal of thought.

As well as researching, ensure that you take your Driving Licence and any other driving related documents with you to an interview so that if necessary you can show your interviewer and if successful means that you will not have to come back with them to show them.

Ensure that you are up to date on your highway code and have a good knowledge of local areas.

Related: Delivery Van Driver Job Description

Some questions that you may be asked during your interview could be as follows:
What speed should you drive on a dual carriageway?What does X Y and Z road signs look like? And how do you follow them?Do you know where you can and cannot park in a town centre?How long do you estimate that delivering 30 parcels would take?How many would you expect to deliver in one day?What areas do you know within a 50 mile radius?How well do you communicate with your customers as you are representing the company?What have you delivered in the past (products wise)?What size vans have you used in the past?How do you motivate yourself and achieve your delivery targets?How would you rate your driving skills? Think about entering into the winter months.Remember that although you may be working on your own largely that you will need to communicate with other people and work as part of a wider team.

You will probably receive one or more of following questions too:
Tell me about yourself.What are your strengths?What are your weaknesses?Why do you want this job?Where would you like to be in your career five years from now?What’s your ideal company?What attracted you to this company?Why should we hire you?What did you like least about your last job?When were you most satisfied in your job?What can you do for us that other candidates can’t? What were the responsibilities of your last position?  Why are you leaving your present job?What do you know about this industry?  What do you know about our company? Are you willing to relocate?  Do you have any questions for me?Good luck.

  
As a HealthCare Assistant you will need a great deal of patience for a physically and mentally challenging role.

It is important therefore to ensure you know exactly what duties will be required of you when entering into this type of role.

As with any interview, make sure you research the company/sector thoroughly to avoid any embarrassing questions that you wished you had researched more. Try and look into all roles and understand how the kind of setting you are hoping to work in works on a daily basis and plan some questions that you could ask during your interview and tailor them accordingly during the interview when you know specific information.

Some questions that you could be:
What 3 things do you enjoy about working with patients?Tell me about a particularly difficult patient and how you dealt with this?How do you feel when you have had a hard and demanding shift? Have you ever provided any therapies for patients and what did this include?What age range of people have you worked with and what types of problems?If a patient could sum you up, what would they say?How do you feel about health and safety surrounding patients and what have you had to follow in the past?What made you begin a career as a Health Care Assistant?What things can you do to make a patient feel better?Have you been involved on any patient outings?Depending on the situation and organisation you work for will depend on the specific questions that you will be asked as you may be required to do home visits if you work as part of a care package team etc so it is important to read the job description and company information thoroughly prior to any interview.

Good Luck.

Related: Health Care Assistant Job Description