How do I get into an interviewer's mind?

Question

I am about to go for an interview to be the IT Administrator for a small law firm. I am confident that I am more qualified and a much better fit than the person that is looking after their systems at the moment.

My question is not directly IT related, however it will need IT basis. In the interview, I want to be able to ask some questions that will make the interviewer (the Managing Director of the Law Firm) stop, sit back and think of an answer. In the hope that after the interview is completed, he thinks "Wow, now that's the person I want managing my IT systems".

Answer 1

"I am confident that I am more qualified and a much better fit than the person that is looking after their systems at the moment."

Be careful, people like confidence, but that sounds a bit cocky to me :-) It may very well be true that you are better fit, but keep it to yourself. Even though this seems like some sort of self help nonsense, I would recommend reading How to Win Friends and Influence People.

A large part of an interview is not only showing that you have the technical skills, but also that people will want to work with you and you will have a good attitude. I don't know you, and not trying to judge your personality from one little post. I am just responding to the tone of your post in the way I think an interviewer might.

Answer 2

I'll +1 Kyle Brandt for what he said about being "cocky" (and also for mentioning How to Win Friends and Influence People-- it's really not self-help nonsense). I'm with him on that.

If I were interviewing for such a position, I'd want to know some details about how the Firm regards IT-- a cost-center or as a vehicle for improving efficiency and driving productivity. I wouldn't just be asking to give the interviewer a good feeling about me because I'd be sincerely interested. Working to change the minds of the partners in a law firm who might see IT as a hole that money gets poured down might sound like fun to you (or, it might not), and you should have some idea, going in, how the Firm sees IT. This is a good time in the interview to cement the idea that you understand that business doesn't "do technology" for the sake of "doing technology". Understanding business, the ROI necessary to make a business comfortable to spend money, and how this particular company sees IT fitting into their overall operation is essential and you want your interviewer to know that you understand that.

I'd also be interested in what the Firm sees as their current challenges or issues with IT, and I'd speak to how I'd resolve those issues and improve the IT infrastructure. I wouldn't go about talking in technical terms (unless you're meeting with a technical person), but I'd paint a picture with broad strokes describing the overall goal, logical phases to break the process down into, and ROI model for improvements you might make. Avoid trying to find "challenges" to talk about at this point. If the interviewer mentions something as being a "challenge" or an issue then it's fair game, but don't use the interview as a place to expound upon how you're going to "fix everything" and remake their IT world-- that's not the place (and, I would argue, that's not a viable strategy assuming you get the job).

Finally, if you can relate some of their current situation to your past experience ("Oh-- at xxxx, Inc. we had that issue, and here's what I did to make thngs better...") you're going to give your interviewer a sense of confidence. Don't go overboard and don't embellish or lie. On the other hand, if something jumps out as a "hey-- I've solved that problem before" type of thing, jump on it.

Answer 3

Don't talk to the MD about technology, to him IT is a service, it's both a requirement and an opportunity - it's also an investment.

Ask him what he expects from IT, what he worries about, what he hopes for, how open he is to IT adding to his business, if he is open how would he like opportunities to be presented to him, does he see IT as a cost centre only or as a business driver, what is the impact on his business of IT failure, does he understand that technology refreshes can save him money if well considered? etc.

He'll be thinking in terms of business, don't make the common mistake of assuming he gives a crap about tech.

Oh and good luck ;)

Answer 4

I probably have a different attitude to interviews than most because I'm not looking to change the world or aiming to climb some career ladder. I'm just cruising towards retirement. When I'm being interviewed I try to convey a quite confidence that I can do the job as advertised, plus anything else that might come up in the future. Of course this is much easier when you've been around a bit longer than it might be in say the first decade or so of your career.

When I've been the one doing the interviewing I've always dismissed anyone who came across as cocky or arrogant, so I try not to appear so myself. I don't challenge the interviewer in any way, as I see nothing to be gained by doing so. Rather than having him think you're good he's more likely to be offended, which means someone else gets the job.

From my CV they already know what I can do and have achieved, so I don't go over that again unless they want to discuss it. I let them know how I tackle IT and how I think their company will benefit from that approach. Note that this aspect needs to be tailored for the specific job. A small company, such as where I work now, requires a completely different attitude and approach to a large company (my previous job was in Warren Buffett's empire).

I do not tell them, or even imply, that my predecessor had shortcomings unless they raise the subject first. Even then, handle it delicately. If you appear too quick to criticize you've lost them.

For my current job I was interviewed twice. First by what is now my immediate boss to talk tech. I was then asked to come back a few days later to talk with the owner, so that he could decide whether or not he thought we could work well together. That second interview was the more important but I would not have had it had I not satisfied the tech aspect.

Edit: Fixed a couple of typos caused by posting too late at night. :)

Answer 5

Be yourself.

If they don't like you, it's not going to be a good fit, and the job will end shortly after it started.

Ask good questions.

Don't be afraid to ask about expectations regarding such things as being On-Call, the culture, what they believe a good IT manager is, how they reward good employees, etc.

Geek after 5.

A lot of companies like their geeks to be in love with what they do. Be sure to put any geeky extra-curricular hobbies on that resume, or talk about them in the interview.

Answer 6

Figuring out the corporate culture and mapping in is key. Read the website, ask them about the company, be interested in the business, not just the technology. While the firm may view IT as a cost-center, you'll want them to view you (the person) as a part of the team.

You may want to present yourself as a problem solver, and as someone who anticipates issues. Often, the best IT solution is completely invisible -- it is simply a lack of problems from a users point of view.

Finally, if you can find a way to provide value beyond "simply" IT, that may also be perceived as a differentiator. Be careful here, however. Try to understand the culture -- sometimes presenting a broad range of problem solving skills can be viewed as threatening or disruptive.

GOOD LUCK!

Answer 7

I agree with the points already made by Kyle and Evan.

If you want to make a positive impression on an interviewer, it's a good idea to know enough about the company as a whole to ask questions about the overall business and ideally be able to make some kind of connection between the business and the value of technology and what you specifically are bringing to add to that.

Does having having a "mission" matter to you? Or to them? If so, ask about their mission. It can help you understand how the place runs and why and gives you an opportunity to connect yourself to that. For example, I really believe in education and the mission of giving people the knowledge and tools to improve their lives and their community. As a result, I prefer working in Higher Ed because I feel that my work contributes to that mission.

Technical skills are important but places also want folks who understand can work with non-techies and who understand what the business as a whole needs and how technology serves those needs.

As an aside...asking questions that make an interviewer think can be a good thing but I'd avoid taking too critical a stance on how they do things unless asked for your opinion on a particular issue. Little turns off an interviewer more than somebody who is over-confident and (intentionally or not) comes off as if they are saying, "Oh you're doing it all wrong. I'd never do it that way." Even if you can pinpoint areas for improvement right off the bat, chances are that there are real reasons that things are a certain way and it doesn't win anybody any points to be overly critical without coming to understand what those issues might be over time.

Answer 8

Yes again do not come across as cocky, you will get dismissed in a hurry. I would go in and instead of trying to make a point of saying that you can do a much better job than the current staff member, you should go in very excited and make him feel that you are very excited for the opportunity to manage their IT network. That you feel this would be a great opportunity to use your current skills as well as establish new ones and that you feel you can do a great job as well.

This person doesn't know IT, in the end he/she is going to want someone he things really wants to manage and run with the IT needs so he/she doesn't have to worry about that area of his/her company. They are going to need to be happy and comfortable with you.

I have worked for a couple small 1 man IT depts before, and that has worked for me. I convey that it is an opportunity for me to work for them, and I am excited for the opportunity.

Also careful, if this is a law firm, they are smart and can see through most people to know what they are really feeling or thinking.

Good luck though!!

Answer 9

You may want to ask some questions about the work environment so that you do know what you'd be getting into. The IT Administrator can cover many different roles and you may not know how complex the systems that the law firm uses are.

A few questions that come to my mind:

• Would you be on-call all the time?
• How many users would you be supporting, roughly?
• What are some systems the office currently uses, e.g. accounting packages?

Maybe a lot of this is outsourced already and so you are doing mostly on-call work, or maybe you are going to be doing a lot of custom development to make things work better.