Interview Tips

[RitualOfTheTrout]

Well Im going for an interview on Wednessday for my first "Real Job". The position is for a computer technician at a local college campus. Does anyone have any advice or things I should be prepared for?

Iv been checking out the Campuses website and trying to compile some questions about the postion and different programs they have and looking through some example interview questions. Im rather excited and nervours at the same time..

The only downside to all of this is the fact that I have a vacation planned for the last week in september. Its already paid for and everything but Im sorta skeptical about them allowing me a week off so soon after being hired (assuming Id get hired). I plan to just say I have a vacation planned and payed for and would like to still be able to go, id work overtime, weekends etc to make up for it.. but if it came between me getting the job id just not go on vacation.

 

[it290]

If you really want the job, it might be a good idea to ditch your vacation plans without even mentioning it to them, unfortunately. If you do mention it, even if you plan on making it up, it may raise a flag. If you're an admin/tech, they don't care about the hours you put in, it's about whether you're there when you're needed.

However, it is a campus job. Those can be a bit easier to get sometimes...

 

[RitualOfTheTrout]

Yeah, I guess ill just hafta get a feeling for what they expect and see if its appropriate to even bring it up. Im not even sure what the duties of the job are exactly, the description was sorta vague and I even thought about not even bothering to apply to it for that reason.

 

[Curtis]

(Bearing in mind this is a different country/culture...)

I know a couple of guys where I work who started the same time as me, first real job, straight out of Uni, etc who took leave within weeks of starting. One was off for two weeks for something he had pre-arranged before knowing he had the job.

If you have a reasonable employer, they should let you have the time even when you don't officially have the leave to use. I'd play the interview by ear, though - no need to mention it unless it comes up in the course of the discussion since you can't know if you'll even get the job.

 

[mal]

When I started my current job they wanted me to start work in December '99 but I'd already arranged a holiday until the middle of January '00.

It was no problem at all.

 

[lordofduct]

Do like me, go in 1 hour late dressed in unironed clothes hung over from the night of debauchery the night before. Ace the stupid little math test they give, fly through that typing test with 70 words per minute and amaze the fuck out of them for doing this will the blood from that half ounce you split with your best mates last night still caked on your nose!

Or not.

 

[Dud]

I'd ditch the vacation myself, but that's just me, I take work really seriously. One thing you might want to be ready for is a drug test. During my last interview, I was having a hard time mustering something up for them to test, because I didn't have anything to drink yet that day.

That's the only advice I have.

 

[it290]

Drug test? For a campus IT dude job? Unlikely.

 

[lordofduct]

Yeah they only Drug Test when you apply at Grocery Stores, The Gap, other Mall jobs, and anything that pays 6 bucks an hour.

Kinda funny though, who could afford drugs at that wage?

 

[Dud]

I was applying for a job at the local contractors for Comcast. It was a $15/hour job, I didn't think they'd give me a drug test, but they did. You can't rule out the possibility, so I recommend that he go into the interview with a 100% full bladder. What?

 

[lordofduct]

I was joking... and I never had a hard time taking a leek on demand. Shit I ingest enough sodium on a daily basis I can piss out all the water in body rendering me null and void of any hydration and killing me... kinda like in that stupid tank girl movie. Although I wouldn't advise you in drinking it. (that part when Malcolm McDowell drinks the freshly squeezed water from one of his lackies makes me cringe EVERY time).

As for a real tip...

Dress nice (duh), ask lots of questions that make it look like you know what your doing and you want to know what to anticipate on this job, be confident in knowing what you can do and that it is you doing them a favor by being there. Don't say that last part out loud though, just hold that level of confidence in your ability to do the job. The "Go get em'" attitude. If done right they will think they need you and NOT that you need them, this way you can get your way with the vacation.

Wow, I used a lot of words to just say: BE CONFIDENT IN YOURSELF. it always work, how do you think drug dealers, telemarketers, salesman do it!

 

[Kuta]

I'm not sure about the drug test but definately expect a cavity search :lol:

 

[racketboy]

I just had a job interview a week ago that I'm still waiting to hear an official word on.

One thing that the group (3 people interviewed me) liked was that I took the list of skills that were listed on the job posting and wrote some brief point on what my skills, knowlege and experience was with those skills. It was VERY handy in this case as they did not even talk about many of the skills in the interview itself. Also, since there were 8 people interviewed, it was handy for them to look back at that sheet.

I handed it out at the very end of the interview.

Best of luck!