CIOZone.com - Professional Network for CIOs and IT Professionals

Nailing the Job Interview
Featured Speaker: Bruce Culbert and Ben Crosby

In the overheated economy of the last several years, it wasn't uncommon to apply for a job interview on Monday and be offered the job before the end of the week. That was then, this is now.

In the current recession, IT job seekers will need to be more patient, says Bruce Culbert, chief executive officer of iSymmetry, an IT consulting and recruiting services provider with offices in Washington, D.C. and Alpharetta, Ga. The fact of the matter is, with the downturn in the economy companies have more candidates to choose from for positions and there may not be as critical a need to hire as in the past.

"Given that we’re in a down economy, it may be that the interview process is elongated because people are being more particular, more cautious about who they’re spending money on," he says. "My word to people seeking jobs is you're going to have to be patient with the process. It doesn't move as quickly as in previous years. You’re going to have to understand that and not take it personally."

Perhaps for that reason, it is even more critical that job seekers prepare and rehearse ahead of time so they can nail the interview. Because companies are being more cautious in their hiring, it may mean that job seekers will have to go through as many as five or six interviews before an actual offer is put on the table. You may need to speak with the HR department by phone, have a technical interview to evaluate your skills, speak to the manager who will be the direct report, and talk with future colleagues or peers.

Ben Crosby, national recruiting manager with iSymmetry, says one of the most important interviews you will face is the technical interview. It is where the company will determine if you have the right training and skills to carry out the role. In that interview he says it is likely the interviewer will first provide an overview of what the company does, and then outline the position they’re looking at. "Next, they're going to start asking you questions," he says.

But before they start asking questions, take a second to make sure you understand what the position is and what they're looking for. "Ask questions like, 'What are the most important skills you're looking for in the individual?'" says Crosby.

Culbert and his associates at iSymmetry have created a five-part audiocast series on How to Land an IT Job in a Down Economy. CIOZone has presented the first three parts in the series, Knowing Where to Hunt, It's All About the Network, and First Impressions are Lasting.

In this week's episode, Nailing the Job Interview, Culbert and Crosby discuss the following topics:

How to identify the different types of interviews and what to expect.
What to research and prepare for in advance of each interview.
How to develop a winning communication strategy for the interview.

Bruce Culbert is CEO of iSymmetry, an IT consulting and recruitment company with offices in Washington, D.C. and Alpharetta, Ga. His career spans more than 25 years in the IT industry, leading ground breaking initiatives for such organizations as IBM, BearingPoint, KPMG and Salesforce.com. He is a director on the board of the National CRM Association and serves as an adjunct professor in the MBA program at Kennesaw University.

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