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Dear IT Personnel, 6 Killer Questions You Can Ask To Impress The IT Management in You Job Interview

Meh Meh — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 23:39:27 +0000

After gone through the first or second interview which test your technical skill and knowledge towards the IT position you are interested at, you will always need to come to the stage to be interviewed by the IT management team (or CIO sometimes), especially when you are looking at a higher position.

Interview is not about one-way communication and answering what being asked. It is important to ask the right questions too to make a good impression on your future bosses. The questions need to be relevant and insightful. To give the right impression, it is necessary to craft well thought out questions that show your interest in the company. Steer clear of generic questions that do not show depth. Some tips that you need to take into consideration when asking the interviewer include refraining from asking a ‘yes’ or ‘no’ question, avoid asking about the salary or benefits, technical focused question (remember, they are IT management/CIO!), do not repeat information that has been discussed during the interview unless you need additional information and lastly, keep the questions in the context of the job you are applying for. Questions that are relevant to the position show your knowledge and interest in the industry. The answers to the question will help determine if you are a fit to the company. Here are the 6 quality questions that you can ask to impress CIO/IT management:

1. How is the job performance evaluated? This is the first question to ask because it pertains to the job you are applying for. The answer will provide you deeper understanding on what is required of the job. For instance, if the IT management/CIO replies that the job performance is evaluated by the frequency of deadlines met, then that should give you a clue to pay close attention to deadlines. Knowing how they will evaluate your performance will help you focus on what truly matters.

2. What is a typical day in the position? This will also offer more insights into the requirements of the job. Let’s say the interviewer says a typical day involves attending two meetings. Then you know, more or less, what to expect. You will also be able to prepare for the meetings, knowing beforehand that you will be required to attend in at least two daily.

3. Can you tell me in detail the company’s management style? Management style differs from company to company. Some companies are very strict and formal. Others have more relaxed atmosphere. The question will give you a good idea on what the company culture basically is. Being able to adapt to the management style is crucial to your success in the organization.

4. What are the traits and skills of employees who succeed most in the organization? This is a great question because it shows that you are interested in becoming successful within the company in the future. It is important to know what skills and traits to cultivate, if you do not have them yet, to ensure that your efforts will be rewarded. Also, if you imbibe the successful traits and skills, you will surely be noticed by top management.

5. What are the IT department goals and IT strategy in the next five years? This question will give you an insight into the direction, in which the department where you will belong to, is moving. Knowing the expansion goals of the department will allow you to focus on the necessary skills that will help them attain their aims faster. You will also be able to come up with wonderful ideas which can help the management reach their goals. This will make them see you as a great asset to the organization.

6. How do you like working for the company? This is a personal question which might take the interviewer by surprise. But this is a necessary question because it can help determine if you will enjoy working for the company. A firsthand account of their experiences in working for the company will make you see if the company will be a fit for your needs. Also, it will provide clues if the work environment is conducive to productivity. If the interviewer enjoys working for the company and can explain what they like about the current company, then most likely you will too.

Asking these relevant, insightful questions will make a good impression on the IT management/CIO. These questions will also provide you with deeper insight to the organization. The more you know, the better you can prepare for the job. It will also allow you to meet the expectations of the higher management. And you can contribute in areas where your skills are needed the most. Also, you can help the company arrive at their IT goals faster. Armed with this knowledge, getting a raise or promotion in the near future will be easier.

Credit – Photo by Ivan Walsh

29 Reasons Why Marry To an IT Guy Is Not a Bad Idea (AT ALL)

Meh Meh — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 10:30:36 +0000

Guys that work in information technology are a great catch. Some women may not consider this to be true, but there are a multitude of reasons that make this a good idea. Some are obvious. Others are surprising. A fun-filled list of exactly 29 reasons is listed below.

1. You know exactly where he is.

He’s not out clubbing at 2am in the morning. He’s online. He’s probably downloading illegal music, movies and software, but you do know where he is. (Note: Getting busted for illegal downloads will prove to be much more challenging for the marriage than club hopping. The hidden bonus is that he’s an IT guy so he knows how to delete all his cookies and hide his IP address to avoid ever getting caught!)

2. He will not have a hard time finding work if he gets downsized.

His skills are in demand. He may get downsized often, but he will never stay unemployed long.

3. He has money and the potential to make even more.

You may be marrying the next Bill Gates.

4. He doesn’t have a problem with spending [lots of money] on technology.

He doesn’t mind if you spend $400 on an iPad without any his knowledge. He wants to play with it just as much as you do.

5. You no longer need advice from annoying tech store salespeople.

Your inside guy gives you all the advice you need.

6. You can pick better gifts for Christmas and the holidays.

All of your nieces and nephews can get really cool tech gadgets thanks to your new found knowledge base.

7. All of your documents will be saved on a hard drive.

He will scan all of your stuff and store it on the PC. He’ll even create a portable backup in the event of hard drive failure.

8. Your computer stays updated.

It has been established earlier that he will be online a lot. Some of his downloads are actually legal. He spends lots of time reading about updates, checking web forums for updates gone wrong and downloading updates. It’s like he’s taking work home. He has to do it; he just can’t help himself.

9. He has other tech friends.

He can always call other tech friends to find out about something that he may not know about.

10. Everything is wireless.

You want a wireless router in your house because they are cool. He can make it happen.

11. Free resources and discounted software are now part of your world.

There are lots of [legal] free resources that you can discover online.

12. He takes pleasure in resolving issues that frustrate you.

Figuring out how to get Microsoft Word to print on envelopes may be a nightmare for you. To him it’s merely a challenge.

13. You find out about cool gadgets earlier.

Your ability to bring up new gadgets that haven’t hit the market yet will make your friends envy you.

14. You can learn without reading.

Your husband can look over your should and tell you about shortcut keys. This cuts downs on the reading time on your “Technology for Dummies” books.

15. Find everything you are looking for online.

He knows what words will get the right hits. He knows how to find what you are looking for.

16. Get great stock tips.

There’s always some billion dollar company on the rise. He can give you tips on hot investments.

17. You can get help on building a blog or web store online.

His can help you get your very own cyber store up and running in no time.

18. Increased IT knowledge for work environment.

You can go do the IT department at work and actually know what you are talking about.

19. He can usually fix what you messed up even when you don’t know what you did exactly.

He can quickly locate that file in “My Documents” that you thought you saved on your flash drive.

20. More “me” time.

You don’t have to worry about him being clingy. He has the computer. You are free to shop without a chaperon.

21. Cute eCards on your birthday.

IT guys may not be very romantic, but they are thoughtful.

22. Your mother will be proud.

Mom will be amazed to hear him talk fluently about all the technology that she refuses to use.

23. His curiosity is a constant saving grace.

His ability to care about mundane things like bandwidth from your ISP can help your life in little ways that you are not even aware of.

24. Less sports.

You can watch all the Lifetime and Oxygen shows that you want. He’s on the computer.

25. He can make all the new technology decisions.

Do you really need an Apple TV or a portable multimedia player to replace your DVD player? He will know.

26. He knows a little bit about everything.

He may work on one thing at work, but he as knowledge in various areas of technology.

27. You can play dumb on a regular basis.

This really works great for those times when you just want to tune him out. You can simply play dumb when he starts to ramble on about his latest technology finding.

28. Free tech support.

You don’t know how much an upgrade costs and you don’t care.

29. Free tech support for family and friends.

You now have the ability to use your husband in a barter ring. You can burrow your best friend’s husband to paint a room in exchange for your husband’s computer repair services. You can get your cousin to cut the hedges in exchange a PC upgrade from your husband. It’s bartering system goldmine.

Marrying an IT guy can be lots of fun. They have this way of making life easier just because they are knowledgeable in so many areas.

Credit – Photo by redandjonny