Findinganopeningforanawesomejobishardenoughonceyougetthecallforaninterview,you

needtomakesurethatyoullmakeagoodimpression.Sobeforeyouwalkinforyourinterview,
herearethetop77questionsthatyouneedtobereadyfor.

UPDATEfor2013:Checkoutourenhancedlistofinterviewquestions(/blog/topjobinterview
questions)tomakesureyouretotallyreadybeforetheinterview,andwealsocreatedaguidefor
technicalquestions(/blog/howtopreparefortechnicalitinterviewquestions)usuallyaskedofIT
admins.

Top Interview Questions for IT Pros

Firstyoullfindinterviewquestionsbypositiontype:

EntryLevelandHelpDeskforthosewhoarestartingoutintheITfield
NetworkAdministratorandSystemAdministratorformoreadvancedpositions

ThelastsetofquestionsincludesgeneralHRquestions,someofwhichyoumightbefamiliarwith.

Asyoullnotice,therearentanyanswers,butthatsbecauseIwantYOUtocomeupwiththem.
Dosomeresearchifyouhavetoandmaybeyoullevenlearnathingortwo.Themostimportant
thingisthatyouwillbefullyprepared!Youwillbereadyforanythingtheyllthrowatyou,andyou
willgetthejob!

Iwouldalsosuggestthatyoupracticeansweringthesequestionsuntilyoufeelconfident.Make
sureyouranswersreflectyourknowledge,skillsandpersonalityinotherwords,therealyou
notwhatyouthinkthepersoninterviewingyouwantstohear.

Nowbeforewegetstarted,Iwouldliketoencourageyoutoaddyourowninterviewquestionsin
thecommentsbelowsothatotherscanbenefitfromthem.TrytosticktoITrelatedquestions,but
generalHRquestionsarefinetoo.

Entry-Level and Help Desk Positions

ThesequestionsaremostlyforHelpDeskpositionsbutIwouldntbesurprisedifanentrylevel
candidatewasaskedanyoneofthesequestions.Ifyoudontknowtheanswer,findit,memorizeit
andthenpracticeexplainingitinyourownwords.

1.Whatisthedifferencebetweenahubandaswitch?

2.Whatisanetwork?
3.WhatisActiveDirectory?

4.WhatisTCP/IPandwhatdoesitstandfor?

5.Whatisadefaultgateway?

6.WhatdoesDHCPstandfor?

7.WhatisanIPAddress?

8.WhatisthesignificanceoftheIPaddress255.255.255.255?

9.Whatarethe3majorclassesofanIPnetwork?

10.WhatisaClassDIPaddress?

11.WhatisOSPF?

12.Auseriscomplainingofdelayswhenusingthenetwork.Whatwouldyoudo?

Network Administrator Positions

SomeofthesequestionsmayalsobeincludedinthepreviouscategoryforHelpDeskTechnician
positions.Ineithercase,theyreworthpreparingfor.

13.Whatisthedifferencebetweenlayer2andlayer3intheOSImodel?

14.Whatisthedifferencebetweenahub,switch,androuter?

15.WhatisaVLAN?

16.WhatisthedifferencebetweenTCPandUDP?

17.HowdoyoudistinguishaDNSproblemfromanetworkproblem?

18.Whatarearunt,Giant,andcollision?

19.Whatisabroadcaststorm?

20.WhatisthepurposeofVRRP?

21.WhatisaVPN?
22.Whatisadefaultroute?

23.HowdoyousetadefaultrouteonanIOSCiscorouter?

24.Whatisametric?

25.WhatisaMACaddress?

26.WhatisARP/RARP?

27.DescribeaTCPconnectionsequence.

28.WhatisMTU?

29.WhatotherTCPsettingcanyoumodifybesidesMTUtoshortenpackets?

System Administration Position

Hereareafewmorequestionsthatarealittlebitmoredifficult.SystemAdminsshouldknowall
theseanswersbyheartinadditiontotheNetworkAdministratorquestions.

30.Whatisthedifferencebetweenlayer2andlayer3devices?

31.WhatisthesubnetforaclassCnetwork?

32.HaveyouconfiguredaNISserver/clientbefore?Ifso,describewhatyoudid.

33.HaveyourconfiguredaNFSserver?

34.WhatareRAID1andRAID5?

35.WhataretherequiredcomponentsofWindowsServer2003forinstallingExchange2003?

36.WhatmustbedonetoanADforestbeforeExchangecanbedeployed?

37.WhatExchangeprocessisresponsibleforcommunicationwithAD?

38.WhatconnectortypewouldyouusetoconnecttotheInternet,andwhatarethetwomethods
ofsendingmailoverthatconnector?

39.HowwouldyouoptimizeExchange2003memoryusageonWindowsServer2003withmore
than1Gbofmemory?
40.WhatarethestandardportnumbersforSMTP,POP3,IMAP4,RPC,LDAPandGlobal
Catalog?

41.Nametheprocessnamesforthefollowing:SystemAttendant,InformationStore,
SMTP/POP/IMAP/OWA.

42.WhatisthemaximumamountofdatabasesthatcanbehostedonExchange2003Enterprise?

43.Whatarethedisadvantagesofcircularlogging?

44.>WhatisActiveDirectoryschema?

45.WhatarethedomainfunctionallevelsinWindowsServer2003?

46.WhatisthedefaultdomainfunctionallevelinWindowsServer2003?

47.WhataretheforestfunctionallevelsinWindowsServer2003?

48.Whatisaglobalcatalogserver?

49.HowcanweraisedomainfunctionalandforestfunctionallevelsinWindowsServer2003?

50.Whatisthedefaultprotocolusedindirectoryservices?

51.WhatisIPv6?

52.Whatarethephysical&logicalcomponentsofADS?

53.Inwhichdomainfunctionallevel,wecanrenameadomainname?

54.Whatismultimasterreplication?

55.Whatisasite?

56.Whichisthecommandusedtoremoveactivedirectoryfromadomaincontroller?

57.WhatisthefilethatsresponsibleforkeepingallActiveDirectorydatabases?

General HR Questions
Thesegeneralquestionscanbethetoughestonestogetthrough.Theymightsoundeasy,but
theyrequirealotofthoughtandpreparation.Iwouldsuggestwritingdownyouranswersfirst,then
readingthemoverafewtimessothatyourecomfortableinansweringthem.

Someofthesequestionsareverytrickyandcangetyouintrouble.Soifyourunintoproblems
findingagoodanswer,checkoutthese64InterviewQuestions
(http://www.scribd.com/doc/96253/64interviewquestions)forsomehelp.

58.Tellusalittlebitaboutyourself.

59.Whatareyourgreateststrengths?

60.Whatareyourgreatestweaknesses?

61.Whatdoyoulikeaboutyourcurrentjoborwhatdidyoulikeaboutyourlastjob?

62.Giveusanexampleofwhenyouhandledastressfulsituation.

62.Giveusanexampleofoneofthetoughestproblemsyouhadtoface,andhowdidyoudeal
withit?

63.Whydoyouthinkyoushouldgetthisposition?

64.Doyouthinkyouarethebestpersonforthisjob?Ifso,why?

65.Whydidyouapplyforthisposition?

66.Whydidyouapplyforapositionwithourcompanyandwhatdoyouknowaboutus?

67.Whyshouldwehireyou?

68.Tellusaboutyourshortandlongtermgoals?

69.Wheredoyouseeyourselffiveyearsfromnow?

70.Pleaseexplain,whatdoescustomerservicemeantoyou?

71.Whatdoesbeingateamplayermeantoyou?

72.Giveusanexampleofhowyouhandledaconflictwithanotheremployee?
73.Whatareyoursalaryexpectations?

74.Whatwouldyouconsideryourmostimportantaccomplishment?

75.Howwouldyoudefinesuccess?

76.Atyourlastreview,whatimprovementsdidyourmanagersuggestyoumake?

77.Whatwouldyourcoworkerssayaboutyou?

Ihopethesearehelpful!AsImentionedabove,feelfreetopostyourowninterviewquestionsin
thecommentsbelow.

(http://www.trainsignal.com/?from=bodyad&utm_source=blog&utm_content=/itjobinterview
questions&utm_medium=copy)

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About the Author

Gosia Grabowska (http://blog.pluralsight.com/author/gosia-

grabowska)
GosiaGrabowska(http://blog.pluralsight.com/author/gosiagrabowska)(MCTSActiveDirectory,
MCTSVista,Network+,Linux+,Project+,PMP)isanexperiencedNetworkSupportSpecialistandan
expertinWindowsServersupport.ShegraduatedfromDePaulUniversity,ChicagowithaBachelor
degreeinNetworkTechnologieswithhighesthonors.Gosiahasover8yearsoftechnicalandsupport
experienceandhasworkedasSystemsAdministratorforahighprofilelawfirm,whereshemanagedthe
BackupandDisasterRecoveryplan.GosiahasbeenapartoftheTrainSignalteamsince2006asthe
ProductManagerandhaswrittenmanyarticlesonavarietyoftopics,includingExchangeServer2007,
WindowsVista,SmallBusinessServer,andmore.

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