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Submitted by ccodyc on
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I have my first IT Director level interview as interviewee coming up and wondered if anyone in the community had any tips on preparation, possible questions that would be asked, and areas to focus on. I have been in IT for some time and have been an IT manager as well. With my education in leadership, military service, and several years of MT podcasts, I feel confident in leading as a director. I just need the chance to get into the position to do it.

Thank you for the guidance.

LEmerson's picture

Role playing feels awkward, but it's effective. If you can find family or friends who are willing to take it seriously, ask a couple of them to play the role of interviewer. Have them come up with a list of questions for you. Since they probably don't know the business, their questions will either be generic or coming from left field. The practice will help your confidence level when you enter the game.

I'd recommend going through the whole process with the role play. Enter from outside, get greeted by a imaginary person at the front desk, go sit in a place designated as a waiting room for a random amount of time chosen by the interviewer. Try to set it up to mimic the real situation as closely as possible.

I recommend showing up for the interview exactly five minutes before the scheduled time. Obviously one minute late is uncceptable, but you can make a bad impression by being too early as well. Showing up five minutes early avoids an applicant awkwardly sitting around in the waiting area for what seems like an eternity. For important interviews I would always plan to arrive at the site an hour beforehand to give myself massive leeway for traffic or any other delays. Once arriving, I'd either wait in the parking lot and go over my notes, or go get a cup of coffee if there's a shop nearby.

Good luck! Let us know how it goes.