ROB CLIFTON: Hi there.
My name is Rob Clifton, and I'm a Program Manager at Google.
My career in IT started about 17 years ago.
At the time, my IT knowledge was mainly self-taught.
I took certificate courses much like this one
and learned as much as I could along the way while I continued
to go to college part-time to get an associate's degree.
Finding that first job wasn't easy.
I had to convince someone to take a chance on me,
even though I had no degree and no advanced education in IT.
I applied for a lot of jobs, got a few interviews,
received a lot of rejections, and eventually
landed my first job fixing computers
at a big box retailer.
Over the next few years, I jumped around
to different jobs, gaining more experience
while I continued to go to school and finish my degree.
I eventually landed at Google as a support tech in our Ann Arbor
office.
12 years later, I now lead the hiring efforts
for our junior IT support roles.
I've interviewed hundreds of candidates,
and I help train our interviewers
on how to find the best talent in the industry.
Today I'm excited to share what I've
learned to help you prepare for your next interview.
Going into an interview is a moment that lots of people
dread.
We're all afraid that we could say something wrong,
that we're not ready for that next step,
or just that we'll be rejected.
These are all normal feelings, but it
helps to look at the interview as an opportunity.
It's an opportunity for you to hone your interpersonal skills,
learn more about the company, and make sure that the job is
a good fit for you.
It's an opportunity to advance your career
and gain more work experience.
During these lessons, we'll give you
some tips that will help you prepare for the interview.
We want you to walk into your interviews feeling
confident and excited.
In later courses, we'll also add a few role playing exercises
where we'll show you what a technical interview
on the subject at hand may look like.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
To land an interview for a job you want,
make sure your resume and online professional presence
are in order.
This will help you stand out from the other applicants
when you apply.
Your resume is your first introduction to a new company.
Make sure your resume is easy to read,
and clearly shows the recruiter or hiring
manager that you're a strong fit for the job you're
applying for.
Avoid using lots of filler text in your resume.
If you're new to the industry, you
may not have a lot to put on your resume-- but that's OK.
You don't need to list out every piece of software you've used,
or networking protocol you've ever learned about.
Stick to your relevant qualifications.
Use a standard resume template, and be
consistent with your formatting and structure.
Proofread your resume and have someone else review it, too.
You don't want grammar and spelling errors
to be your first impression with a potential employer.
There's a lot more to say about resumes,
so I've included more material in the supplemental reading.
You should also make sure you have
an up-to-date online presence.
Your profile should look professional,
and have the most current resume, a photo,
and updated contact info.
Don't forget to do this.
Employers are using sites like LinkedIn
more and more to reach out to candidates.
Now, when you find a job that you want to apply for,
you want to learn as much as you can about the role.
First place to find this information is
in the job description.
The description will usually include
the role's responsibilities and requirements,
and some information about the company.
Take some time to understand those details
and make sure it's a good fit for you.
Feel free to ask your recruiter any additional questions
you have about the role or the company.
Knowing these expectations and requirements
will also help you prepare for the interview.
For any IT role, make sure that you know the fundamentals of IT
really well, and spend extra time
reviewing any specific areas that are called out
in the job description.
This program will get you started
with some of those fundamentals, like networking and operating
systems, but you'll still need to do
some research on your own.
On top of the specific job requirements,
you should also take time to research the company
that you're applying to.
Learn about the main characteristics
of the company--
what their primary products or services
are, who their customers are, and where they're located.
Look for things that are new, interesting and exciting
about the company's future.
Try to learn about some of the challenges
the company might be facing.
If the company has a code of conduct or mission statement
online, make sure to read it, as it will illustrate
what the company prioritizes.
Knowing the company's values will
help you decide whether it's a company you want to work for.
Some of these facts may come up during your interview,
either as part of a scenario or in a question by itself,
so you want to be prepared.
Lastly, once you have an interview scheduled,
make sure you know where to go, when you need to be there,
and what the appropriate attire is for the interview.
This particular tip was especially important for me
when I first interviewed with Google.
At the time, Google was in a temporary space
above a restaurant in Ann Arbor--
a town I was not very familiar with.
There was no sign or address, so when I got
there I had no idea where to go.
Thankfully, I arrived with some time to spare.
So when I got to the right block for the address,
I went around to the back alley, found the address
on the fire escape and climbed it to the second floor.
The door was open, and the woman behind it
was a little surprised to see me entering.
Everyone had a bit of a laugh when I told them
I couldn't find the front entrance
and I didn't want to be late for my interview.
To this day, my manager still talks about my entrance,
and says it showed him I was resourceful and determined.
Who knows-- maybe that's why they
decided to give me the job.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
A lot of us are quite nervous when we go
through our first interviews.
There are a lot of things at stake,
and it might be hard not to freak out.
But don't panic-- you can do this if you prepare.
With interviews, as with lots of other things in life,
practice makes perfect.
In order to get this practice, try doing mock interviews.
Pretending that you're in an interview,
even if it's not real, will help you perform your best.
You'll be more comfortable thinking out loud and providing
clear answers to complicated questions.
To do these mock interviews, recruit a friend or family
member that's willing to practice with you.
Even if they don't know the actual content,
they can still help you get into interview mode.
By practicing, you'll get used to articulating yourself
clearly, which is key to nailing an interview.
It's not just about knowing the answers--
you also need to share your ideas clearly and concisely.
For example, take some general technical subjects
like DHCP, DNS, Active Directory,
or any other technical area you've learned about.
Have a friend or family member ask you
to explain the concept to them.
What's it for?
How's it used?
Practicing explanations for a non-technical audience
will get you used to breaking down complicated ideas
and sharing them in basic terms.
They can also create their own troubleshooting scenarios,
like asking you to explain what you
did the last time you fixed their printer
or got their network online.
While you're practicing answering questions,
you should also practice active listening habits.
Maintain eye contact with the other person,
nod in understanding when they speak, and ask relevant
follow up questions.
If you can, it's great to practice
with someone who also plans to interview for similar roles--
this way, you can take turns being the interviewer
and the interviewee.
This will allow you to put yourself in the interviewer
shoes, and understand how best to answer each question.
Now, keep in mind, I don't recommend trying to script
or memorize all of your answers.
Instead, try explaining the same concepts in different ways.
This allows for a more natural conversation,
and will help you adapt your answers
in the actual interview where you won't know the questions.
What you can write down and memorize
is your elevator pitch.
An elevator pitch is a short summary of who you are
and what kind of career you're looking for.
Make sure to include information like what you're
passionate about, how you would like to grow,
and what you're looking for in a new role.
Practice delivering this pitch to different people,
and see how it sounds.
Even if you have it memorized, stay flexible.
You never in which context you may need it.
Creating your first elevator pitch from scratch can be hard.
I've included a few examples in the next supplemental reading.
When developing your own, make sure that you keep it personal.
Again, the key to getting interviews
right is to practice, practice, practice.
This will help you feel less nervous
and show your best self during the actual interviews.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
When you're interviewing for a technical position,
you'll likely have one or more interviews
where you'll specifically need to demonstrate
your technical skills and knowledge.
These interviews may take the form
of technical troubleshooting scenarios,
or explanations of technical concepts and subjects.
As we've said, you'll want to have a solid foundation for all
the fundamental concepts.
Different courses in this program
will help introduce you to a variety of concepts related
to networking, operating systems, system
administration and security.
A good interviewer will push you to the limits
of your knowledge.
This means it's very likely that during an interview
you'll reach a point where you're not
sure you know the right answer.
This is expected, but you shouldn't just
say "I don't know."
If you were supporting a user, you
wouldn't say it then either.
It's OK to admit you're not sure,
but you should then explain what you
would do to find the answer.
As an IT support specialist, you should
expect to often face new and unfamiliar problems.
Having a good problem solving strategy
is more important than knowing all the answers.
If the question you're answering is big and complex,
outline how you would break down the work needed
to solve the problem before going into the exact details
of what needs to be done.
If you're thinking about what the best solution could be,
share your train of thought with your interviewer
so they can follow along.
Thinking aloud not only helps the interviewer
see your thought process, but it also
helps you work through the problem.
For example, if you get stuck with a technical
troubleshooting scenario, you can
try to recap what information you've gathered
and state potential causes that can be ruled out
with certainty, and then try to figure out
what info is still missing to rule out other causes.
When you mention concepts or technologies,
you should be ready to explain them and articulate why you may
choose one thing over another.
For instance, if you're working through a networking problem
and say something like "the problem might be related
to the DNS settings," be ready to explain what DNS is
and why it relates to the issue.
You should also clarify the question's constraints.
Don't assume anything.
It's OK, and even expected, to ask the interview follow up
questions to ensure that the problem is correctly framed.
Always use the data and evidence you have from the interviewer
to inform your next steps.
For example, if you need to solve a problem
about a user being unable to connect to an internal system,
you should ask follow up questions
like what operating system the user is using,
how the computer is supposed to connect to the network, what
kind of error messages they're getting,
and whether other users are affected.
Your goal is to narrow the scope to find the root cause.
If the question is very complex, it
might become difficult to follow or explain the solution.
In this case, it's useful to take notes and use diagrams
to illustrate the problem.
You can use this process when it makes sense.
It doesn't mean you need to write everything down
during an interview.
Sometimes the answer is straightforward
and you can just go ahead and explain it
without writing anything down.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
Being your best self at the interview
starts the night before.
Being fully rested will help you have more energy,
be more focused, and minimize anxiety.
So make sure that you get a good night's sleep.
Don't try to cram in any last minute
studying-- this will only make you more anxious.
Instead, try to relax and go to bed early.
On the day of the interview, eat a proper breakfast.
It's never a good idea to be hungry during an interview.
Aim to arrive earlier than the scheduled time,
and give yourself enough travel time
for any mishaps along the way.
Make sure you're comfortable before you
begin the actual interview.
Don't be afraid to ask for something if you need it.
Use the restroom, grab a glass of water,
and ask for a notepad and pen for notes or to illustrate
answers when necessary.
Be fully present for the duration of the interview.
This means turning off your phone to avoid interruptions,
and giving the interviewer your full attention.
Use those active listening skills that you've practiced.
Make eye contact, nod to indicate understanding, and ask
follow up questions.
Don't forget to be yourself.
You want the interviewer to remember you,
so let your personality show.
Make sure that you highlight what makes you unique.
Remember that the interview is also an opportunity for you
to ask questions about the things that you care about.
You're interviewing them as much as they're interviewing you.
Find out if this is a company that you want to work for,
and whether you'll be able to achieve your career
goals there.
Finally, remember to slow down.
Most people start talking faster and faster
when they're nervous, so be aware of your pace.
If you notice that you're getting nervous,
pause for a moment to take a few deep breaths and then
consciously slow down.
Whoa, that's a lot of tips to remember.
Feel free to rewatch these videos when your next interview
is approaching to make sure that you have
these ideas fresh in your mind.
Next up, together with Candace, a colleague of mine,
we'll do the first of our roleplaying exercises showing
some of these tips in action.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
Hi, thanks for coming in.
Before I jump into my technical questions,
I'd like to know a bit more about you.
Tell me why you're interested in this position.
CANDACE: When I came into college, I was a premed major,
and eventually I led down the path
to take an introduction to IT course.
After that course, I realized how impactful IT was,
and I became more curious to how computers work
and why do they break.
So I changed my major to IT after that class.
After two years of being in the major,
I got a job at the IT Service Center,
where I was able to help students
with their computer issues.
So I believe having this job will
allow me to advance my knowledge and troubleshooting skills,
and then also, I'll be able to learn new things.
ROB CLIFTON: Cool.
Can you tell me what in particular you
find appealing about IT?
CANDACE: I like IT, because it allows me to be very creative,
and it also allows me to hone in on those problem solving
skills.
I also like IT because it's very broad,
so I feel like the trajectory of my career
could be in multiple IT fields such as database
management, software engineering, IT support,
and networking.
ROB CLIFTON: That's awesome.
All right, well, let's get started with our first question
then.
Let's say that you're the only person supporting a helpdesk
and you're currently helping me with an issue
when a VP walks in and they ask you for help
and they say they have a presentation
to give in 15 minutes.
How would you handle this situation?
CANDACE: So I want to prioritize the issues based on severity.
It seems like the VP's issue's a little bit more time sensitive,
so I would ask you if it's OK if I would help out the VP.
ROB CLIFTON: OK, that's fair.
I'm OK with that.
Now, how would you help the VP?
CANDACE: So I want to get the VP up
and running as soon as possible, so I
will offer them a spare laptop.
And then in the meantime, I'll be
able to fix their computer while they're at their meeting.
ROB CLIFTON: OK, great.
So now let me rewind for a second.
Let me change things up.
So what if you were helping me and my issue is actually
very critical and it was part of a larger issue that
was affecting a number of users-- say,
maybe our wireless network was having issues.
How would you handle that?
CANDACE: So if I was able to help the VP right
away by offering a spare laptop, then I would do that.
But if that's not the case, then I
would let the VP know that the issue that I'm dealing with
is a little bit more severe because it affects
the business, and I would hope the VP would be a little bit
more understanding.
And I would probably have to have a coworker come out
and help the VP, or I could tell the VP to probably reschedule
their meeting, if that's possible.
ROB CLIFTON: OK, great.
Yeah, I think that's fair.
And you're right, we should take into account
what's most important to the business
in that type of scenario.
So good job.
So in this scenario, we saw Candace deliver her elevator
pitch and show why she's passionate about IT,
and becoming an IT support specialist.
We also saw one typical complication
of troubleshooting problems--
getting priorities right.
Time-sensitive issues usually have higher priority,
but issues that are preventing a large number of users from
getting work done should be dealt with first--
even if the person asking for help is a director or a VP.
That's it for now.
See you again at the end of the next course.
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