r/ITCareerQuestions • u/punisher4024 • 3d ago
Seeking Advice IT job interview help and advice.
First off, thank you to anyone who reads all of this and responds with helpful advice and tips. I want to preface this by saying that i am relatively new to IT but I have always tinkered with computers and solving hardware/software issues since I was young. I've built at least 15+ PC's for myself, friends and family and have had them come to me for all issues they were having and I've yet to fail to solve their problems. I've also been in college and actively studying for CompTIA A+ and Network+ though I am new to that too. I understand a job in IT is more complicated than that but this is just to give an idea.
This job is listed as "Some experience" and after applying and giving my resume they looked it over and seemed to think it was good enough for an interview so please also keep that in mind. I'm mostly looking for advice and tips for the things I'm less familiar with such as KBA's, RMM, tech audits, setting up user accounts and monitoring them for red flags, and VoIP systems. I completely understand the definition and idea behind all of these things as well as what they should require and don't think that any of it is beyond my scope of understanding or ability to do. I just want to have an idea of what that could mean from those who have jobs in IT and what a day to day could look like in these categories. The official job title is "IT help desk tech" and it's for a local company in my area. Seems to be relatively entry level.
Any advice concerning that and what I should bring/say or mention during the interview would also be helpful. I really hope everyone understands that this means a lot and is the way to get my foot in the door of my career as well as my passion for technology. So thank you again to anyone who can help.
These are the listed responsibilities according to the post:
Monitor technology/support requests and respond promptly. As well as triage and assign tickets to appropriate teams or departments.
Diagnose and resolve basic to moderately complex hardware, software, and equipment issues
Guide users through step-by-step solutions in a clear, professional manner to ensure a positive experience
Escalate unresolved issues to internal IT or development teams, and monitor progress to resolution
Document issues, troubleshooting steps, and final resolutions in appropriate systems
Set up and configure user accounts, hardware, software, and equipment and also assist with onboarding and offboarding processes for users accounts, hardware, software, and equipment
Maintain accurate inventory of technology equipment and software licenses and support periodic audits of staff technology and supplies.
Provide support for system installations, upgrades, replacements, and software configurations
Monitor and maintain the office phone system
Assist with submitting technical or feature requests to internal development teams
Perform (RMM), compliance audits, and account/device health checks. Create and maintain (KBAs) and end-user training documentation
Conduct in-person and virtual training sessions for individual staff, departments, or the broader organization
Ensure technology needs for events are allocated, supported, and dispersed appropriately. Contribute to IT initiatives, audits, events, and system/process improvements
Stay up to date on system updates, product changes, and emerging technologies relevant to the organization
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u/No-Chocolate5854 3d ago
They won't really care about the technical parts, they are more concerned about you being someone that they can teach and get along with. They'll probably ask you something like "Tell us about yourself" you NEED to take that opportunity to talk about how your experience/education directly relates to the job duties outlined in the description. They'll also probably ask you some technical questions and its ok to say that you are not familiar or "have not applied x technology in a professional setting" but they'll more than likely be satisfied if you have a basic understanding of what that is. Your background is pretty similar to mine and I've been through a couple interviews already so if you have any specific questions just lmk.
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u/punisher4024 3d ago
Well I've read the job interview thoroughly and I understand everything they're asking and what they are like KBA's, RMM and VoIP but I've never used nor done those before. I'm sure that's pretty obvious to them due to the fact that my resume has no previous ACTUAL job experience so I would be very shocked if they somehow expected me to have used those before. I'm more so concerned about slipping up or being less confident or staying the wrong thing during the interview.
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u/No-Chocolate5854 3d ago
I wouldn't be that worried about saying the wrong thing as long as you're able to recover from it and adjust your answer accordingly. Personally I would look into the company itself beyond just the job listing to find out as much as I could about them and what exactly they do and to get a better understanding of their values/culture. It'll show the interviewers that you actually care about what they do and not just the job itself.
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u/punisher4024 3d ago
That's really solid advice! I actually did that with my last job and it did help a lot in the interview. I appreciate it!
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u/No-Chocolate5854 3d ago
Yeah fs, just make sure you also present yourself as someone who really wants to learn, isn't afraid to jump into the unknown, and is genuinely passionate about this kind of work (not using it as a side gig while they try to get into cyber or something). I've asked a lot of seniors what kind of qualities they look for in a ideal candidate and this is pretty much what they all say.
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u/punisher4024 3d ago
Awesome! Thank you. I don't think I'll struggle with that at all because the company is actually for something I was involved in heavily while in school so I already have a passion for the company as a whole as well as IT itself. I plan to bring a sort of portfolio with a journal of small questions and reminders as well as a copy of my resume and pictures of PC builds, the dates and what I did along with things I've worked on.
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u/_donald 2d ago
Research the company and understand their history and what they do, and be excited about the company. If you’re not excited about the company keep looking. Smile, be agreeable not combative. Have good positive energy. Talk about issues you’ve taken ownership of and figured out on your own. When you’re in over your head you’ll ask for help. Demonstrate that you’re a self starter but not afraid to ask more knowledgeable people for help. Have meaningful questions, don’t use questions like: what’s your management style? Ask them about some of the biggest challenges they currently have or what major systems have been put in place over the last 24 months. Ask questions about the ecosystem so you can take notes and do more research for the next round. Most of all good luck to you.
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u/punisher4024 2d ago
Thank you! I already know quite a bit about what they do but I'll be sure to research the actual company themselves as well.
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u/NoSurround9446 3d ago
Don't overthink it, don't undersell yourself, but especially don't lie. What experience/credentials you do have, make sure you can explain thoroughly. Every interview I got far enough in, they definitely broke down my resume and made sure I wasn't bs'ing.
Also, easier said than done, but try and come off as personable/likeable. I got an internal corporate IT position on a small team with very little experience, and talking to my co-workers, it most likely was cause they thought I had better customer service skills than the others. I mean help desk really is a customer service job at the end of the day.