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Are you still looking for the IT job of your dreams?
Don’t give up, it’s out there! I’m lucky enough to have one, and so can you!
Finding an opening for an awesome job is hard enough … once you get the call for an interview, you need to make sure that you’ll make a good impression.
So before you walk in for your interview, here are the top 77 questions that you need to be ready for.
First you’ll find interview questions by position type: Entry Level or Help Desk, Network Administrator, and System Administrator. The last set of questions includes general HR questions, some of which you might be familiar with.
As you’ll notice, there aren’t any answers, but that’s because I want YOU to come up with them.
Do some research if you have to and maybe you’ll even learn a thing or two.
The most important thing is — you will be prepared!
You will be ready for anything they’ll throw at you!
And you will get the job!
I would also suggest that you practice answering these questions until you feel confident.
Make sure your answers reflect your knowledge, skills and personality — in other words, the real you — not what you think the person interviewing you wants to hear.
Now before we get started, I would like to encourage you to add your own interview questions in the comments below so that others can benefit from them. Try to stick to IT related questions, but general HR questions are fine too.
These questions are mostly for Help Desk positions but I wouldn’t be surprised if an entry-level candidate was asked any one of these questions. If you don’t know the answer, find it, memorize it and then practice explaining it in your own words.
1. What is the difference between a hub and a switch?
2. What is a network?
3. What is Active Directory?
4. What is TCP/IP and what does it stand for?
5. What is a default gateway?
6. What does DHCP stand for?
7. What is an IP Address?
8. What is the significance of the IP address 255.255.255.255?
9. What are the 3 major classes of an IP network?
10. What is a Class D IP address?
11. What is OSPF?
12. A user is complaining of delays when using the network. What would you do?
Some of these questions may also be included in the previous category for Help Desk Technician positions. In either case, they’re worth preparing for.
13. What is the difference between layer 2 and layer 3 in the OSI model?
14. What is the difference between a hub, switch, and router?
15. What is a VLAN?
16. What is the difference between TCP and UDP?
17. How do you distinguish a DNS problem from a network problem?
18. What are a runt, Giant, and collision?
19. What is a broadcast storm?
20. What is the purpose of VRRP?
21. What is a VPN?
22. What is a default route?
23. How do you set a default route on an IOS Cisco router?
24. What is a metric?
25. What is a MAC address?
26. What is ARP/RARP?
27. Describe a TCP connection sequence.
28. What is MTU?
29. What other TCP setting can you modify besides MTU to shorten packets?
Here are a few more questions that are a little bit more difficult. System Admins should know all these answers by heart in addition to the Network Administrator questions.
30. What is the difference between layer 2 and layer 3 devices?
31. What is the subnet for a class C network?
32. Have you configured a NIS server/client before? If so, describe what you did.
33. Have your configured a NFS server?
34. What are RAID 1 and RAID 5?
35. What are the required components of Windows Server 2003 for installing Exchange 2003?
36. What must be done to an AD forest before Exchange can be deployed?
37. What Exchange process is responsible for communication with AD?
38. What connector type would you use to connect to the Internet, and what are the two methods of sending mail over that connector?
39. How would you optimize Exchange 2003 memory usage on Windows Server 2003 with more than 1Gb of memory?
40. What are the standard port numbers for SMTP, POP3, IMAP4, RPC, LDAP and Global Catalog?
41. Name the process names for the following: System Attendant, Information Store, SMTP/POP/IMAP/OWA.
42. What is the maximum amount of databases that can be hosted on Exchange 2003 Enterprise?
43. What are the disadvantages of circular logging?
44. >What is Active Directory schema?
45. What are the domain functional levels in Windows Server 2003?
46. What is the default domain functional level in Windows Server 2003?
47. What are the forest functional levels in Windows Server 2003?
48. What is a global catalog server?
49. How can we raise domain functional and forest functional levels in Windows Server 2003?
50. What is the default protocol used in directory services?
51. What is IPv6?
52. What are the physical & logical components of ADS?
53. In which domain functional level, we can rename a domain name?
54. What is multimaster replication?
55. What is a site?
56. Which is the command used to remove active directory from a domain controller?
57. What is the file that’s responsible for keeping all Active Directory databases?
These general questions can be the toughest ones to get through. They might sound easy, but they require a lot of thought and preparation. I would suggest writing down your answers first, then reading them over a few times so that you’re comfortable in answering them.
Some of these questions are very tricky and can get you in trouble. So if you run into problems finding a good answer, check out these 64 Interview Questions for some help.
58. Tell us a little bit about yourself.
59. What are your greatest strengths?
60. What are your greatest weaknesses?
61. What do you like about your current job or what did you like about your last job?
62. Give us an example of when you handled a stressful situation.
62. Give us an example of one of the toughest problems you had to face, and how did you deal with it?
63. Why do you think you should get this position?
64. Do you think you are the best person for this job? If so, why?
65. Why did you apply for this position?
66. Why did you apply for a position with our company and what do you know about us?
67. Why should we hire you?
68. Tell us about your short and long term goals?
69. Where do you see yourself five years from now?
70. Please explain, what does customer service mean to you?
71. What does being a team player mean to you?
72. Give us an example of how you handled a conflict with another employee?
73. What are your salary expectations?
74. What would you consider your most important accomplishment?
75. How would you define success?
76. At your last review, what improvements did your manager suggest you make?
77. What would your coworkers say about you?
I hope these are helpful! As I mentioned above, feel free to post your own interview questions in the comments below.
Tagged: IT job interview questions, IT Job Tips, Miscellaneous
Johan Says:
April 17th, 2008 at 11:29 am
Thanks a lot Gosia. Very good article !
This will certainly help a lot of us.
My top tip of the day is:
* Make sure you read through your CV/Resume when you go for an interview. If you can’t talk about what you have written in your own CV, how do you expect anyone to take you serious !!
Trust me, I have seen so many people make this mistake !! :-)
Alvin Says:
April 18th, 2008 at 10:43 am
Hi!
I’m very glad I found this site… =)
Well, I’d like to add my own interview questions for Entry-level & Help Desk positions.
My question is:
What is the difference between computers within a Domain and computers within a Workgroup?
Thanks!
ALviN™
deepak garg Says:
April 23rd, 2008 at 8:31 am
thanks ..
i found this site , this is really proved helpful to me.
can u provide answers with them
Jerry Says:
April 24th, 2008 at 11:56 am
How about a short summary answer for each question, please
WUI Says:
April 24th, 2008 at 12:10 pm
Thank you very much !! Do you also have a guide on how to write a prefect resume?
Lee Ann Says:
April 24th, 2008 at 12:45 pm
Very nice write-up…. and a good review for everyone — even if we already have a good job. I had to think a bit on how I’d explain some of these concepts that we work with everyday!
Brian Says:
April 24th, 2008 at 4:39 pm
Very good questions, How about answer for each question, as jerry said
Thank you yery much.
Ali Says:
April 24th, 2008 at 11:41 pm
if she answers them then the next request will be; can you please take my place during the interview?
Mohit Juneja Says:
April 25th, 2008 at 12:49 am
Hy,
thanks for these exclusive interview questions, basically i am sr. technical trainer,
these questions will help my students a lot.
Mohit Juneja
Sr. Technical Trainer
NICE College (Microsoft IT Academy), Bareilly
Ramnath2k Says:
April 25th, 2008 at 2:02 am
I think you guys rock..! Not only with your Quality Training products these types of small small tips really help me to improve my skills are preparation for the interview.
Keep up the good work keep mailing these types of reviews and interview tips. It would be great if you provide some personality development skills.
Thanks you train signal
Ramnath Rajagopalan
Olajide Says:
April 25th, 2008 at 2:05 am
Wow!
This is great. this is just what i need
Jide
syed Says:
April 27th, 2008 at 12:19 am
sir,
this are very good and important question.
but i like if you give us answer too.
hope you do the same next time
thankyou,
Mohammed Says:
April 28th, 2008 at 12:54 am
Hats off to you.
Excellent tips to fight the interview.
Answers to those questions will be appreciated.
Keep it up.
Dwayne Says:
April 28th, 2008 at 9:45 am
I am a Systems Administrator. I love my job. And if you don’t research and find the answers to these excellent questions on your own, then you don’t deserve a job. Don’t be afraid to say I don’t know to some questions. Sometimes an employer will ask questions specific to their company’s network. And there is no way you could know the answer. But, they want to see if you will admit it and ask for help or make up some crap. They want to see if your a team player and not a “I know it all” type of person.
Isaac Kumah Says:
April 29th, 2008 at 6:03 am
This is great,this is what ihaving looking for.please can you provide ansers to the quastions. thank u
Isaac Kumah Says:
April 29th, 2008 at 6:11 am
You poeple are fantastic
armyadera Says:
May 22nd, 2008 at 5:10 am
wow
Excellent tips to fight the interview.
Answers to those questions will be appreciated
thank u
David Agbenyega Says:
July 9th, 2008 at 7:40 am
wow,
this is very a productive tips appreciated, please kip it up
thank u
Kasia Grabowska Says:
July 16th, 2008 at 3:54 pm
In response to:
WUI Says:
April 24th, 2008 at 12:10 pm
“Thank you very much !! Do you also have a guide on how to write a prefect resume?”
Now we do!
Check out Zach’s 10 Tips to Writing an IT Resume that Sells
http://www.trainsignaltraining.com/resume-tips/2008-06-16/
Oyetunji Olayinka Says:
July 21st, 2008 at 6:41 am
keep this up, it is fantastic, thank you.
Vijay Says:
July 23rd, 2008 at 2:36 am
w’ll according to the above response…..
i wanna to go diff’nt way.. u have to add some server HW,TS server,Raid configuration,
Myself Vijay working as a system admin.
keep it up guys
Kato Lubega Says:
July 27th, 2008 at 5:52 am
This is fantastic-thumbs up for Train Signal Training. Am trying to open my door to IT industry,and i believe my reading will be based on your questions at some crucial point in time!!! Any one’s support and mentorship is highly considered and welcome! Thanx.
Kato Lubega
Nana007 Says:
July 31st, 2008 at 3:48 pm
Great Stuff! I agree that one has to do the research in order to grasp the answers to these questions, however, can you suggest a web-site or a good IT publication as a guide.
Thanks a bunch!
BTW I have bought a few training videos from you and they are worth the bucks!
bandu Says:
August 2nd, 2008 at 5:01 am
This is great,this is what I having looking for.please can you provide ansers to the
quastions. thank you
umesh Says:
August 12th, 2008 at 4:10 pm
thanks ..
i found this site , this is really proved helpful to me.
can u provide answers with them
Avi R Says:
August 20th, 2008 at 8:23 am
Thank you!
Great list..
Ill add my own
http://www.kreslavsky.com/2008/08/active-directory-interview-questions.html