Are there opportunities for advancement?
Will there be any gaps in employment (when I don't have a project at all) or would I move projects right away when being assigned to a new one?
How long does each project last?
Are you able to ask questions in training/get extra assistance if you're stuck on something?
Do I get trained about the company I'm assigned a project for prior to jumping into it?
What is your viewpoint on diversity and inclusion (ex hiring women, people of unique ethnic backgrounds)?
Where do you see the general IT trends heading in 5 years?
How do teams work in terms of a consulting company?
How do you strive to be the top consulting company out there?
How is it being a fresh grad? Do you go on projects with your mentor and/or the people you're trained with?
Is it easy to be open with other employees and management?
What if you absolutely hate the client you're working with (ex they treat you poorly)?
During the training, if I had questions or there was parts I didn't understand, would I be able to ask questions and get extra help as opposed to being left behind like in an academic classroom setting?
What are the advantages of working at a consulting company vs. at a steady corporate job?
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Saturday, January 19, 2013
Sample Thank You Note
Here is a baseline example of the thank you notes I use to send out to companies after interviews. DO NOT COPY THIS! Make sure to fill in the blanks (denoted in red) and fill in your own credentials. My credentials are in here as an example.
YOUR ADDRESS
CITY, STATE ZIP CODE
YOUR PHONE NUMBER
YOUR EMAIL
Month, Date, 2014
Name of Company
Address
City, State Zip Code
Dear Mr. or Ms. INSERT LAST NAME HERE,
Thank you so much for the time and privilege of this on-site or on-campus interview with you on date. The described position sounds challenging, rewarding, and exciting; I look forward to your decision concerning (for) an offer to be on your _____ team or for _____ position or for an on-site or second round interview.
As mentioned during the interview, I am a senior that will be graduating in May 2013 with a Bachelors of Science in Information Systems. My education and experiences have enabled me to learn programming, systems analyst skills, and business skills that would be applicable to this position. In addition, I have an understanding of how to work well in teams and be an effective leader. My grades, numerous leadership positions, and awards I have won, show that I like to work hard, am dedicated, have effective communication skills, and am goal-driven. For example, with being the president of the AITP club, I plan on exceeding the high bar that was set last year by being able to be the first president to successfully send members to the national conference in April, 2013. I also enjoy coming up with new ideas for the club and implementing them. Because I am able to inspire others, my faculty mentor for the Illinois State University Computer Science/Information Systems Scholarship program asked me to be a peer mentor for this school year. Recently, I started taking my passion for Information Technology and love for helping others to new heights by blogging for the Department of Technology at Illinois State University to promote students in finite math classes to pursue an Information Technology-related degree, especially women. I also enjoy volunteering; I participate in various service activities, ranging from participating in a dodgeball fundraiser with my sorority, being a note taker for Disability Concerns on campus, and participating in an event to inspire middle school girls to pursue science or technology as a career. After talking with you, I am further convinced that my education and experiences will complement well with COMPANY's needs.
Thank you again for the opportunity for me to be considered for this career at COMPANY. The interview reinforced my interest in becoming part of COMPANY, as well as answered all my necessary questions. It also emphasized my passion for being a leader, being a positive role model, and getting involved in the community. This, in conjunction with the opportunity to work on a team, and my long-time passion for information technology makes me believe that this would be an un-paralleled opportunity. I can be reached at PHONE NUMBER or by e-mail at YOUR EMAIL should you need additional information. I hope to be granted the opportunity to be a member of your company.
Sincerely,
YOUR NAME
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YOUR ADDRESS
CITY, STATE ZIP CODE
YOUR PHONE NUMBER
YOUR EMAIL
Month, Date, 2014
Name of Company
Address
City, State Zip Code
Dear Mr. or Ms. INSERT LAST NAME HERE,
Thank you so much for the time and privilege of this on-site or on-campus interview with you on date. The described position sounds challenging, rewarding, and exciting; I look forward to your decision concerning (for) an offer to be on your _____ team or for _____ position or for an on-site or second round interview.
As mentioned during the interview, I am a senior that will be graduating in May 2013 with a Bachelors of Science in Information Systems. My education and experiences have enabled me to learn programming, systems analyst skills, and business skills that would be applicable to this position. In addition, I have an understanding of how to work well in teams and be an effective leader. My grades, numerous leadership positions, and awards I have won, show that I like to work hard, am dedicated, have effective communication skills, and am goal-driven. For example, with being the president of the AITP club, I plan on exceeding the high bar that was set last year by being able to be the first president to successfully send members to the national conference in April, 2013. I also enjoy coming up with new ideas for the club and implementing them. Because I am able to inspire others, my faculty mentor for the Illinois State University Computer Science/Information Systems Scholarship program asked me to be a peer mentor for this school year. Recently, I started taking my passion for Information Technology and love for helping others to new heights by blogging for the Department of Technology at Illinois State University to promote students in finite math classes to pursue an Information Technology-related degree, especially women. I also enjoy volunteering; I participate in various service activities, ranging from participating in a dodgeball fundraiser with my sorority, being a note taker for Disability Concerns on campus, and participating in an event to inspire middle school girls to pursue science or technology as a career. After talking with you, I am further convinced that my education and experiences will complement well with COMPANY's needs.
Thank you again for the opportunity for me to be considered for this career at COMPANY. The interview reinforced my interest in becoming part of COMPANY, as well as answered all my necessary questions. It also emphasized my passion for being a leader, being a positive role model, and getting involved in the community. This, in conjunction with the opportunity to work on a team, and my long-time passion for information technology makes me believe that this would be an un-paralleled opportunity. I can be reached at PHONE NUMBER or by e-mail at YOUR EMAIL should you need additional information. I hope to be granted the opportunity to be a member of your company.
Sincerely,
YOUR NAME
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Sample Cover Letter
Here is a baseline example of the cover letter I use to send out to companies. DO NOT COPY THIS! Make sure to fill in the blanks (denoted in red) and fill in your own credentials. My credentials are in here as an example.
YOUR ADDRESS
CITY, STATE ZIP CODE
DATE YOU'RE TURNING IN THE APPLICATION
COMPANY NAME
STREET ADDRESS
CITY, STATE ZIP CODE
Dear PERSON YOU TALKED TO/SIR OR MADAM,
This letter is to express my interest in the POSITION YOU'RE APPLYING FOR at the NAME OF COMPANY headquarters in WHATEVER CITY, WHATEVER STATE that was posted on the WHEREVER/THE COMPANY'S CAREER WEBSITE on DATE. I feel my education, experience, and career interests will make me a competitive candidate for this position. [My advisor, WHOEVER, of the School of Information Technology at Illinois State University/Your recruiters at Illinois State University's career fair on September 19, 2012 enthusiastically promoted your company as a highly popular and respected place in the Information Technology field (OMIT THIS SENTENCE THAT IS INSIDE THE [] IF YOUR COUNSELOR DIDN'T TELL YOU ABOUT THIS OR YOU DIDN'T FIND THE COMPANY AT A CAREER FAIR).] Please accept this letter and enclosed resume as my application for the advertised position.
I will graduate from Illinois State University in May of 2013 with a Bachelor of Science in Information Systems – Web Application Development. As you discussed, the position requires strong interpersonal skills, the ability to be a team player, be a leader, and have a positive attitude. I have many years of experience in working around customers at my jobs, as well as working in a team environment. Additionally, I am seen as an effective leader and a positive role model by my peers. I have been elected to different leadership positions, such as national chairmanships within my sorority and the president of the AITP student club at Illinois State University. Recently, I started taking my passion for Information Technology and love for helping others to new heights by blogging for the Department of Technology at Illinois State University to promote students in finite math classes to pursue an Information Technology-related degree, especially women. I also partake in various service activities, ranging from participating in a dodgeball fundraiser with my sorority to being a note taker for Disability Concerns.
My main goal for a full-time job is to enhance my knowledge of information technology and implement it in a professional environment, especially in WHATEVER THE POSITION ENTAILS. I have taken many classes involving the use of technical skills and business-analyst skills. In these classes, I learned how to analyze specific graphs, such as an entity-relationship diagram. I have also worked with programming languages, mainframe languages, and applications such as Java, JSF, HTML, CSS, Javascript, JQuery, PHP, MySQL, SQL, JCL, and COBOL. Outside of class, I have been applying my experience while working on creating websites, learning graphic design, adding functionality to make the websites aesthetically pleasing, and conducting research for a professor at Illinois State University. I was also granted the opportunity to intern at McDonald's Corporation in Oakbrook, Illinois during the summer of 2012. My enclosed resume provides more details on my qualifications and experience.
The possibility of working for a major company like COMPANY is very exciting. I am available upon your request to discuss my qualifications, experience, and to learn more about this opportunity in your growing company. If you need to reach me, feel free to call me at YOUR PHONE NUMBER. In case that I do not answer, please leave me a message or email me at YOUR EMAIL and I will reply within a day.
Thank you for your time and consideration. I look forward to hearing from you soon.
Sincerely,
YOUR NAME
Enclosure
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YOUR ADDRESS
CITY, STATE ZIP CODE
DATE YOU'RE TURNING IN THE APPLICATION
COMPANY NAME
STREET ADDRESS
CITY, STATE ZIP CODE
Dear PERSON YOU TALKED TO/SIR OR MADAM,
This letter is to express my interest in the POSITION YOU'RE APPLYING FOR at the NAME OF COMPANY headquarters in WHATEVER CITY, WHATEVER STATE that was posted on the WHEREVER/THE COMPANY'S CAREER WEBSITE on DATE. I feel my education, experience, and career interests will make me a competitive candidate for this position. [My advisor, WHOEVER, of the School of Information Technology at Illinois State University/Your recruiters at Illinois State University's career fair on September 19, 2012 enthusiastically promoted your company as a highly popular and respected place in the Information Technology field (OMIT THIS SENTENCE THAT IS INSIDE THE [] IF YOUR COUNSELOR DIDN'T TELL YOU ABOUT THIS OR YOU DIDN'T FIND THE COMPANY AT A CAREER FAIR).] Please accept this letter and enclosed resume as my application for the advertised position.
I will graduate from Illinois State University in May of 2013 with a Bachelor of Science in Information Systems – Web Application Development. As you discussed, the position requires strong interpersonal skills, the ability to be a team player, be a leader, and have a positive attitude. I have many years of experience in working around customers at my jobs, as well as working in a team environment. Additionally, I am seen as an effective leader and a positive role model by my peers. I have been elected to different leadership positions, such as national chairmanships within my sorority and the president of the AITP student club at Illinois State University. Recently, I started taking my passion for Information Technology and love for helping others to new heights by blogging for the Department of Technology at Illinois State University to promote students in finite math classes to pursue an Information Technology-related degree, especially women. I also partake in various service activities, ranging from participating in a dodgeball fundraiser with my sorority to being a note taker for Disability Concerns.
My main goal for a full-time job is to enhance my knowledge of information technology and implement it in a professional environment, especially in WHATEVER THE POSITION ENTAILS. I have taken many classes involving the use of technical skills and business-analyst skills. In these classes, I learned how to analyze specific graphs, such as an entity-relationship diagram. I have also worked with programming languages, mainframe languages, and applications such as Java, JSF, HTML, CSS, Javascript, JQuery, PHP, MySQL, SQL, JCL, and COBOL. Outside of class, I have been applying my experience while working on creating websites, learning graphic design, adding functionality to make the websites aesthetically pleasing, and conducting research for a professor at Illinois State University. I was also granted the opportunity to intern at McDonald's Corporation in Oakbrook, Illinois during the summer of 2012. My enclosed resume provides more details on my qualifications and experience.
The possibility of working for a major company like COMPANY is very exciting. I am available upon your request to discuss my qualifications, experience, and to learn more about this opportunity in your growing company. If you need to reach me, feel free to call me at YOUR PHONE NUMBER. In case that I do not answer, please leave me a message or email me at YOUR EMAIL and I will reply within a day.
Thank you for your time and consideration. I look forward to hearing from you soon.
Sincerely,
YOUR NAME
Enclosure
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Friday, January 18, 2013
How to Succeed in a Career Fair
Meeting recruiters in person is being a step ahead of the other candidates who apply cold. Make sure to prepare an advance about the companies you want to talk to, see who's at the internship fair, and bring lots of patience with you for waiting in lines. Make sure to also leave extra time to talk to some companies that maybe you weren't sure about, but just want to give a shot. Don't talk to every single company for no good reasons. You need to be somewhat picky in order to get a job you want, but only be selective until you are absolutely desperate to get a job.
You should always treat an internship fair like an in-person interview, except it's usually a precursor to that. Dress to impress (business professional), give a firm handshake, and you're off with a smile and enthusiasm about the job and company.
Make sure you've done your research about each company that you plan on talking to because you may get asked if you know anything regarding the company. Also, some companies make their applications available online prior to the fair. While you're doing your research, check if the company has their application available. If so, definitely apply. It will impress the company with your level of interest in the company. Who knows, maybe they'll schedule an interview on the spot (I have seen it happen before).
Don't get discouraged if the company decides not to talk to you because your GPA doesn't meet their requirements. Still apply online if that happens. You never know. You can blow them away with your technical skills, portfolio, or other outside professional experience!
Make sure to bring at least 2 resumes per company you plan on talking to. You never know. You may end up wanting to talk to more companies than expected. Also bring a portfolio to store your resumes, pen/paper (in case you want to take notes while talking to the company, or right after), your business cards, and a place to hold the free goodies you're going to get from all of the companies you talk to. They will give you little “knick knacks” such as flash drives, $5 gift cards to somewhere, hats, post it notes, etc.
The very most important thing to bring with you to internship fairs is your “30 second commercial”, which takes place right after the initial handshake usually (or right after the recruiter asks you your year, major, what type of internship or job you're looking to apply for, etc. and glances at your resume). When you give your 30 second commercial, you say that you're a (year) majoring in (major). Your goal is to work in your company for (whatever position(s) you plan on applying for). You are involved in (list extracurricular activities). I love to (list hobbies). You are a leader of (something, if you are). You love and are very passionate about what you do. Your greatest strengths are (ex being very flexible). Basically, just emphasizing what you love, your goals, and your strengths in order to best sell yourself. You want to brag, but don't blab. Don't put the recruiter to sleep. Imagine someone who just won't shut up and you are just nodding your head pretending to care. You don't want to end up being in their shoes!
Even if you've talked to that particular company already at another fair, still continue to tell the recruiter how interested you are and bring around 2 questions each subsequent time you talk to them.
So here's how it goes:
When it's your turn to talk to the recruiter, introduce yourself, give a firm handshake, smile, and be ready to sell yourself while being yourself. Just before giving your thirty second handshake, tell the recruiter what position you want to apply for. Next, ask if they would like a copy of your resume (and a business card) and hand it over to them. Afterwards, start the conversation by giving your 30 second commercial or by answering whatever the recruiter asks you (ex the “are you eligible to work” questions and if you know anything about the company). Afterwards all of that, since there is a line, the recruiter will ask you if you have any questions; you are ready to ask away. With those questions, try to embark in a good conversation. Whether it's about the company or hobbies you share, try to connect with the recruiter you're taking to. When you're done, ask for a business card and how you can apply (if you haven't already). When you're done, shake their hand, thank the recruiter for their time, and you're off to conquer the rest of the fair.
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You should always treat an internship fair like an in-person interview, except it's usually a precursor to that. Dress to impress (business professional), give a firm handshake, and you're off with a smile and enthusiasm about the job and company.
Make sure you've done your research about each company that you plan on talking to because you may get asked if you know anything regarding the company. Also, some companies make their applications available online prior to the fair. While you're doing your research, check if the company has their application available. If so, definitely apply. It will impress the company with your level of interest in the company. Who knows, maybe they'll schedule an interview on the spot (I have seen it happen before).
Don't get discouraged if the company decides not to talk to you because your GPA doesn't meet their requirements. Still apply online if that happens. You never know. You can blow them away with your technical skills, portfolio, or other outside professional experience!
Make sure to bring at least 2 resumes per company you plan on talking to. You never know. You may end up wanting to talk to more companies than expected. Also bring a portfolio to store your resumes, pen/paper (in case you want to take notes while talking to the company, or right after), your business cards, and a place to hold the free goodies you're going to get from all of the companies you talk to. They will give you little “knick knacks” such as flash drives, $5 gift cards to somewhere, hats, post it notes, etc.
The very most important thing to bring with you to internship fairs is your “30 second commercial”, which takes place right after the initial handshake usually (or right after the recruiter asks you your year, major, what type of internship or job you're looking to apply for, etc. and glances at your resume). When you give your 30 second commercial, you say that you're a (year) majoring in (major). Your goal is to work in your company for (whatever position(s) you plan on applying for). You are involved in (list extracurricular activities). I love to (list hobbies). You are a leader of (something, if you are). You love and are very passionate about what you do. Your greatest strengths are (ex being very flexible). Basically, just emphasizing what you love, your goals, and your strengths in order to best sell yourself. You want to brag, but don't blab. Don't put the recruiter to sleep. Imagine someone who just won't shut up and you are just nodding your head pretending to care. You don't want to end up being in their shoes!
Even if you've talked to that particular company already at another fair, still continue to tell the recruiter how interested you are and bring around 2 questions each subsequent time you talk to them.
So here's how it goes:
When it's your turn to talk to the recruiter, introduce yourself, give a firm handshake, smile, and be ready to sell yourself while being yourself. Just before giving your thirty second handshake, tell the recruiter what position you want to apply for. Next, ask if they would like a copy of your resume (and a business card) and hand it over to them. Afterwards, start the conversation by giving your 30 second commercial or by answering whatever the recruiter asks you (ex the “are you eligible to work” questions and if you know anything about the company). Afterwards all of that, since there is a line, the recruiter will ask you if you have any questions; you are ready to ask away. With those questions, try to embark in a good conversation. Whether it's about the company or hobbies you share, try to connect with the recruiter you're taking to. When you're done, ask for a business card and how you can apply (if you haven't already). When you're done, shake their hand, thank the recruiter for their time, and you're off to conquer the rest of the fair.
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Potential Technical Interview Questions for a DBA or SQL Developer
**These are questions that a DBA or SQL developer may get asked
**Note: this is what I found on google or learned throughout coursework; I have only applied to and interviewed for web and application developer positions
What is the difference between optimistic and pessimistic locking?
What is a deadlock?
What is a delete statement?
What is a truncate statement?
What is a trigger?
What is a stored procedure?
What is an SQL injection?
Have you worked with _________ (ex Oracle, DB2)?
What is a self join (cartesian join)?
What is an index?
What is referential integrity?
What is a having clause?
What is a where clause?
What is the difference between data mining and data warehousing?
How do you prevent SQL injection?
What is the difference between a full (outer) join and inner join?
What is the difference between a left join and right join?
What is the difference between group by and order by?
What is a subquery?
What is the purpose for database normalization?
What is a constraint?
What is a primary key?
What is a foreign key?
How would you describe what a query is?
What is a view?
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Potential Technical Interview Questions for Programmers, Developers, and Web Developers
**Make sure to be able to provide examples for these and also an explanation geared towards a non-IT person (when necessary)
**Make sure to be confident in your answers, even if you have no idea and make up an educated guess
**If you have NOT had any professional programming experience, HAVE NO FEAR. That is NOT the end of the world, however, instead, you will need to have done some personal side projects or some darn good classroom projects where you can clearly explain what you have done
**You MAY have to write code by hand. If you do, make sure to know the syntax and logic behind the basic concepts. I know the one time I was asked to write code, I was asked about manipulating and printing arrays (in object oriented)
**I have started to notice that a lot of positions are either for Object Oriented languages or something involving the .net framework. I would suggest having some knowledge of both of those!
**These are questions a developer will most likely be asked (or that either myself or people I know have been asked). The answers will be provided below each question!
What is polymorphism?
Polymorphism is a concept similar to inheritance in which you allow an object to take many forms. What that means is you make an object and give it multiple references.
For example, you can make an animal object and have it reference a dog, cat, and mouse.
If you would like a better explanation, click here and scroll to the "Polymorphism" header.
What is inheritance?
Inheritance is where you have a parent class (ex a polygon), which contains many different methods and properties and you can apply everything from the parent class into child classes using the "extends" keyword (ex square, triangle, pentagon). NOTE: the parent class may also be referred to as the super or base class.
What does the "extends" keyword do?
The extends keyword is used in inheritance in order to allow the child classes to use the methods and properties from the parent class.
What is a class?
A class is programming file that holds the behaviors that will determine the output of the program. It contains variables and methods. You can make instances of the class with use of objects and apply these behaviors onto other classes in order to give it a specific trait, property, or behavior.
For example, if you have a class called pizza that has methods and variables defining its crust, meat, veggies, cheese, sauce, condiments, etc. If you want to make a pepperoni pizza and four cheese pizza class, you make a pizza object, which contains the properties from the pizza class, you can apply whichever properties from the pizza class you want onto the other pepperoni pizza and four cheese pizza classes.
What is the difference between overloading vs overriding? Can you do it with Javascript?
OverLOADING is when you have a method that maintains the same method name, but passes different parameters or the parameters are the same name but different types. The method can also be of a different return type.
OverRIDING a method is when you have a method that maintains the same method header, same type, and the same parameters with the same types. The only thing that is different is the method body. A common method that is overridden is toString().
What are the 8 primitive object oriented data types?
int, double, short, long, float, char, boolean, byte --> STRING IS A CLASS, NOT A PRIMITIVE DATA TYPE!!!
What is a Java Bean?
A Java Bean is a class in Java that is used with JSF or JSP that contains all of the functional methods within the application. It contains methods, setters, getters, and constructors (and a default constructor) that can be ran anywhere and controlled in other applications.
How can you use HTML when using JSF or JSP?
In this part, you are creating the client side of the application. You make an XML file where you define certain resource libraries, such as F and H. With that, you use certain tags such as in order to be able to implement the HTML and CSS features.
For a more detailed example, click here!
Have you used _________ (ex Eclipse, a data repository such as git hub, etc.)?
Either say yes or say no, but you would love to learn it!
What do you not like with JSF and do like with JSF (ex JSF vs separate client and server languages)?
How do you apply a font size onto something (css and html) either outside class or within a class?
What is the difference between jar and war file?
How do you use a webservice?
Do you know _________ (ex SOAP, Rest, Websphere, Spring, ASP.net, etc.)?
Do you know how to declare an array?
How do you print the contents of an array?
What is encapsulation?
How do you add 2 (integer) arrays together?
How do you print out the contents of an array in ascending (or alphabetical) order?
How do you sort an array?
When do you use the Systems Development Life Cycle and how do you apply that towards programming?
When do you use a client-side vs. server side scripting language and what is the difference between the two?
How do you set up a for loop?
How do you set up an object oriented enhanced for loop?
How do you set up a for each loop (in PHP) and what is it used for?
What is (multi)threading?
Describe the MVC architecture
What is the difference between a rest webservice and soap webservice?
What is the difference between an interface and abstract class in Java?
What is XSS?
What is a constructor?
What is a default constructor and what is it used for?
Where are your files executed?
What is the purpose of using the "Final" keyword?
Does Java pass variables by using references or values? What is the purpose of using the "Private" keyword?
What is the purpose of throwing an exception?
What is the difference between a primitive variable and a class variable?
Can interfaces extend other interfaces?
How do you (type) cast a variable?
What is the difference of between indexOf and substring?
In Java, what are the return types?
For an array list, what is the default size?
For an array list, how do you shrink the side of one?
For an array list, how do you change it into a regular array?
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**Make sure to be confident in your answers, even if you have no idea and make up an educated guess
**If you have NOT had any professional programming experience, HAVE NO FEAR. That is NOT the end of the world, however, instead, you will need to have done some personal side projects or some darn good classroom projects where you can clearly explain what you have done
**You MAY have to write code by hand. If you do, make sure to know the syntax and logic behind the basic concepts. I know the one time I was asked to write code, I was asked about manipulating and printing arrays (in object oriented)
**I have started to notice that a lot of positions are either for Object Oriented languages or something involving the .net framework. I would suggest having some knowledge of both of those!
**These are questions a developer will most likely be asked (or that either myself or people I know have been asked). The answers will be provided below each question!
What is polymorphism?
Polymorphism is a concept similar to inheritance in which you allow an object to take many forms. What that means is you make an object and give it multiple references.
For example, you can make an animal object and have it reference a dog, cat, and mouse.
If you would like a better explanation, click here and scroll to the "Polymorphism" header.
What is inheritance?
Inheritance is where you have a parent class (ex a polygon), which contains many different methods and properties and you can apply everything from the parent class into child classes using the "extends" keyword (ex square, triangle, pentagon). NOTE: the parent class may also be referred to as the super or base class.
What does the "extends" keyword do?
The extends keyword is used in inheritance in order to allow the child classes to use the methods and properties from the parent class.
What is a class?
A class is programming file that holds the behaviors that will determine the output of the program. It contains variables and methods. You can make instances of the class with use of objects and apply these behaviors onto other classes in order to give it a specific trait, property, or behavior.
For example, if you have a class called pizza that has methods and variables defining its crust, meat, veggies, cheese, sauce, condiments, etc. If you want to make a pepperoni pizza and four cheese pizza class, you make a pizza object, which contains the properties from the pizza class, you can apply whichever properties from the pizza class you want onto the other pepperoni pizza and four cheese pizza classes.
What is the difference between overloading vs overriding? Can you do it with Javascript?
OverLOADING is when you have a method that maintains the same method name, but passes different parameters or the parameters are the same name but different types. The method can also be of a different return type.
OverRIDING a method is when you have a method that maintains the same method header, same type, and the same parameters with the same types. The only thing that is different is the method body. A common method that is overridden is toString().
What are the 8 primitive object oriented data types?
int, double, short, long, float, char, boolean, byte --> STRING IS A CLASS, NOT A PRIMITIVE DATA TYPE!!!
What is a Java Bean?
A Java Bean is a class in Java that is used with JSF or JSP that contains all of the functional methods within the application. It contains methods, setters, getters, and constructors (and a default constructor) that can be ran anywhere and controlled in other applications.
How can you use HTML when using JSF or JSP?
In this part, you are creating the client side of the application. You make an XML file where you define certain resource libraries, such as F and H. With that, you use certain tags such as
For a more detailed example, click here!
Have you used _________ (ex Eclipse, a data repository such as git hub, etc.)?
Either say yes or say no, but you would love to learn it!
What do you not like with JSF and do like with JSF (ex JSF vs separate client and server languages)?
How do you apply a font size onto something (css and html) either outside class or within a class?
What is the difference between jar and war file?
How do you use a webservice?
Do you know _________ (ex SOAP, Rest, Websphere, Spring, ASP.net, etc.)?
Do you know how to declare an array?
How do you print the contents of an array?
What is encapsulation?
How do you add 2 (integer) arrays together?
How do you print out the contents of an array in ascending (or alphabetical) order?
How do you sort an array?
When do you use the Systems Development Life Cycle and how do you apply that towards programming?
When do you use a client-side vs. server side scripting language and what is the difference between the two?
How do you set up a for loop?
How do you set up an object oriented enhanced for loop?
How do you set up a for each loop (in PHP) and what is it used for?
What is (multi)threading?
Describe the MVC architecture
What is the difference between a rest webservice and soap webservice?
What is the difference between an interface and abstract class in Java?
What is XSS?
What is a constructor?
What is a default constructor and what is it used for?
Where are your files executed?
What is the purpose of using the "Final" keyword?
Does Java pass variables by using references or values? What is the purpose of using the "Private" keyword?
What is the purpose of throwing an exception?
What is the difference between a primitive variable and a class variable?
Can interfaces extend other interfaces?
How do you (type) cast a variable?
What is the difference of between indexOf and substring?
In Java, what are the return types?
For an array list, what is the default size?
For an array list, how do you shrink the side of one?
For an array list, how do you change it into a regular array?
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Ten Unprofessional Interview Gestures
Note: These are in no particular order
1. Showing your nervous habits
2. Playing with your pen
3. Staring into space
4. Giving a “BS” handshake
5. Showing up late
6. Not coming prepared with questions
7. Wearing tennis shoes/dressing in an unprofessional manner
8. Forgetting copies of your resume
9. Saying “um” or “like” constantly
10. Playing with your cell phone (or even bringing your cell phone, unless you plan on showing a mobile application or leaving it completely off)
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1. Showing your nervous habits
2. Playing with your pen
3. Staring into space
4. Giving a “BS” handshake
5. Showing up late
6. Not coming prepared with questions
7. Wearing tennis shoes/dressing in an unprofessional manner
8. Forgetting copies of your resume
9. Saying “um” or “like” constantly
10. Playing with your cell phone (or even bringing your cell phone, unless you plan on showing a mobile application or leaving it completely off)
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What women should and should not wear to interviews
Here is a list of 6 things a woman should wear and should not wear to an interview
What to Wear
1. Natural looking makeup on face and eyes (eye liner IS ok on top and bottom as long as it doesn't look extreme)
2. Heels or flats (open toed shoes ARE ok, but make sure nails are painted or well manicured)
3. Something with a modest neckline
4. Follow the rule of 13 for accessories (including buttons, necklaces, scarves, bracelets, rings, watches, earrings)
5. A skirt/pants suit or anything that will fall under a business professional category
6. Natural colors and well-groomed hair (ex straighten or curl your hair; highlights are definitely fine as long as they're not pink, green, purple, etc.)
What NOT to Wear
1. Facial piercings
2. A v-neck or u-neck blouse that shows cleavage
3. Bright colored eye makeup or makeup that takes away from your natural beauty (ex too much bronzer)
4. A skirt that is “too short” (aka if your rear end is nearly showing, it's too short)
5. Fingernails that are too long and “gross looking”
6. Extreme hair colors and messy hair (ex no pink, green, purple, etc.)
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What to Wear
1. Natural looking makeup on face and eyes (eye liner IS ok on top and bottom as long as it doesn't look extreme)
2. Heels or flats (open toed shoes ARE ok, but make sure nails are painted or well manicured)
3. Something with a modest neckline
4. Follow the rule of 13 for accessories (including buttons, necklaces, scarves, bracelets, rings, watches, earrings)
5. A skirt/pants suit or anything that will fall under a business professional category
6. Natural colors and well-groomed hair (ex straighten or curl your hair; highlights are definitely fine as long as they're not pink, green, purple, etc.)
What NOT to Wear
1. Facial piercings
2. A v-neck or u-neck blouse that shows cleavage
3. Bright colored eye makeup or makeup that takes away from your natural beauty (ex too much bronzer)
4. A skirt that is “too short” (aka if your rear end is nearly showing, it's too short)
5. Fingernails that are too long and “gross looking”
6. Extreme hair colors and messy hair (ex no pink, green, purple, etc.)
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Ten professional interview gestures
Note: These are in no particular order
1. Make direct eye contact with whoever you're speaking with and make sure to acknowledge everyone in the room
2. Give a firm handshake
3. Show up at least 10 minutes early to your interview
4. Smile and sound happy and confident with your skills, talents, and what you're saying to the interviewers. Know how to emphasize your greatest strengths and take pride in them!
5. Bring enough error free resumes (and business cards) to go around
6. Dress business professional and look your absolute best
7. Thank the interviewers for their time when the interview (or round) is complete
8. In your folder, bring a pen and paper to take notes with when the interviewers are answering your questions or saying something that you deem noteworthy
9. Come prepared knowing what the company does and with a list of questions to ask the interviewers
10. Even if you're sick of interviewing, have had the worst day ever, etc. do NOT show that to the interviewers. Keep your unhappy feelings inside you only and never project those to the interviewers!
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1. Make direct eye contact with whoever you're speaking with and make sure to acknowledge everyone in the room
2. Give a firm handshake
3. Show up at least 10 minutes early to your interview
4. Smile and sound happy and confident with your skills, talents, and what you're saying to the interviewers. Know how to emphasize your greatest strengths and take pride in them!
5. Bring enough error free resumes (and business cards) to go around
6. Dress business professional and look your absolute best
7. Thank the interviewers for their time when the interview (or round) is complete
8. In your folder, bring a pen and paper to take notes with when the interviewers are answering your questions or saying something that you deem noteworthy
9. Come prepared knowing what the company does and with a list of questions to ask the interviewers
10. Even if you're sick of interviewing, have had the worst day ever, etc. do NOT show that to the interviewers. Keep your unhappy feelings inside you only and never project those to the interviewers!
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What to do after an interview
Congrats! You have completed your interview, but you're not quite done yet. One very polite thing to do is to send each person you interviewed with a thank you note, which basically reinforces your talents to them, thank them for their time, and explains again why you want the job and why you're the ideal/best candidate. It's basically like a “post cover letter”. Also, send them any additional information they asked for (ex an official transcript if they need one). Make sure to do this within 24 hours of your interview. It will give the interviewers the impression that you sincerely care.
If you get tired of waiting for whether or not you have made it to the next stage or received an offer, you can always follow up. Sending an email always works because you will most likely have the at least the HR person's email address. If you have a phone number, calling would work as well. It's your call. Don't harass the interviewers. The best advice would be to either wait until a few days after they tell you that you're supposed to hear back from them or wait two weeks. Being aggressive is always a plus, of course, as long as you're not annoying anyone while doing so. If you get a sorry letter, don't worry about it. It wouldn't hurt to ask what you did wrong. It would give you proper insight to have an even better interview the next time!
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If you get tired of waiting for whether or not you have made it to the next stage or received an offer, you can always follow up. Sending an email always works because you will most likely have the at least the HR person's email address. If you have a phone number, calling would work as well. It's your call. Don't harass the interviewers. The best advice would be to either wait until a few days after they tell you that you're supposed to hear back from them or wait two weeks. Being aggressive is always a plus, of course, as long as you're not annoying anyone while doing so. If you get a sorry letter, don't worry about it. It wouldn't hurt to ask what you did wrong. It would give you proper insight to have an even better interview the next time!
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How to succeed in an IT phone interview
Congrats! You have landed a phone interview! This type of interview usually precedes the in-person interview, but similar rules follow (click here to see what you'd need to do for an in-person interview). The difference between this and an in-person interview is that you can't see each other, which makes everything based upon your voice. You need to sound enthusiastic and happy to be interviewing for you to sell yourself. After a phone interview, you will either get an invitation an in-person interview or a rejection letter/call. You will rarely get an offer from a phone interview, it does happen, but don't expect it to.
You will still be asked about what the company does, then be asked behavioral questions, technical questions, and if you have any questions. The same rules apply, and of course, make sure to take notes. One of the advantages about this interview is that you get to be in the comfort of your own home (or wherever you decide to go). Just make sure of course to prepare and pretend like you're face to face with the interviewer. Most importantly, always be confident. If you're not confident, you're in big trouble. If need be (ex you're having a bad day), pretend. If the interviewers pick up your lack of confidence, you will most likely end up receiving a rejection letter shortly after.
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You will still be asked about what the company does, then be asked behavioral questions, technical questions, and if you have any questions. The same rules apply, and of course, make sure to take notes. One of the advantages about this interview is that you get to be in the comfort of your own home (or wherever you decide to go). Just make sure of course to prepare and pretend like you're face to face with the interviewer. Most importantly, always be confident. If you're not confident, you're in big trouble. If need be (ex you're having a bad day), pretend. If the interviewers pick up your lack of confidence, you will most likely end up receiving a rejection letter shortly after.
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How to succeed in an IT in-person interview
Congrats! You have landed a campus or on-site interview! As soon as you arrive, someone will greet you at the front desk. They will introduce themselves. Introduce yourself proudly, smile, and give a firm handshake. You will get walked to the interviewing room. Start a conversation with that person (ex asking how their day is going).
You will get into the room and be asked a series of behavioral questions. Just after you sit down, ask if they need a copy of your resume, would like a business card, and need a copy of your transcript. That will make you look very well prepared. Then open up your folder, grab your pen, and the interview will start. The first question will usually be to “tell them a little bit about yourself”. This will be the interviewer's first true impression of you. Present yourself like you're proud of who and what you represent. This is where you give your 30 second commercial. You usually mention your major, your involvement in school, hobbies, etc. Make sure to show emotion in your voice and not sound like an interviewing drone/robot, especially when you're sick and tired of interviewing. If that's not the first question, then it will most likely be the second question, following the interviewers asking what you know about the company.
Sometimes before the interviewers ask you questions, they may just give you an overview of the job description. If so, write it down and it will show you're interested in the job you are interviewing for.
Don't say “ummm”, stare blankly into space, or fidget if you're stuck on a question. If you're not sure what to answer or are drawing a blank, ask for the interviewer to either repeat the question or clarify the question so you can gain a better understanding of the answer they are looking for.
Following the behavioral interview is the technical interview. Here, you will be asked a series of questions regarding the tasks you will be performing when doing the job. The interviewer is looking to see if your IT skills are a good match for the position. You will be asked around 10 questions or so regarding programming keywords, how to solve a problem, etc. Sound confident in your answer, even if you have no clue what the answer is. If you're really stumped, say that you're unsure and would love to learn more about the given subject and they will usually tell you the answer to the question. You don't have to know every single answer, so no need to worry. Usually if you do, that would in some cases mean you're overqualified. Yes, you need to know the majority of the questions so you seem competent. There needs to be room to be trained as well.
Warning: you may get asked to write out syntax from memory. Make sure you of course study syntax ahead of time. If you don't know the exact answer to the question, at least try to talk yourself out loud through the problem so if your syntax is off and you are certain of the logic, at least make an educated guess of the syntax and clearly explain the logic to the interviewers so you can show your competence of the given subject. If you are completely stumped, at least try something and even if you completely forgot how to answer the question, don't let the interviewers know. It would sound better to them if you say you've never learned it before and would love to learn more about the given subject (and of course, ask for the answer).
If there are multiple rounds and a senior member/manager of the team you'd be interviewing for is interviewing you, they would typically ask behavioral questions regarding your personal accomplishments and such.
At the very end of the interview or each round, you will be asked if you have any questions. If you say no, the interview will end earlier, which usually is not a good thing. The longer the interview lasts, that's usually a good sign. For example, if they say the interview is supposed to last 45 minutes and it lasts over an hour, that usually means you have established a connection with the interviewers. That doesn't mean too much, but that puts you a few steps in the right direction. This is the moment where you ask away to find out more information regarding the company, the job or internship program, and how the culture of your work environment. Make sure to take notes of what the interviewers answer to your questions. Writing it down looks more professional. And if you don't write it, you may not remember clearly. You can also reference this sheet when you're making your decision whether or not to accept an offer (if you get one). Sometimes, if the interview is supposed to last an hour and it lasts exactly an hour, that usually means you're fine because the interviewers may have multiple candidates interviewing that day and can't hold you longer than the interview was supposed to last for. If you ever feel rushed out, that's usually the reason why.
A good thing to do at the end is ask the interviewers for their business card or contact information so you can send them thank you notes after the interview is over, but make sure to do this within 24 hours. Don't worry, you can potentially outsmart the interviewers if they forget their business cards! Also, DO NOT FORGET TO FOLLOW UP. Make sure to ask what the next steps of the interview process are.
Before you leave the room, make sure to shake everyone's hand (firmly) again and thank them for their time. Sound sincere. Giving an impression of being polite is extremely professional. When one of the people is walking you out, make sure to keep a conversation going with them and of course, shake their hand and thank them for their time and tell them to have a great day or take care (or some kind of polite goodbye).
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You will get into the room and be asked a series of behavioral questions. Just after you sit down, ask if they need a copy of your resume, would like a business card, and need a copy of your transcript. That will make you look very well prepared. Then open up your folder, grab your pen, and the interview will start. The first question will usually be to “tell them a little bit about yourself”. This will be the interviewer's first true impression of you. Present yourself like you're proud of who and what you represent. This is where you give your 30 second commercial. You usually mention your major, your involvement in school, hobbies, etc. Make sure to show emotion in your voice and not sound like an interviewing drone/robot, especially when you're sick and tired of interviewing. If that's not the first question, then it will most likely be the second question, following the interviewers asking what you know about the company.
Sometimes before the interviewers ask you questions, they may just give you an overview of the job description. If so, write it down and it will show you're interested in the job you are interviewing for.
Don't say “ummm”, stare blankly into space, or fidget if you're stuck on a question. If you're not sure what to answer or are drawing a blank, ask for the interviewer to either repeat the question or clarify the question so you can gain a better understanding of the answer they are looking for.
Following the behavioral interview is the technical interview. Here, you will be asked a series of questions regarding the tasks you will be performing when doing the job. The interviewer is looking to see if your IT skills are a good match for the position. You will be asked around 10 questions or so regarding programming keywords, how to solve a problem, etc. Sound confident in your answer, even if you have no clue what the answer is. If you're really stumped, say that you're unsure and would love to learn more about the given subject and they will usually tell you the answer to the question. You don't have to know every single answer, so no need to worry. Usually if you do, that would in some cases mean you're overqualified. Yes, you need to know the majority of the questions so you seem competent. There needs to be room to be trained as well.
Warning: you may get asked to write out syntax from memory. Make sure you of course study syntax ahead of time. If you don't know the exact answer to the question, at least try to talk yourself out loud through the problem so if your syntax is off and you are certain of the logic, at least make an educated guess of the syntax and clearly explain the logic to the interviewers so you can show your competence of the given subject. If you are completely stumped, at least try something and even if you completely forgot how to answer the question, don't let the interviewers know. It would sound better to them if you say you've never learned it before and would love to learn more about the given subject (and of course, ask for the answer).
If there are multiple rounds and a senior member/manager of the team you'd be interviewing for is interviewing you, they would typically ask behavioral questions regarding your personal accomplishments and such.
At the very end of the interview or each round, you will be asked if you have any questions. If you say no, the interview will end earlier, which usually is not a good thing. The longer the interview lasts, that's usually a good sign. For example, if they say the interview is supposed to last 45 minutes and it lasts over an hour, that usually means you have established a connection with the interviewers. That doesn't mean too much, but that puts you a few steps in the right direction. This is the moment where you ask away to find out more information regarding the company, the job or internship program, and how the culture of your work environment. Make sure to take notes of what the interviewers answer to your questions. Writing it down looks more professional. And if you don't write it, you may not remember clearly. You can also reference this sheet when you're making your decision whether or not to accept an offer (if you get one). Sometimes, if the interview is supposed to last an hour and it lasts exactly an hour, that usually means you're fine because the interviewers may have multiple candidates interviewing that day and can't hold you longer than the interview was supposed to last for. If you ever feel rushed out, that's usually the reason why.
A good thing to do at the end is ask the interviewers for their business card or contact information so you can send them thank you notes after the interview is over, but make sure to do this within 24 hours. Don't worry, you can potentially outsmart the interviewers if they forget their business cards! Also, DO NOT FORGET TO FOLLOW UP. Make sure to ask what the next steps of the interview process are.
Before you leave the room, make sure to shake everyone's hand (firmly) again and thank them for their time. Sound sincere. Giving an impression of being polite is extremely professional. When one of the people is walking you out, make sure to keep a conversation going with them and of course, shake their hand and thank them for their time and tell them to have a great day or take care (or some kind of polite goodbye).
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How to prepare for an IT interview
You know you always need to about 10 minutes early. That will show that you care about the position. If you're late, you're in trouble! Plan ahead as to where you're going. Make sure to have adequate directions or use a GPS when driving to the interview. If you think you're going to go to the wrong building, either call ahead of time to verify where you're going or leave extra time if you think you're going to get lost!
Read up on the company, what they stand for, their mission statement, what they do, etc. For example, if you are interviewing for a position at an insurance company, know what types of insurance they sell. And of course know that they sell insurance. If you at least have a couple sentences to say, you're in the clear!
Read up on your job description. Know what languages or tasks you will be expected to do if you were hired. You don't have to know everything because the company will “most likely” train you. For example, if they want you to know what “websphere” is, if you have no idea, at least google what it is and if they ask, say you know what it is, but don't know it at this time and would love to learn it. Always say that you'd love to learn. That shows your motivation and passion for the position.
For what you do know (ex Java and object oriented languages), make sure you brush up on your basic concepts and google concepts that would be typically asked in a technical interview, as well as basic syntax (ex arrays). Some companies may hammer you with questions, others may ask you to write out syntax FROM MEMORY, and others may ask you to type code out on a screen. It varies by company. In most cases from my experience, you are hammered with around 10 questions. With those questions, you never know what you will get asked. A word of advice is to only put languages, frameworks, etc. that you know to a decent degree OR what you covered for nice chunk or a unit in class. For example, if you spent about 10 minutes learning AJAX, it is not recommended to put it on your resume. If you do, the recruiters can ask questions about it. If you don't know enough, you will look silly and not get the job.
Prepare your resume and make sure to bring at least 5 in case the interviewers ask. One thing that would make you look better is printing your resume on resume paper as opposed to regular paper. It's more professional and it will give you a reason to stand out. And of course, make sure your resume is error free or you will be sent a rejection letter instantly!
Another thing that will help you stand out is bringing business cards and handing them out like candy. It will help the interviewers remember you more. You can get them for free at the career center.
If you're a man, wear a nice suit, tie, and dress shoes. For a woman, also wear a suit and nice flats or heels. Pants or skirt suit doesn't matter. Make sure to hide tattoos and most piercings. If you're a girl and have lots of piercings, wear your hair down to cover them up. If you have your ears stretched, as a girl, wear something that looks like a regular earring. For a man, wear a solid color plug, NOT a tunnel. Take all piercings on your face out or wear a clear earring. For tattoos, hide them. For women, if the tattoo is on your foot, leg, or ankle, wear dark colored tights or something else that's appropriate to cover it up.
Bring a portfolio (big leather folder) and put your resumes, business cards, pen, paper, your driver's license (in case you need it for security reasons), and additional information you were requested to bring (ex reimbursement forms).
Print out a copy of your unofficial transcript and bring it with you. A lot of companies seem to be asking for it these days. It will make you look prepared because you were a step ahead of the game!
This is completely optional. If you have made some personal side projects OR have something you spent some extra time on for a class assignment, bring it with you either on a flash drive, print out a nice snippet of the most complex part you have, have the website ready in working order, or bring your phone with the mobile application ready to be ran. MAKE SURE EVERYTHING IS WORKING BEFORE YOU SHOW IT OFF IN THE INTERVIEW or you will look stupid. It can even potentially ruin your chances of obtaining the position. If you do decide to print out code, make sure your code is neat and not just thrown on Microsoft Word to be printed sloppy. Make sure it is neat and organized, as well as very ready to explain what you did for your code and why.
Prepare a list of questions to ask during the interview. After each interviewer is done interviewing you (whether it's multiple people coming into the room at separate “rounds” or if you have a few people in the same room asking you questions), the interviewer will ask you if you have any questions. If you have just one large round, then ask them at the end. If you have multiple rounds, one being with an HR person, one being a technical interview, and one being a senior member/manager on the team you're interviewing for, ask 2 or 3 questions per round (depending on your preference), but make sure to ask the HR questions to the HR people and the technical questions to the technical interviewer and so on. Saving them all until the end would be ok, but not the best option. If you just have one large round, ask about 5-7 questions and save your “best/most challenging” question for the very last one in order to end on the highest note. Also, the interviewers will usually remember what happens at the very end and be able to take great note of that.
Practice your interviewing skills, especially for behavioral. Rehearse some things you'd say for each question that would be asked. You can find a list of popular behavioral and technical interview questions online. If you still think you need more than just your friend to practice with, have no fear. You can ask your professors for advice or even schedule an appointment for a mock interview. You can have as many as you want. It's just like a real interview without anything at stake. You make an appointment at the career center and take the same steps (and dress the same) as you would for a regular in-person interview. They are extremely helpful and highly recommended.
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Read up on the company, what they stand for, their mission statement, what they do, etc. For example, if you are interviewing for a position at an insurance company, know what types of insurance they sell. And of course know that they sell insurance. If you at least have a couple sentences to say, you're in the clear!
Read up on your job description. Know what languages or tasks you will be expected to do if you were hired. You don't have to know everything because the company will “most likely” train you. For example, if they want you to know what “websphere” is, if you have no idea, at least google what it is and if they ask, say you know what it is, but don't know it at this time and would love to learn it. Always say that you'd love to learn. That shows your motivation and passion for the position.
For what you do know (ex Java and object oriented languages), make sure you brush up on your basic concepts and google concepts that would be typically asked in a technical interview, as well as basic syntax (ex arrays). Some companies may hammer you with questions, others may ask you to write out syntax FROM MEMORY, and others may ask you to type code out on a screen. It varies by company. In most cases from my experience, you are hammered with around 10 questions. With those questions, you never know what you will get asked. A word of advice is to only put languages, frameworks, etc. that you know to a decent degree OR what you covered for nice chunk or a unit in class. For example, if you spent about 10 minutes learning AJAX, it is not recommended to put it on your resume. If you do, the recruiters can ask questions about it. If you don't know enough, you will look silly and not get the job.
Prepare your resume and make sure to bring at least 5 in case the interviewers ask. One thing that would make you look better is printing your resume on resume paper as opposed to regular paper. It's more professional and it will give you a reason to stand out. And of course, make sure your resume is error free or you will be sent a rejection letter instantly!
Another thing that will help you stand out is bringing business cards and handing them out like candy. It will help the interviewers remember you more. You can get them for free at the career center.
If you're a man, wear a nice suit, tie, and dress shoes. For a woman, also wear a suit and nice flats or heels. Pants or skirt suit doesn't matter. Make sure to hide tattoos and most piercings. If you're a girl and have lots of piercings, wear your hair down to cover them up. If you have your ears stretched, as a girl, wear something that looks like a regular earring. For a man, wear a solid color plug, NOT a tunnel. Take all piercings on your face out or wear a clear earring. For tattoos, hide them. For women, if the tattoo is on your foot, leg, or ankle, wear dark colored tights or something else that's appropriate to cover it up.
Bring a portfolio (big leather folder) and put your resumes, business cards, pen, paper, your driver's license (in case you need it for security reasons), and additional information you were requested to bring (ex reimbursement forms).
Print out a copy of your unofficial transcript and bring it with you. A lot of companies seem to be asking for it these days. It will make you look prepared because you were a step ahead of the game!
This is completely optional. If you have made some personal side projects OR have something you spent some extra time on for a class assignment, bring it with you either on a flash drive, print out a nice snippet of the most complex part you have, have the website ready in working order, or bring your phone with the mobile application ready to be ran. MAKE SURE EVERYTHING IS WORKING BEFORE YOU SHOW IT OFF IN THE INTERVIEW or you will look stupid. It can even potentially ruin your chances of obtaining the position. If you do decide to print out code, make sure your code is neat and not just thrown on Microsoft Word to be printed sloppy. Make sure it is neat and organized, as well as very ready to explain what you did for your code and why.
Prepare a list of questions to ask during the interview. After each interviewer is done interviewing you (whether it's multiple people coming into the room at separate “rounds” or if you have a few people in the same room asking you questions), the interviewer will ask you if you have any questions. If you have just one large round, then ask them at the end. If you have multiple rounds, one being with an HR person, one being a technical interview, and one being a senior member/manager on the team you're interviewing for, ask 2 or 3 questions per round (depending on your preference), but make sure to ask the HR questions to the HR people and the technical questions to the technical interviewer and so on. Saving them all until the end would be ok, but not the best option. If you just have one large round, ask about 5-7 questions and save your “best/most challenging” question for the very last one in order to end on the highest note. Also, the interviewers will usually remember what happens at the very end and be able to take great note of that.
Practice your interviewing skills, especially for behavioral. Rehearse some things you'd say for each question that would be asked. You can find a list of popular behavioral and technical interview questions online. If you still think you need more than just your friend to practice with, have no fear. You can ask your professors for advice or even schedule an appointment for a mock interview. You can have as many as you want. It's just like a real interview without anything at stake. You make an appointment at the career center and take the same steps (and dress the same) as you would for a regular in-person interview. They are extremely helpful and highly recommended.
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How to succeed in an IT interview
Since I have filled out dozens of applications combined for full time positions and internships and have had around 20 interviews, and 2 offers, I'm going to give you all some advice from a peer about how to go about interviews, what works, and what doesn't work! Note: MOST of this is for IT ONLY, but some of this can be aimed towards any field!
I discovered most of this through personal experience, advice from friends, advice from professors, and advice from a couple people I know who are already in the field.
You probably know how it feels to be minding your own business. Your phone goes off. You don't recognize the phone number, but it's from a familiar area code and you decide to answer the phone anyways. “Hello may I speak to _____? This is_____ from _____”. You are now ecstatic because you have landed an interview! This may also come in email form as well!
I will be creating posts based on concepts that I deem integral for having a successful interview. The links to each page will be provided!
Now that you have landed an interview, here is a list of what you will need:
1. How to prepare for an interview
2. In-person/campus interviews
3. Phone interviews
4. What to do after an interview
5. Ten professional interview gestures
6. Ten unprofessional interview gestures
7. What women should and should not wear to interviews
8. Potential technical interview questions for programmers, developers, and web developers
9. Potential technical interview questions for a DBA or SQL developer
10. How to thrive in a career or internship fair
11. Sample Cover Letter
12. Sample Thank You Note
13. Questions to ask a consulting company
I discovered most of this through personal experience, advice from friends, advice from professors, and advice from a couple people I know who are already in the field.
You probably know how it feels to be minding your own business. Your phone goes off. You don't recognize the phone number, but it's from a familiar area code and you decide to answer the phone anyways. “Hello may I speak to _____? This is_____ from _____”. You are now ecstatic because you have landed an interview! This may also come in email form as well!
I will be creating posts based on concepts that I deem integral for having a successful interview. The links to each page will be provided!
Now that you have landed an interview, here is a list of what you will need:
1. How to prepare for an interview
2. In-person/campus interviews
3. Phone interviews
4. What to do after an interview
5. Ten professional interview gestures
6. Ten unprofessional interview gestures
7. What women should and should not wear to interviews
8. Potential technical interview questions for programmers, developers, and web developers
9. Potential technical interview questions for a DBA or SQL developer
10. How to thrive in a career or internship fair
11. Sample Cover Letter
12. Sample Thank You Note
13. Questions to ask a consulting company
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