Interview Guide

Research Yourself
Be prepared to answer questions about your career goals in general terms, both short and long term. Give the interviewer the sense that you have a career path in mind. Before you are too specific, make sure that the direction you want to move toward is available at that company.

Bottom line tip: You need to come across as directed, but make sure that the direction includes the current position.

Explain any Gaps Between Employment
Interviewers will often ask about gaps in employment. If you worked in a temporary or consulting capacity but didn't put it on your resume, have the details of what companies you worked with, what you did for them, and the approximate length of your assignment. If you were working outside the IT discipline be careful about bringing up any uncertainty regarding your intentions of staying in the IT field. If you didn't work but did search for a job, give some examples of the research you did regarding job opportunities and the process you went through to find this position.

Bottom line tip: Employers want to see that you are interested in working for their organization.

Reasons for Leaving Each Job
Know why you left and be able to succinctly describe your reasons. If it was for a better opportunity, explain how the new company's position was an opportunity. If you left involuntarily, present the reason in the most positive light you can. Rehearse any answers to make sure the response is genuine.

Bottom line tip: Reasons must be positive!

Research the Company
The kinds of things you should know about a potential employer:

	Size of the company, both number of employees and revenue/sales volume
	Ownership
	History, including how long they have been in business, sister and/or parent company names
	Products/Services, general information and basics about their major products and services
	Major competitors
	Industry trends
	IT department size
	Job description; understand the skills required for the position
	Relationship between the open position and other members of the staff; have a sense for the organization of the department
	Personal history of interviewers; if you know you have something in common, use it to build rapport
	Understand the critical skills and "key" qualities of their ideal candidate
	Have 3-5 well thought-out questions that would help further your understanding of the company

Sources of Information:

	Business Library
	Periodical Files
	Dun and Bradstreet Report

Your Alpha Consulting recruiter can assist you with background information on the companies we represent.