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Writer's pictureDuncan Huaffe

Network Admin IT Interview tips

Updated: May 31, 2021

Regardless of how experienced you are, or how skilled you think you are, even if it's applying within the organization, preparing for an interview is very important. It will enable you to be calm and you will engage well in the conversation. If you are quiet and shy, it will help if you try to make as much conversation as you can before you head into your interview, this will help you relax and you will be able to speak clearly during the interview.

Tips

  1. Be a softie - stay natural and use your personality - not anyone else's. Remember, companies and organizations would rather hire a well spoken junior person than a guru who cannot communicate well

  2. Be honest about your knowledge - if you don't know the answer (especially technical questions), admit it, but don't stop there - tell them how you can go about finding the answers to the issues. This can demonstrate how you can think critically to solve problems. Also, if you are caught it between, try to answer both sides: "I know this is the answer because..... I don't know this answer because......" etc. Most times interviewers are more interested on how you answer rather than your answers.

  3. Try to steer the conversation (not too much) on your strengths. For example: If you are good at Networking, and you are applying for a Website Developer position, don't be afraid to mention your networking skills. Organizations tend to not turn away multi-talented individuals.

  4. Link to your personal interests and opinions - you are in a room with like minded people and you may share the same interests. Discuss how you feel about the topic/question. Interviewers may surprise you on how they relate to your thoughts.

  5. Be positive - everyone in the room wants the interview to be successful, do your best to stay positive and engaging and show who you are and how you will fit into the role.


Common Interview Questions



Other tech questions that you may need to have on hand just in case!

  • How do you remain current with your technical expertise and skills?

  • Do you belong to any online user groups?

  • Describe your greatest technical adversity and how you handled it. Is there anything you would have done differently?

  • What’s your experience of configuration management?

  • What is your home network set up like?

  • How do you archive your network?

  • Explain the differences between a hub, switch, and router.

  • How would you diagnose a DNS issue compared to a network issue?

  • What is the difference between TCP and UDP?

  • What is a VLAN?

  • What is a TCP three-way handshake?

  • What is 255.255.255.255 used for?

  • When would you use a crosslink cable?

  • What will happen if you leave the default gateway information empty while manually configuring TCP/IP?

  • How can you access a shared folder from a remote computer? Name at least three methods.

  • Do you find it arduous to work for long hours in front of a computer?

  • How do you perform system maintenance? Walk me through your preferred process.

  • What's your background in operating systems and maintenance?

  • What is DHCP?

  • What is the difference between a workgroup and a domain?

  • What are the main differences between Windows Home, Windows Pro, and Windows Server?

  • How would you recommend we support our virtual employees?

  • What auditing tools or approaches do you prefer? Why?

More Questions

Here are some questions I came across on my interviews.

  1. Team Work - how do you work with a team and what have you learned from working with a team. Give an example.

  2. If you have a lot of tasks lining up, how would you prioritize?

  3. If an entire floor's network is down, how do you approach staff and what do you do to resolve this issue?

  4. Give an example of an IT project that you were satisfied with and what you've learned throughout the process.

Concentrate more on HOW you answer the questions rather that WHAT your answer is. That's it! All the best in your interviews.


Image courtesy:www.rasmussen.edu

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