Top Interview Questions for IT Pros

First youll find interview questions by position type:

Entry Level and Help Desk for those who are starting out in the I field
!etwork "d#inistrator and $yste# "d#inistrator for #ore advan%ed positions
he last set of questions in%ludes general H& questions' so#e of whi%h you #ight be
fa#iliar with(
"s youll noti%e' there arent any answers' but thats be%ause I want )*+ to %o#e up with
the#( Do so#e resear%h if you have to and #aybe youll even learn a thing or two( he #ost
i#portant thing is that you will be fully prepared, )ou will be ready for anything theyll throw
at you' and you will get the -ob,
I would also suggest that you pra%ti%e answering these questions until you feel %onfident(
.ake sure your answers refle%t your knowledge' skills and personality in other words' the
real you not what you think the person interviewing you wants to hear(
!ow before we get started' I would like to en%ourage you to add your own interview
questions in the %o##ents below so that others %an benefit fro# the#( ry to sti%k to I
related questions' but general H& questions are fine too(
Entry-Level and Help Desk Positions
hese questions are #ostly for Help Desk positions but I wouldnt be surprised if an entry/
level %andidate was asked any one of these questions( If you dont know the answer' find it'
#e#ori0e it and then pra%ti%e e1plaining it in your own words(
1. 2hat is the differen%e between a hub and a swit%h3
2. 2hat is a network3
3. 2hat is "%tive Dire%tory3
. 2hat is 456I5 and what does it stand for3
!. 2hat is a default gateway3
". 2hat does DH45 stand for3
#. 2hat is an I5 "ddress3
$. 2hat is the signifi%an%e of the I5 address 788(788(788(7883
%. 2hat are the 9 #a-or %lasses of an I5 network3
1&. 2hat is a 4lass D I5 address3
11. 2hat is *$5F3
12. " user is %o#plaining of delays when using the network( 2hat would you do3
'etwork (d)inistrator Positions
$o#e of these questions #ay also be in%luded in the previous %ategory for Help Desk
e%hni%ian positions( In either %ase' theyre worth preparing for(
13. 2hat is the differen%e between layer 7 and layer 9 in the *$I #odel3
1. 2hat is the differen%e between a hub' swit%h' and router3
1!. 2hat is a :L"!3
1". 2hat is the differen%e between 45 and +D53
1#. How do you distinguish a D!$ proble# fro# a network proble#3
1$. 2hat are a runt' ;iant' and %ollision3
1%. 2hat is a broad%ast stor#3
2&. 2hat is the purpose of :&&53
21. 2hat is a :5!3
22. 2hat is a default route3
23. How do you set a default route on an I*$ 4is%o router3
2. 2hat is a #etri%3
2!. 2hat is a ."4 address3
2". 2hat is "&56&"&53
2#. Des%ribe a 45 %onne%tion sequen%e(
2$. 2hat is .+3
2%. 2hat other 45 setting %an you #odify besides .+ to shorten pa%kets3
*yste) (d)inistration Position
Here are a few #ore questions that are a little bit #ore diffi%ult( $yste# "d#ins should know
all these answers by heart in addition to the !etwork "d#inistrator questions(
3&. 2hat is the differen%e between layer 7 and layer 9 devi%es3
31. 2hat is the subnet for a %lass 4 network3
32. Have you %onfigured a !I$ server6%lient before3 If so' des%ribe what you did(
33. Have your %onfigured a !F$ server3
3. 2hat are &"ID < and &"ID 83
3!. 2hat are the required %o#ponents of 2indows $erver 7==9 for installing E1%hange
7==93
3". 2hat #ust be done to an "D forest before E1%hange %an be deployed3
3#. 2hat E1%hange pro%ess is responsible for %o##uni%ation with "D3
3$. 2hat %onne%tor type would you use to %onne%t to the Internet' and what are the two
#ethods of sending #ail over that %onne%tor3
3%. How would you opti#i0e E1%hange 7==9 #e#ory usage on 2indows $erver 7==9 with
#ore than <;b of #e#ory3
&. 2hat are the standard port nu#bers for $.5' 5*59' I."5>' &54' LD"5 and ;lobal
4atalog3
1. !a#e the pro%ess na#es for the following: $yste# "ttendant' Infor#ation $tore'
$.565*56I."56*2"(
2. 2hat is the #a1i#u# a#ount of databases that %an be hosted on E1%hange 7==9
Enterprise3
3. 2hat are the disadvantages of %ir%ular logging3
. ?2hat is "%tive Dire%tory s%he#a3
!. 2hat are the do#ain fun%tional levels in 2indows $erver 7==93
". 2hat is the default do#ain fun%tional level in 2indows $erver 7==93
#. 2hat are the forest fun%tional levels in 2indows $erver 7==93
$. 2hat is a global %atalog server3
%. How %an we raise do#ain fun%tional and forest fun%tional levels in 2indows $erver
7==93
!&. 2hat is the default proto%ol used in dire%tory servi%es3
!1. 2hat is I5v@3
!2. 2hat are the physi%al A logi%al %o#ponents of "D$3
!3. In whi%h do#ain fun%tional level' we %an rena#e a do#ain na#e3
!. 2hat is #ulti#aster repli%ation3
!!. 2hat is a site3
!". 2hi%h is the %o##and used to re#ove a%tive dire%tory fro# a do#ain %ontroller3
!#. 2hat is the file thats responsible for keeping all "%tive Dire%tory databases3
+eneral H, Questions
hese general questions %an be the toughest ones to get through( hey #ight sound easy'
but they require a lot of thought and preparation( I would suggest writing down your answers
first' then reading the# over a few ti#es so that youre %o#fortable in answering the#(
$o#e of these questions are very tri%ky and %an get you in trouble( $o if you run into
proble#s finding a good answer' %he%k out these @> Interview Buestions for so#e help(
!$. ell us a little bit about yourself(
!%. 2hat are your greatest strengths3
"&. 2hat are your greatest weaknesses3
"1. 2hat do you like about your %urrent -ob or what did you like about your last -ob3
"2. ;ive us an e1a#ple of when you handled a stressful situation(
"2. ;ive us an e1a#ple of one of the toughest proble#s you had to fa%e' and how did you
deal with it3
"3. 2hy do you think you should get this position3
". Do you think you are the best person for this -ob3 If so' why3
"!. 2hy did you apply for this position3
"". 2hy did you apply for a position with our %o#pany and what do you know about us3
"#. 2hy should we hire you3
"$. ell us about your short and long ter# goals3
"%. 2here do you see yourself five years fro# now3
#&. 5lease e1plain' what does %usto#er servi%e #ean to you3
#1. 2hat does being a tea# player #ean to you3
#2. ;ive us an e1a#ple of how you handled a %onfli%t with another e#ployee3
#3. 2hat are your salary e1pe%tations3
#. 2hat would you %onsider your #ost i#portant a%%o#plish#ent3
#!. How would you define su%%ess3
#". "t your last review' what i#prove#ents did your #anager suggest you #ake3
##. 2hat would your %oworkers say about you3
I hope these are helpful, "s I #entioned above' feel free to post your own interview
questions in the %o##ents below(