Often these candidates are missing what I consider a fundamental passion for tech; the desire to understand at a detailed level how technology actually works and the interest and determination to create something for themselves. rev2023.5.1.43405. Is "I didn't think it was serious" usually a good defence against "duty to rescue"? Even if the hiring manager doesn't share your passion, he or she will relate to your enthusiasm. Here are seven example questions, including explanations for why interviewers may ask them, advice on effective responses and sample answers: 1. Keep in mind that your passion can involve almost anything. For example, I interviewed a CS grad recently who had passed his technical interview by the time he reached me, and was very excited about the promise of technology and why he thought he wanted a career in it. Nearly all graduate roles at technology companies will ask you to prove just how much you love technology in your application. Top 15 Cybersecurity Interview Questions to Prepare for in - Spiceworks Instead, talk about the sought-after . This article lists 15 important interview questions that can help you ace interviews for jobs in the cybersecurity domain. What Are You Passionate About: Interview Question & Answers - zety about what the problem you aimed to resolve was, how you applied your skills and what motivated you to try solving the issue. In fact, all of my vacation time in the past few years has been used to travel around the country to compete. I am not sure if Mr.Skeet is known to the HRs of the industry :). (I have managed to crack it, so I thought my experience might be useful to you. Additionally, I made sure that projects and tasks were fairly distributed so that nobody was overwhelmed with too much work.". Software and system updates were made once they become available to patch security holes and remove bugs.". Does a password policy with a restriction of repeated characters increase security? The coding languages I'm most familiar with include Python, Java, Ruby, Lisp, and SQL. during an interview for a programming position. Motivation For Career Growth And How To Find It, How to Make a Career Change at 50 and Live Out Your Best Life. Ahhh I'm sorry, I don't know how I missed that. Something else was going on. No matter what type of job youre interviewing for, there are certain interview questions that are used across all different industries. Showing how you adopt and use technology in an interesting way is a good start, says Tim. Dont talk about something that doesnt make you seem like a good fit for the job. Consider the number of Star Trek 'predictions' that arrived in the lifetimes of most of the kids watching the show. It's important for you to show your passion for travel and customer service skills. When you visit the site, Dotdash Meredith and its partners may store or retrieve information on your browser, mostly in the form of cookies. How Do You Provide Technical Assistance and Support to Customers? You can also mention goals (such as training for a race, if running is your passion), which will give interviewers a sense of your long-term thinking and perseverance. Where might I find a copy of the 1983 RPG "Other Suns"? Your knowledge of computer systems, hardware, and software. An answer like this one will show the employer that you care about others, and it will show that youre willing to volunteer your time to help others as well. If you say your passion is working with children, perhaps you can mention a volunteer organization you work for. UX design is an extremely varied, hands-on profession with problem-solving right at its core. What are the best paying jobs for graduates? Ive found a few good hiking trails in the area and even got a group of friends together to go hiking with.. Its also a good idea to talk about something that shows you enjoy having a sense of community. If I have a job interview and I get asked a question about something I've never heard of, I go home and look it up - if it's useful I add it to my toolkit. Craft your answer in a way that expresses your enthusiasm for your passion, but also lets the employer know youll work on it off the clock. Does it amaze you that you can keep hundreds of books on your Kindle? What does the hiring manager really want to know? Information technology is important across all types of businesses, from small mom-and-pop shops to large corporations, so IT professionals who are well-versed in computer support, database administration, software development, and web development and design are in high demand. What are the arguments for/against anonymous authorship of the Gospels. They likely would have spent their teens before heading off to college in a household that had 1 or more computers, cellular phones, game consoles, iPods, tablets, high speed internet, Wikipedia, Netflix, YouTube, and Facebook. 5. I really enjoy drawing. Cookies collect information about your preferences and your devices and are used to make the site work as you expect it to, to understand how you interact with the site, and to show advertisements that are targeted to your interests. We could almost assume they had that passion by even applying. What's the goal? Lastly, my Twitter feed is a The last thing you want to do is give an answer you dont really mean just because you think thats what the interviewer wants to hear. If you seem disinterested while talking about something you claim to be passionate about, the employer may think youre not going to have any enthusiasm for the job either. I am an Engineering student and domain is Electronics and communications Engineering.As i am in final year of my course there are interview in which software company recruiter's ask me the question like "Why are you coming to software field while you have done your course in ECE". Offering a positive customer experience fulfils me personally and I also feel that it is important for the organisation and clients. I enjoy learning new recipes in my free time, and I often invite people over so that I can cook dinner for them.. I love their mission and I love working with animals, so its been the perfect opportunity for me. You don't want to appear so busy with your passion that you won't have time to get all your work done. 1. Don't share a passion that isn't workplace friendly. How to List Your Spoken Languages on a Resume: Examples, How to Know if Youre Underemployed and What You Should Do About It. I work out four or five times a week and keep a daily journal of my meals. When interviewing candidates for engineering roles, we often want to understand their passion for technology.We evaluate passion for technology because we want to hire engineers who are motivated and driven to create technology, not because theyre paid to do so but because they have a deep interest and internal drive to do so. A programmer who claims N years experience could easily be one with only 1 years experience, repeated N times, and this sort of question is one way to identify that. To make your answer even more credible, explain why this is effective for you. Whether you will be able to help their business by taking advantage of new technologies to deliver better features or reduce costs. Basically in my experience having what I could arguably call a "real" engineering degree helped me tremendously in the software industry. Now that you get the gist of how to develop strong, complete answers to common IT interview questions, find that right-fit IT position at Monster. If you have envisaged or even created a technology solution to an everyday problem, whether at home or in your studies, that will stand out. Some of the technical processes you should discuss when answering IT interview questions about in-house IT support are: "I previously worked for a marketing agency and set up the computer systems, workstations, and network hardware after they moved to a new location. Where does the version of Hamapil that is different from the Gemara come from? But todays college graduates are different. I just read the first part and though it was like a bunch of the other answers here that only addressed the "how" and not the "why". When I worked for a marketing firm, I built websites for clients by simply using Java, Python, SQL, PHP, CSS, and HTML in the backend to develop the functionality, interface, and appearance of each site. We previously used McAfee but switched to SolarWinds Security Event Manager, which is a cloud-based security tool used to monitor systems, log events, and detect intrusions. If you are applying for a job in a bookstore and are passionate about reading novels, you might mention this. Of course, knitting also requires a keen attention to detail and a lot of patience. After college, I worked for a technology company for three years developing and testing financial database software. I advised the customer to restart the computer and scan for malware. Q&A: "Why Are You Interested in a Technological Career?" - Indeed Does the order of validations and MAC with clear text matter? Transition from STEM field into social/management positions. applying for a technical role, it goes without saying that you need to have a passion for technological innovation. Interviewers often care about your skills and qualifications as much as they do your personality and approachability. New blog post from our CEO Prashanth: Community is the future of AI, Improving the copy in the close modal and post notices - 2023 edition. You might say something like: Im actually a semi-pro tennis player and spend most of my spare time training. Even if the job youre applying for doesnt require you to do any manual labor, stating that you take care of yourself shows that youre a well-balanced individual. If you actually do these things, then you can bring the interviewer up to speed on some 'neat stuff'. What is Wario dropping at the end of Super Mario Land 2 and why? Why do interviewers ask if one has experience developing mission critical apps? You can follow her on Twitter. What Types of IT Software Are You Most Proficient At? If you have a tendency to get caught up in the moment when youre talking about your passion, but sure to watch the clock and stop yourself when you feel its appropriate. on Twitter. Therefore, you probably have certain strengths built around it. I was then able to create a website mock-up to show to each client for approval. Perhaps the things you used to be passionate about dont excite you as much anymore. One of our clients, an orthopedic office, was very impressed with the mock-up I created for them. Employees who never take time to themselves tend to burn out in a shorter amount of time so its a positive thing that you have boundaries and interests outside of your job. Most Common 11 UX Interview Questions in 2023 - CareerFoundry Perhaps you love running because it gives you a chance to unwind, or it helps you think more creatively. My main reason for saying that is that it doesn't have much discriminatory power. Name one thing youre passionate about and share why. Connect and share knowledge within a single location that is structured and easy to search. 3. One thing Im passionate about is personal development. To subscribe to this RSS feed, copy and paste this URL into your RSS reader. But if it's accurate, this is a great reason to give for why you chose this profession. This is the easiest scenario to be in, since you can draw a direct line between what you love to do outside of work and the actual job duties. So, I want to ensure whenever I answer I am not blabbering and what I do to keep abreast is generally acceptable. Scriptwriters 'just make this stuff up' as dramatic devices, often recognizing a need far in advance of the technology portfolio required to carry it out. ), I am from a non-CS background and I am interviewing for a Data Science Engineer position (which involves building the analytics architecture). Answers to "Why Did You Choose This Job/Career?" This answer is only valid if you have put enough efforts for your desired career, and have a convincing reason behind the change. They'll want to know how you approach projects your daily routine, your working style so that they can understand what theories or methodologies guide your work. By learning more about who you are as an individual, the employer can get a sense of whether you will fit in well with thecompany culture. Be sure you know enough about the passion to provide some additional information. Sample IT Interview Questions and Answers - Monster Career Advice When it comes to preparing for an interview, its helpful to find some of the most common interview questions and come prepared with an answer. The answers to interview questions are clues to an applicant's cultural fit within a company. If youre having trouble coming up with an answer, think about how youve been spending your free time in the past month. You said that you read blogs and forum communities. The difficulty can be in recognising where your experiences happen.. Are you not supposed to ask how much you will be paid in an interview? Some of my most creative solutions to work problems have come when I'm painting in the studio. Showing the employer that you have a creative side means they can count on you to use that creativity for effective problem solving and performing tasks that are out of your comfort zone. By Richard McMunn of: https://passmyinterview.com/50-interview-questions-and-a. The Workplace Stack Exchange is a question and answer site for members of the workforce navigating the professional setting. They may therefore ask you to talk through your typical UX workflow. The top nine tricky interview questions and how to answer them, Future jobs in demand: graduate career prospects for the coming years, How to succeed in your Network Rail video interview and assessment centre, Engineering The question is intentionally vague to see where someone goes in answering it. Is there anything you shouldn't mention? that summarizes news, stats and trends in my industry every morning. ". 1. ', agreed. Its also important to be honest. Select something that genuinely excites you. These are tough questions as they tend to devolve into polls. Share something you're really passionate about. Questions asking for advice on what to do are not practical answerable questions (e.g. Browse other questions tagged, Start here for a quick overview of the site, Detailed answers to any questions you might have, Discuss the workings and policies of this site. 8, How to show your passion for technology in your IT graduate application, Online applications for technology graduate schemes, Writing a covering letter for a graduate job in IT. This response works because it shows not only that you commit to practicing something until you get it right, but it also shows that you have a sense of community and that you enjoy being around other people. Thus, my suggestion for the key points in an appropriate answer are: 1) Show enthusiasm for what you do here and 2) Communicate the concise list to the interviewer. Select a passion in advance so you can prepare a thorough answer that connects to your value as an employee. Even with great training and knowledge, unless one has the passion to contribute in a direct and hands-on way to creating new technology, success in an engineering role is unlikely. If you're applying for a manager position, you will likely encounter IT interview questions gauging your ability to manage and track the performance of technical staff. "I'm passionate about helping other people achieve success and figuring out what fulfills them." No matter what type of job you're applying for, a willingness and passion to help others is an important quality for any employee to have. In such circumstances, it is often possible to see how problems are solved that others would consider unapproachable. Why It Works:The candidate shows her enthusiasm for her pets, which will be an asset in a pet-friendly workplace. The best policy here would be to. Don't overemphasize your passion. that's an excellent start. In your answer, you'll want to focus on the types of software most relevant to the job you're applying for. I had to teach myself a new coding language, Lua, and seek out communities that supported that language, and communities of other people who were modding the same game. Answering "What Are You Passionate About?" in an Interview Are you interested in software development beyond showing up for work 9 to 5 and doing what you're told? Passion is about deliberately bringing technology into your own life or the lives of others, and not just using it because its there. For me, it's mostly been about helping to form an overall impression of how interested the candidate actually is in what they do. When we drilled into how he applied himself to this goal however, I quickly found that he wasnt fundamentally very interested in actually making software. Smile and be yourself while youre talking about your passion. I try to read at least one book a month that will help me better myself.. at a job interview. Why It Works: This response works well because the candidate is sharing a willingness to help others and to volunteer his or her time. - Graduate recruiter at IBM When you're applying to work for a technology company, you need to show clear enthusiasm for technology, even if you're not applying for a technical role. When I started at Microsoft in 1992 the world of personal computers and software was very different than today. My usual newsletter is an excellent industry newsletter Site design / logo 2023 Stack Exchange Inc; user contributions licensed under CC BY-SA. Suppose you spend a lot of time at the gymyou can try an answer like this: I put a high priority on my health, so Im really passionate about fitness. How Have You Provided Technical Assistance to Businesses and Employees? Telling the interviewer that you want to make the switch just because there are nice opportunities in CS, wouldn't help(<-- This also comes from an interview experience of a friend). Tips for Giving the Best Answer Be prepared for follow-up questions. Being prepared with a great answer to this question will help you avoid awkward pauses in the conversation and can set you apart from other applicants. But I see quite a few job ads now which mention github accounts, programming outside work etc. So, this was my response to the question: My passion always was to become a data science engineer. Tim gives an example: As well as knowing programming languages, how might you have developed a solution using them? Example answer 4. For example, I read publications such as DZone and Web Code Geeks and am a member of Stack Overflow, a software developer community that talks about new trends.". Your interviewer will want to hear your step-by-step design process, from planning to execution. How Do You Manage Technical Staff and Track Their Performance? If you have chosen to teach yourself certain technical skills, then tell us why you chose them and what it meant to you to personally develop a skill that was not required for your degree course, says Tim. For more information, click here. Why It Works:This answer works well because it shows how the applicant took a personal tragedy and turned it into something positive. When an interviewer asks you what youre passionate about, thats not a chance to let them know about a strange hobby you have or tell an extremely personal story. I really enjoyed the process of discovery and getting feedback from the community. Site design / logo 2023 Stack Exchange Inc; user contributions licensed under CC BY-SA. Many instructional design candidates enter their roles with experience from other industries. No matter what type of job youre applying for, a willingness and passion to help others is an important quality for any employee to have. The person interviewing you would want to know that you are passionate about the industry. Along with explaining how you follow through with your passion in your daily life, it's good to also give a brief explanation as to why you love your particular hobby. Being a team player is an important quality to have when youre trying to get hired, so showing you have people in your life to encourage and challenge you can mean a lot in an interview. Everyone has different passions, but when you're sharing yours, be sure not to share anything that is controversial or inappropriate for the workplace. Episode about a group who book passage on a space ship controlled by an AI, who turns out to be a human who can't leave his ship? You've always been someone who's looked after others and wanted to help people, rather than just helping yourself. + Review these sample answers to questions about your passion, with information on why the answer works well. A typical graduate earning a degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Robotics, or any of a myriad of other technology degrees would typically have been born after 1992. They may self identify as a geek or technophile. ", or "what skills should I learn?"). When no malware was found, I advised them to bring the computer in for inspection and discovered that the problem was a poor connection between the RAM and the motherboard.". Time is often a reflection of our priorities, and in many instances, our priorities are aligned to our interests and passions, Dea explained. The question isn't really about what you use to stay current; it's more about the fact you make an attempt to stay current in the first place. Its been fun to use my content and marketing skills on a type of content thats really different from my day job, and Ive had a chance to learn a lot more about SEO, too.. Your answer might sound something like this: This probably isn't surprising coming from an engineer, but I love experimenting with code. How you oversaw the technical infrastructure at a previous job. Before the interview, prepare by picking a passion that you will talk about if you get asked this question. I have a good grasp of math, product development, and I did have enough software development courses to get me started. (How to ANSWER this COMMON INTERVIEW QUESTION!) Also, most of what you need to learn to do development is not taught on CS courses anyways so you are not any less competent than a CS grad. Your comment below your question seemed perfect to me, but what a candidate actually says will obviously be quite personal! Best answer is just honesty. opportunities to forge new connections. These activities keep me in touch with 'hot' items in the software development area. She writes about topics on career development, diversity and inclusion, and financial literacy for entry- and mid-level professionals. (And by success I dont mean getting promotions and recognition. The more sincere you are, the more likely the employer will be able to sense your genuine excitement. If you dont think you have a passion, ask yourself: Where do you spend your time? I make web sites that help small businesses connect to their customers and non-profits connect to their members. Technical skills you used at a previous job (if applicable). Part 1: prepare and apply, Peers in Careers: a professional one day conference - May 2023, targetjobs webinar | CV Writing Workshop - The National Tutoring Programme, 'Why do you want to work for us?' 2. Best Answers to "What Are You Passionate About?" - Career Sidekick And what if you cant think of anything youre passionate about? in an Interview, Interview Question: "How Would You Describe Your Work Style? Cooking is one of my passions. How to Answer "What Are You Passionate About?" (Plus Examples) + Why do interviewers ask "How do you keep abreast of changes in technology"? Re 'I think the only bad answer to such a question is "Nothing"', agreed, but as no-one gives this answer it makes me wonder about the value of the question. This tells you what to expect in, say, 30 years. Furthermore, staying abreast of industry trends is helpful in assessing new customer and market opportunities. IT professionals who provide assistance to businesses and employees will be asked IT support interview questions about setting up and configuring computer systems, installing software and hardware, troubleshooting system problems, and system maintenance and repair. How to Answer What Are You Passionate About?. Third, from time to time you 'go play with something' that seems to be showing up a lot on the employment boards: examples might include JavaScript/JQuery, xCode, FPGAs, or no-SQL databases. While volunteering, Ive honed my organizational skills in keeping the animals on a set daily routine, and have worked in compliance with the Humane Society safety procedures.. Dont be tempted to stretch the truth or exaggerate your interest. And it is less intimidating for many because unlike, say, archeology or criminology they will start with a pretty solid proficiency to build upon just from their life experiences. I also subscribe to all frameworks and technologies I use, so I receive an email whenever there is a new version/ changes. Even if they had no interest at all in having a career in tech they would have a tremendous amount of basic knowledge and be able to converse fairly fluently with someone who had a deep and abiding passion for technology. How familiar you are with the details of the type of work to be undertaken. 10 Best Example Answers about Your Interests and Hobbies Example #1: Volunteering "An activity that I am very strongly involved in is volunteering. This response also shows that the candidate has taken time to research the company. You do keep abreast: say what you do, and give enough details to show that you really do do it. General Manager, Modern Work at Microsoft. For example, if you're passionate about helping people, you likely have several strong soft skills like communication, organization and empathy. What is your design process? As I conduct interviews, I try to be more watchful for this rather than just assuming that if someone applies to work in a tech job, they must love technology and want to be part of making it. Your answer doesnt have to be something youve been passionate about your whole life. + 'What Are You Passionate About?' | Answering | Resume.com Animals are my passion. Pointing out any skills that you enjoy working on outside of work can help the interviewer see that youre someone who likes to learn and try new things. The recruiter may also want to see a connection between your passion and the position you apply for. I mean; deriving joy and personal satisfaction from one's work while making a significant impact on the lives of customers and to the industry via contribution to the products and services we create.). Being 100% in tune with your passion is commendable. ", Interview Question: "Why Should We Hire You? One, it gives the recruiter a chance to get a feel for what sort of skill sets you have and what you would be suited to and two it shows you are dedicated/interested in the work you do and not just doing it for the sake of having any old job. Quinisha is a freelance marketing consultant, U.S. Navy veteran, and part-time Staff Writer with The Muse. Furthermore, staying abreast of industry trends is helpful in assessing new customer and market opportunities.