Need help with a job interview (Senior Technology Consultant)

[hightechrex]

I have an interview with a managed services firm on Wednesday for a "Senior Technology Consulting" position. I get the jist of what the position entails, but I just need some tips and pointers to help me standout during the interview process. What are some points that I should drive home, what are some good questions, and what can I expect? Here are the job responsibilities..

Job Description:

Senior consultants’ responsibilities include: Managing all aspects of customer’s technologies; Mentoring, educating, guiding and supporting associate/mid-level team members; Project management: IT assessments, recommendations and proposals; and nurturing customer relationships. Senior’s play a crucial role as they serve as the junction point between client service delivery excellence, and the professional development of our consultants. This is a hands on technology role.

Responsibilities:

• Provide clients with technical expertise pertaining to networking, mobility, virtualization and cloud-based solutions

• Evaluate, recommend, and execute new technologies and update existing infrastructure to ensure optimal network performance
• Develop IT strategies to ensure the networking infrastructure meets existing and future requirements based on needs and regulations
• Candidate must have the ability to work in a variety of environments, have excellent follow-up skills, provide detailed documentation, and be able to work effectively and independently
• Participation in proposal content, product research, and sales meetings with prospective clients may be required

Thanks in advance!

 

[TurricanII]

If mentoring, guiding and client facing are required then number 1 is to be able to talk to them comfortably yet demonstrate your in depth experience and knowledge. You probably don't get too nervous dealing with clients any more, if that is what you have been doing for some time, so don't get nervous at interview if at all possible. Remember that the reason you are invited to an interview is that they feel you might be a valuable asset to them! Read their website before asking anything that is obvious from their website!

Google the company, ZIP /post code, telephone number and look for good and bad reviews. See if you can research them on LinkedIn. Look for previous company names/take overs/management buyouts. Try and find out in advance who will be interviewing and find out their positions in order that you can get a feeling in advance for their perspective.

I would check the company registry (in the UK, not sure if there is a US equivalent) to see how long they have been established. I'd be a little wary of companies that are only a couple of years old. Can you afford to be unpaid for a while if the company fails, as a very high proportion of young companies do?

I personally would be asking them about remote/late working ability and I'd be talking to them about the needs of their business:

• Would you be taking over from someone else or who performed this function or is it a new role/new area of work for the business?
• Are the IT assessments focused on vulnerability scanning/penetration testing, infrastructure or general best practice reviews?
• What kind of CRM/call logging/monitoring & alerting/SEIM/knowledgebase/workflow/auditing/remote support/project management software/methodologies do they use?
• What kind of support contracts and managed services do they provide (e.g. prepaid/all you can eat/retainer)?
• What would be the process for you to recommend a new tool or better way of doing things? Who is the decision maker when it comes to purchasing new tools/software for internal use?
• Have they had any critical problems on projects/with managed clients that they need to avoid a repeat of?
• What distributors do they use and what manufacturers do they sell?
• Do they perform annual employee assessments?
• Do they provide their own cloud service or resell others'?
• Do they provide time in the working week for personal skills development/self study training? Do they invest in CBT Nuggets or any other training materials to help you keep up to date with the latest technology and regulations?
• Is there a sales/account manager at the firm or does 'nurturing customer relationships' mean that this role includes client account management?
• Do they plan to grow the company or at what rate is it growing?
• Do they posses any vendor partnerships or are they looking to attain any more?

Edited to add:

As you are already running your own business I would be prepared to bring up the subject of non-compete clauses. As an employer I would be a little wary of hiring a person who is used to being their own boss and who used to compete in the same areas. How will you cope when you suddenly have a boss?

As a jobseeker I would seek to demonstrate the reasons why I am looking to transition into full time employment. I personally would let them know that I am looking to avoid the tedious areas that come with small business ownership such as finance/marketing so I can devote more time to cutting edge technology solutions.

 

[hightechrex]

I am stepping down...

If mentoring, guiding and client facing are required then number 1 is to be able to talk to them comfortably yet demonstrate your in depth experience and knowledge. You probably don't get too nervous dealing with clients any more, if that is what you have been doing for some time, so don't get nervous at interview if at all possible. Remember that the reason you are invited to an interview is that they feel you might be a valuable asset to them! Read their website before asking anything that is obvious from their website!

Google the company, ZIP /post code, telephone number and look for good and bad reviews. See if you can research them on LinkedIn. Look for previous company names/take overs/management buyouts. Try and find out in advance who will be interviewing and find out their positions in order that you can get a feeling in advance for their perspective.

I would check the company registry (in the UK, not sure if there is a US equivalent) to see how long they have been established. I'd be a little wary of companies that are only a couple of years old. Can you afford to be unpaid for a while if the company fails, as a very high proportion of young companies do?

I personally would be asking them about remote/late working ability and I'd be talking to them about the needs of their business:

• Would you be taking over from someone else or who performed this function or is it a new role/new area of work for the business?
• Are the IT assessments focused on vulnerability scanning/penetration testing, infrastructure or general best practice reviews?
• What kind of CRM/call logging/monitoring & alerting/SEIM/knowledgebase/workflow/auditing/remote support/project management software/methodologies do they use?
• What kind of support contracts and managed services do they provide (e.g. prepaid/all you can eat/retainer)?
• What would be the process for you to recommend a new tool or better way of doing things? Who is the decision maker when it comes to purchasing new tools/software for internal use?
• Have they had any critical problems on projects/with managed clients that they need to avoid a repeat of?
• What distributors do they use and what manufacturers do they sell?
• Do they perform annual employee assessments?
• Do they provide their own cloud service or resell others'?
• Do they provide time in the working week for personal skills development/self study training? Do they invest in CBT Nuggets or any other training materials to help you keep up to date with the latest technology and regulations?
• Is there a sales/account manager at the firm or does 'nurturing customer relationships' mean that this role includes client account management?
• Do they plan to grow the company or at what rate is it growing?
• Do they posses any vendor partnerships or are they looking to attain any more?

Edited to add:

As you are already running your own business I would be prepared to bring up the subject of non-compete clauses. As an employer I would be a little wary of hiring a person who is used to being their own boss and who used to compete in the same areas. How will you cope when you suddenly have a boss?

As a jobseeker I would seek to demonstrate the reasons why I am looking to transition into full time employment. I personally would let them know that I am looking to avoid the tedious areas that come with small business ownership such as finance/marketing so I can devote more time to cutting edge technology solutions.

I am stepping down.

 

[Markverhyden]

Stepping down means closing your business? If so then I'd also point out that, as a former business owner, you understand that business/customer development is a constant part of the process. In addition to the necessary technical skills you can pick up on potential sales opportunities to pass on to the sales team. Offer up your customer base if it's a fit when they hire you.

 

[altrenda]

How much of this position is judged on a sales basis?
How much are you expected to upsell/ expand business with existing clients?

 

[NJW]

That's an exceedingly broad job description. "Senior Technology Consultant" sounds made up – you may be in a department of one.

I am stepping down.

If that does mean that you're closing your own business, have a very convincing reply to the inevitable question, "So, tell us why you were unable to make your company work."

 

[hightechrex]

That's an exceedingly broad job description. "Senior Technology Consultant" sounds made up – you may be in a department of one.

If that does mean that you're closing your own business, have a very convincing reply to the inevitable question, "So, tell us why you were unable to make your company work."

That's an exceedingly broad job description. "Senior Technology Consultant" sounds made up – you may be in a department of one.

If that does mean that you're closing your own business, have a very convincing reply to the inevitable question, "So, tell us why you were unable to make your company work."

Its a very real job title, I wouldn't even entertain this further if I hadn't done my own research. You are correct, I do need to be prepared for that question. Thanks for the feedback.