Field Service Technician Interview Preparation Guide

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Most people will call you as a last resort because they have already tried to fix the problem themselves and were not able to. Keep the atmosphere calm and display a positive and friendly attitude.

You should be consistently patient with yourself and with the people you work with to become a successful computer technician.

You need to be able to remove tough viruses like Antivirus2009 (without formatting) and understand how to use tools like Combofix, SmitFraudFix, Autoruns, Process Explorer, Malwarebytes, Superantispyware and UBCD4Win.

Computer technicians perform installation and maintenance or solve problems that people have with their computers. Just as there are different types of computers and different levels of computer systems and networks, there are also several different types of computer specialists.

This is where knowing something about the company you’re interviewing with, in addition to the specific position, is vital. Know what kinds of things those employees in positions similar to the one you’re interviewing for are doing. And make sure you read the job responsibilities and requirements carefully.

For example, if you’re applying for a marketing analyst position and you know that the company uses HubSpot, then you can mention that you’re looking forward to diving into that.

The computer technician's responsibilities may extend to include building or configuring new hardware, installing and updating software packages and creating and maintaining computer networks.

Pressure is actually a catalyst to my work. When there is an imperative deadline, I refocus my energy into my work which in fact, has helped me to produce some of my best works. (Give examples) I guess you can say I thrive under pressure.

Computer technician positions may require or prefer a degree in computer information services or a similar degree. Network administration or electrical engineering are also common degree paths for this profession. While a bachelor's degree is preferable, you may find employment with an associate's degree and demonstrated acumen and experience. Continuing education may also been required within your specialization.

Technicians are usually very good at quickly understanding any client, whether scientists or laymen and being able to effectively communicate whatever the client needs to know about the problem and its solution.

This can be one of the most challenging questions to answer, especially when you’re new to a field. In most cases, though, you want to avoid answering the question at all. Instead, you want the interviewer to tell you what their budget range is for the position.

Instead of stating a number when you’re asked, say something along the lines of, “I’m sure that whatever you’re paying is consistent with the going rate,” or “I’m sure we can figure out a fair salary based on what my responsibilities would be.” Don’t be afraid to say that because the job you’re applying for is so much different than your previous jobs, it’s hard for you to specify a salary range.

Formatting a computer is a fairly common task for most computer technicians but its a little more than just sticking in the Windows CD during boot time and installing. You also need to know the differences between OEM, Retail, Branded, Home, Professional, Volume and Corporate Licenses.

A computer repair technician is a person who repairs and maintains computers and servers.

This one can be a little bit tricky. If your long-term goals are to be doing something entirely different from the job you’re currently applying for, you may not want to mention that in so many words.

What you can say, though, is that you’re looking for work that is fulfilling and challenging, and that you’re passionate about.

Now, if you have a clear idea of where you want to be and it’s in line with the job you’re currently interviewing for, then by all means share that plan! Interviewers want to hear that you understand the typical or expected career path that will follow the job you’re applying for.

Computer technicians are expected to be disciplined and dedicated troubleshooters with a broad and deep knowledge of information technology maintenance. Technicians are able to work in different environments, from private homes to computerized corporations. Good computer technicians are polite and have strong work ethics and integrity when handling a client's property.

You can begin preparing to become a computer technician while still in high school. Many high schools offer certification training courses or credit towards a 2-year college degree or an Associate's degree. High school graduates can choose to pursue either a 2 or 4 years college program and many community colleges offer computer technician training programs that focus on jobs found in the real world. The most important training courses you will need to take are those courses that prepare you for your certification exams. These courses can be taken as part of a degree program or on a stand-alone basis.

☛ What interests you about this position?
☛ What are your technical certifications?
☛ What do you do to maintain your technical certifications?
☛ What automated-build tools or processes have you used?
☛ What development tools have you used?
☛ What languages have you programmed in?
☛ What source control tools have you used?
☛ What technical websites do you follow?
☛ Describe a time when you were able to improve upon the design that was originally suggested.
☛ Describe the most innovative change that you have initiated and what you did to implement this change.
☛ Given this problem (problem is based upon job requirements), what solution would you provide. Explain your thought process.
☛ How do you handle multiple deadlines?
☛ How do you keep current on this industry?
☛ How do you troubleshoot IT issues?
☛ Tell me about the most recent project you worked on. What were your responsibilities?
☛ Tell me about the project you are most proud of, and what your contribution was.
☛ Give an example of where you have applied your technical knowledge in a practical way.
☛ What is the biggest IT challenge you have faced and how did you handle it?
☛ You are working at a client site and the CTO of the client company has asked if she can see you. The CTO wants to know how much it would cost to bring in five more people on your team. She gives you very vague requirements of the job she is looking for you to do. What would you do?
☛ You have been asked to research a new business tool. You have come across two solutions. One is an on-premises solution, the other is cloud-based. Assuming they are functionally equivalent, why would you recommend one over the other?
☛ You have submitted a piece of code that has broken the client's website in production. You have found this bug while you were testing, and nobody else knows about it. What is your next move?
☛ You have learned that a business unit is managing a major component of the business using Excel spreadsheets and Access databases. What risks does this present, and what would you recommend be done to mitigate those risks?

☛ What is the difference between layer 2 and layer 3 devices?
☛ What is the subnet for a class C network?
☛ Have you configured a NIS server/client before? If so, describe what you did.
☛ Have your configured a NFS server?
☛ What are RAID 1 and RAID 5?
☛ What are the required components of Windows Server 2003 for installing Exchange 2003?
☛ What must be done to an AD forest before Exchange can be deployed?
☛ What Exchange process is responsible for communication with AD?
☛ What connector type would you use to connect to the Internet, and what are the two methods of sending mail over that connector?
☛ How would you optimize Exchange 2003 memory usage on Windows Server 2003 with more than 1Gb of memory?
☛ What are the standard port numbers for SMTP, POP3, IMAP4, RPC, LDAP and Global Catalog?
☛ Name the process names for the following: System Attendant, Information Store, SMTP/POP/IMAP/OWA.
☛ What is the maximum amount of databases that can be hosted on Exchange 2003 Enterprise?
☛ What are the disadvantages of circular logging?
☛ What is Active Directory schema?
☛ What are the domain functional levels in Windows Server 2003?
☛ What is the default domain functional level in Windows Server 2003?
☛ What are the forest functional levels in Windows Server 2003?
☛ What is a global catalog server?
☛ How can we raise domain functional and forest functional levels in Windows Server 2003?
☛ What is the default protocol used in directory services?
☛ What is IPv6?
☛ What are the physical & logical components of ADS?
☛ In which domain functional level, we can rename a domain name?
☛ What is multimaster replication?
☛ What is a site?
☛ Which is the command used to remove active directory from a domain controller?
☛ What is the file that's responsible for keeping all Active Directory databases?

1. What is the difference between a hub and a switch?

2. What is a network?

3. What is Active Directory?

4. What is TCP/IP and what does it stand for?

5. What is a default gateway?

6. What does DHCP stand for?

7. What is an IP Address?

8. What is the significance of the IP address 255.255.255.255?

9. What are the 3 major classes of an IP network?

10. What is a Class D IP address?

11. What is OSPF?

12. A user is complaining of delays when using the network. What would you do?

☛ A customer problem is taking you longer than expected and you’re running late for your next appointment. What do you do?
☛ How do you prepare yourself before meeting a client on-site? What equipment do you usually take with you?
☛ You are dealing with a customer problem, you’ve tried different ways but nothing seems to work. What’s your next step?
☛ You are asked to fix a printer. All you know is that when the customer tries to print, there’s an ‘error’ notification. What additional questions would you ask to better identify the problem?
☛ Are you familiar with our products? Can you think of some of our common customer queries?
☛ How do keep record of your work? Do you use any tools or systems to help you organize and file the cases you have handled?

☛ Describe a situation where you have dealt with an angry customer. How did you handle their complaints?
☛ What resources do you use to discover the latest technology trends?
☛ What’s your area of expertise? Is there something you would like to learn more about?
☛ Describe the hardest problem you have faced so far. What made the situation complex and how did you manage to handle it?

☛ Tell us a little bit about yourself.
☛ What are your greatest strengths?
☛ What are your greatest weaknesses?
☛ What do you like about your current job or what did you like about your last job?
☛ Give us an example of when you handled a stressful situation.
☛ Give us an example of one of the toughest problems you had to face, and how did you deal with it?
☛ Why do you think you should get this position?
☛ Do you think you are the best person for this job? If so, why?
☛ Why did you apply for this position?
☛ Why did you apply for a position with our company and what do you know about us?
☛ Why should we hire you?
☛ Tell us about your short and long term goals?
☛ Where do you see yourself five years from now?
☛ Please explain, what does customer service mean to you?
☛ What does being a team player mean to you?
☛ Give us an example of how you handled a conflict with another employee?
☛ What are your salary expectations?
☛ What would you consider your most important accomplishment?
☛ How would you define success?
☛ At your last review, what improvements did your manager suggest you make?
☛ What would your coworkers say about you?

☛ What is the difference between layer 2 and layer 3 in the OSI model?
☛ What is the difference between a hub, switch, and router?
☛ What is a VLAN?
☛ What is the difference between TCP and UDP?
☛ How do you distinguish a DNS problem from a network problem?
☛ What are a runt, Giant, and collision?
☛ What is a broadcast storm?
☛ What is the purpose of VRRP?
☛ What is a VPN?
☛ What is a default route?
☛ How do you set a default route on an IOS Cisco router?
☛ What is a metric?
☛ What is a MAC address?
☛ What is ARP/RARP?
☛ Describe a TCP connection sequence.
☛ What is MTU?
☛ What other TCP setting can you modify besides MTU to shorten packets?

☛ Describe the skills you have that qualify you for this job.
☛ Do you prefer to manage people or ideas?
☛ Describe your production deployment process.
☛ From the description of this position, what do you think you will be doing on a day-to-day basis?
☛ Have you worked with software vendors? How do you handle vendor relations?
☛ How important is it to work directly with your business users?
☛ How would you rate your key competencies for this job?
☛ If hired, is there anything you would change about this IT team?
☛ What challenges do you think you might expect in this job if you were hired?
☛ What companies do you see as the biggest competitors to this company?

☛ What does excellent after-sales support mean to you?
☛ Do you have a valid driver’s licence?
☛ Walk me through the process of updating the computer operating system.
☛ How do you install antivirus software?
☛ How do you access the Recovery Control in Windows?
☛ Can you name a few ways to increase a laptop’s battery life?

☛ Compare and contrast REST and SOAP web services.
☛ Define authentication and authorization and the tools that are used to support them in enterprise deployments.
☛ Describe the difference between optimistic and pessimistic locking.
☛ Describe the elements of an in tier architecture and their appropriate use.
☛ Have you used Eclipse?
☛ Have you used Visual Studio?
☛ How did you manage source control?
☛ How much (what percentage) of your time do you spend unit testing?
☛ How much reuse do you get out of the code that you develop, and how?
☛ How would you describe the ideal working environment?
☛ If you know you aren't going to make a project deadline what will you tell your manager and/or the client?
☛ In databases, what is the difference between a delete statement and a truncate statement?
☛ In network security, what is a honey pot, and why is it used?
☛ What are the most important database performance metrics, and how do you monitor them?
☛ What are transaction logs, and how are they used?
☛ What did you do to ensure quality in your deliverables?
☛ What do you consider documentation and why is it important?
☛ What do you do to ensure you provide accurate project estimates?
☛ What do you expect in the solution documents you are provided?
☛ What elements are necessary for a successful team and why?
☛ What have you done to ensure consistency across unit, quality, and production environments?
☛ What is a cross site scripting attack, and how do you defend against it?
☛ What is a SAN, and how is it used?
☛ What is clustering, and describe its use.
☛ What is ETL and when should it be used?
☛ What is most important - quality or quantity?
☛ What is structure?
☛ What is the difference between OLAP and OLTP? When is each used?
☛ What is the role of continuous integration systems in the automated-build process?
☛ What is the role of SMNP?
☛ What is the role of the DMZ in network architecture? How do you enforce relational integrity in database design?
☛ When is it appropriate to denormalize database design?
☛ When is the last time you downloaded a utility from the internet to make your work more productive, and what was it?
☛ Which do you prefer; service oriented or batch oriented solutions?