Head of Information Systems Interview Preparation Guide

If you want to show your fun side, discuss your extracurricular activities. If you want to show your ambition, discuss the work / school projects you do in your spare time.

Ideally you want to able to type quickly, have the ability to effectively use Microsoft Office, and more importantly be able to quickly adapt to computer / technology skills. More and more it's become an integral part of work. If the job doesn't require technology skills - then this question shouldn't be asked!

Do not claim to be comfortable with a specific role if you in are in fact not comfortable with it. However, if you have no problem working in certain roles or situations, be sure to discuss this with the interviewer.

If you were unemployed for a period of time, be direct and to the point about what you’ve been up to (and hopefully, that’s a litany of impressive volunteer and other mind-enriching activities, like blogging or taking classes). Then, steer the conversation toward how you will do the job and contribute to the organization: “I decided to take a break at the time, but today I’m ready to contribute to this organization in the following ways.”

By maintaining proper routine every day. Putting my strongest points with my weakness. High priority always comes first In Head of Information Systems.

Bad Answer: A generic or uninspired answer. Also, answers that show that this career/company is just a temporary stop for them.

Good answer: One that shows the candidate has thought about this question, has plans, and that those plans align with the job and a career path that is possible in the company. You want to see that this candidate is a good long term investment.

Is it to conquer the world? Is it to become a CEO? Is it to give back to the community? Is it to inspire others? Define your statement by stating a clear vision of how you want to make an impact on the world with your work.

Be prepared for this question. If you have to sit and think about it it's going to appear as if you're not sure or that you've never identified your own value in the work place - not good. You don't have to have a complex response. Keep it simple and honest. For example, several possibilities could be Leadership, Problem solving ability, Initiative, Energy, Work ethic, Innovative, etc., etc.

Discuss qualities you possess required to successfully complete the job duties.

No matter your previous job experience or educational background, be sure to tell the interviewer you have the knowledge and skills to successfully execute the job responsibilities.

Be completely honest. You don't want to lie to get the job if you're not going to work the hours required.

Prioritize based on business importance. Set clear timelines for each so that you know which ones to knock out first. Get your teammates to help if necessary.

Focus on the issue that impacts the business most first.

Example stories could be a class project, an internal meeting presentation, or a customer facing presentation.

Remain optimistic and do not be too specific. Good attributes include moral character, honesty, and intelligence since managers usually believe they possess these qualities.

The key is to show that the mentoring of a co-worker was first a higher priority than the task you had at hand (remember, you want to show that you focus on highest priority tasks first). Then, describe in detail how you helped them not only complete the task but learn to do it on their own. You want to teach them HOW to fish and not to simply fish for them.

Acknowledge their pain - empathize with them. Then apologize and offer a solution to fix the mistake.

Ideally you'd like to state that you can take on a lot of work - this shows your work ethic, but at the same time it's okay to tell them that you value work and life balance.

You could discuss your goals with regards to these categories: Career goals, impact you want to leave on society, financial goals, academic goals, charitable goals.

We all have difficult decisions in our lives. Show how you were able to arrive at it and then how you decisively acted.

First, find out what the root of the problem is. Second, determine the best steps to remediation with the best possible outcome. Third, take action to put remediation plans in place.

Is it money? Is it career development? Is it recognition? Is it a sense of achievement? Is it to impress your peers? Is it for fame?

Bad Answer: No solid answer, answers that don't align with what the job actually offers, or uninspired answers that show your position is just another of the many jobs they're applying for.

Good answer: The candidate has clear reasons for wanting the job that show enthusiasm for the work and the position, and knowledge about the company and job.

Be open and share if you are indeed interviewing elsewhere, but do it in a humble way. This way you don't seem arrogant and the interviewer knows your skills are valued by other companies. This also tends to make them want you more as they know they are competing for your services.

The interviewer could be asking you this question for a number of reasons. Obviously, the salary is an important factor to your interest in this job, but it should not be the overriding reason for your interest. A good answer to this question is, “The salary was very attractive, but the job itself is what was most attractive to me.”

You should be proud of all your achievements In Head of Information Systems! We just don't have time to hear them all as interviewers most likely. Focus on 1 really good achievement that showcases characteristics like the following: Integrity, competitiveness, resourcefulness, intelligence, persistence, and so forth.

Great managers tend to empower their employees to be successful through strong coaching. They understand how to manage relationships - this is commonly referred to emotional intelligence. They have to be able to handle both client and staff situations that require them to be calm under pressure to clearly think of solutions to complex problems. Most importantly they must be able to articulate the vision to the team and inspire them to work together to collectively achieve that goal

Make sure you do your research on their competitors. You can find this by going to yahoo finance and click on their competitors (if they are public). From there research the news on them and go to their websites to understand their positioning on solutions and vision. You can also research local regional companies that are their competition (if it's a smaller private company on a regional scale) by simply typing in similar product offerings in the Google search followed by the city. Make sure you know their competitor's vision, products, culture, and how they are differentiated against their competition (and if they're not, how they could be)

To close the deal on a job offer, you MUST be prepared with a concise summary of the top reasons to choose you. Even if your interviewer doesn’t ask one of these question in so many words, you should have an answer prepared and be looking for ways to communicate your top reasons throughout the interview process.

Think of lessons learned in extra curricular activities, in clubs, in classes that had a profound impact on your personal development. For example, I had to lead a team of 5 people on a school project and learned to get people with drastically different personalities to work together as a team to achieve our objective.