Top It Specialist Interview Questions with Example Answers [2022]

Prepare for your It Specialist interview by going through these most asked It Specialist interview questions. Additionally, get access to sample answers and interviewer's expectations.

Interview Practice

Search It Specialist Questions:


  • Question: What is your experience in IT Operations and with developing IT documentation?
  • Question Overview: This question is useful to ask because it shows the candidate's experience in different areas of IT. The IT specialist's response can tell you if they have experience in the areas that your organization needs. It also gives you an idea of how they work with other departments and how they manage projects.

    Sample Answer: I have worked in IT Operations for three years and I have developed documentation for our software releases.

      What the interviewer is looking for:
    • - Clear description of their experience
    • - Demonstration of their skills
    • - Demonstration of their ability to work with other departments

  • Question: What are your career goals?
  • Question Overview: This question is useful to ask because it shows the IT specialist's motivation and drive. It also gives you an idea of what they want to do in the future. Their response can be useful if you are looking for someone who is interested in a long-term position or someone who is looking for a short-term job.

    Sample Answer: I want to become a senior IT specialist in the next five years. I plan on taking more classes and working on personal projects to achieve my goal.

      What the interviewer is looking for:
    • - Description of their goals
    • - How they plan to achieve their goals

  • Question: What is your proudest achievement?
  • Question Overview: This is an important question to ask because it shows the IT specialist's motivation and drive. The candidate's response can also give you an idea of how they handle challenges and what they value in their work.

    Sample Answer: I was able to increase the speed of our website by 20% by optimizing the database. I learned that it is important to keep a close eye on the database in order to ensure that it is running smoothly.

      What the interviewer is looking for:
    • - Description of achievement
    • - How the achievement was accomplished
    • - What they learned from the experience

  • Question: How do you work in a team?
  • Question Overview: This question is important because it shows the IT specialist's ability to work in a team. It also shows their level of experience in working with others. The candidate's response to this question can be useful if your organization has a team-based approach to projects.

    Sample Answer: I am a team player and I have worked on several projects that required me to work with other IT specialists. I have been able to resolve issues and complete projects successfully by working with my colleagues.

      What the interviewer is looking for:
    • - Description of how they work in a team
    • - Demonstration of leadership skills
    • - Demonstration of ability to work well with others

  • Question: Tell me about a time when you failed and how did you deal with it?
  • Question Overview: This question is useful to ask because it shows the IT specialist's ability to learn from their mistakes. It also shows their ability to be honest about their mistakes and how they dealt with them. The candidate's response will show you how they handle failure and what they learned from the experience.

    Sample Answer: I failed to install a software update on a server, and it caused a security breach. I learned that I need to be more careful about testing software updates before installing them.

      What the interviewer is looking for:
    • - Description of the failure
    • - How they dealt with it
    • - Lessons learned from the failure

  • Question: How do you approach coding or solving a problem?
  • Question Overview: This question is useful to ask because it shows the IT specialist's approach to solving problems. It also shows their level of experience with different types of problems and their ability to work independently. The candidate's response can also show you if they prefer to work alone or with a team.

    Sample Answer: I first research the problem and then I create a plan for how to solve it. I then work on the solution and test it before presenting my findings to my team.

      What the interviewer is looking for:
    • - Description of their approach
    • - Level of experience with different types of problems
    • - Demonstration of how they work independently or with a team

  • Question: How will you replicate data in Sql Server?
  • Question Overview: This question is important to ask because it shows the IT specialist's ability to use SQL commands and their knowledge of the database. The candidate's response will also show you how they approach a problem and how they use their experience to solve it.

    Sample Answer: I use the INSERT INTO command to replicate data from one table to another.

      What the interviewer is looking for:
    • - Description of the command
    • - Demonstration of how they use the command

  • Question: What are your strengths?
  • Question Overview: This question is important to ask because it gives you an idea of what the IT specialist is most proud of. Their response can help you understand what they value and what they see as their greatest strengths.

    Sample Answer: My strengths are my ability to work independently and my attention to detail. I am able to work on projects that require a lot of time and effort without needing constant supervision.

      What the interviewer is looking for:
    • - Description of their strengths
    • - How they use their strengths

  • Question: Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
  • Question Overview: This is an important question to ask because it shows the IT specialist's career goals. Their response can give you a sense of whether they are interested in growing with your organization or if they have plans to move on to another job. Their answer can also give you an idea of how long they plan to stay in the field.

    Sample Answer: I would like to be a senior IT specialist by the end of the year. I would like to work for your organization for at least five years.

      What the interviewer is looking for:
    • - Description of their career goals
    • - Length of time they plan to stay in the field

  • Question: What is one thing you focus on the most in your life?
  • Question Overview: This question is useful because it shows the IT specialist's values and priorities. The answer can help you understand how the candidate will fit in with your organization's culture.

    Sample Answer: I focus on my family because they are the most important thing in my life.

      What the interviewer is looking for:
    • - Description of what they focus on
    • - Why they focus on it
    • - How it helps them

  • Question: What is a workgroup and how it differs from a domain?
  • Question Overview: This is a good question to ask because it shows the IT specialist's level of experience with networking. The answer will also show if they have a good understanding of how to set up a network.

    Sample Answer: A workgroup is a group of computers that are connected to each other. A domain is a group of computers that are connected to a server.

      What the interviewer is looking for:
    • - Concise description of a workgroup and domain
    • - Ability to explain the difference between the two

  • Question: As a finance major, why do you want to work in IT?
  • Question Overview: This question is useful to ask because it shows the candidate's interest in the IT field. Their response can tell you if they have a passion for technology and if they are interested in the job for the right reasons. It also gives you an idea of their level of commitment to the job.

    Sample Answer: I have always been interested in computers and programming. I enjoy working with technology and I want to help my organization use it to its full potential.

      What the interviewer is looking for:
    • - Description of their interest in the IT field
    • - Description of their commitment to the job

  • Question: What kind of projects have you worked on?
  • Question Overview: This question is useful to ask because it gives you an idea of the IT specialist's experience in different types of projects. Their response can help you determine if they have the skills to complete a project that your organization needs.

    Sample Answer: I have worked on several projects that involved updating a website's design and functionality. I have also worked on projects that involved integrating a new CRM system with the website.

      What the interviewer is looking for:
    • - Description of projects
    • - Skills used in each project
    • - Tools used

  • Question: What will you do if you get the job?
  • Question Overview: This question is useful because it shows the IT specialist's enthusiasm for the job. Their response will also show you if they are realistic about the work involved in the position.

    Sample Answer: I will work with your team to create a new website that is mobile-friendly and meets your needs. We will also update your current software to the latest version.

      What the interviewer is looking for:
    • - Description of what they will do
    • - How they will accomplish their goals
    • - How they will make your organization more efficient

  • Question: Why do you want to work with us?
  • Question Overview: This question is useful because it shows the IT specialist's interest in your company. Their response can also show how well they know your organization. The answer to this question can also reveal how well they know the job description and whether they are a good fit for the position.

    Sample Answer: I want to work for your company because I have heard good things about it and I am interested in working with your staff.

      What the interviewer is looking for:
    • - Clear description of why they want to work for your company
    • - Demonstration of knowledge of the company
    • - Demonstration of knowledge of the job description

  • Question: How do you prioritize your tasks?
  • Question Overview: This question is important to ask because it shows the IT specialist's ability to manage their time. The answer can also show you if they are able to work well under pressure and meet deadlines.

    Sample Answer: I prioritize my tasks by urgency and importance. I use the Eisenhower matrix to determine which tasks are most important.

      What the interviewer is looking for:
    • - Description of their process for prioritizing tasks
    • - Demonstration of how they prioritize their tasks

  • Question: What is the difference between an emergency change and a normal change?
  • Question Overview: This question is useful to ask because it shows the IT specialist's knowledge of the different types of changes that can be made to a website or software. It also shows their understanding of how to prioritize changes and how to make the right decision about which change to make.

    Sample Answer: An emergency change is one that needs to be made immediately. A normal change is one that can wait until the next scheduled maintenance window.

      What the interviewer is looking for:
    • - Clear description of what an emergency change is
    • - Description of a normal change
    • - Description of how they would determine which change to make

  • Question: What are your 3 strongest skills?
  • Question Overview: This question is useful to ask because it shows the IT specialist's self-awareness of their own skills. It also gives you an idea of what they value in their work. The candidate's response can help you determine if they are a good fit for your organization.

    Sample Answer: My strongest skills are my ability to work with clients, my knowledge of programming languages and my ability to solve problems.

      What the interviewer is looking for:
    • - Description of skills
    • - Demonstration of skills
    • - Demonstration of how the skills help the team

  • Question: If you had two critical tasks to complete but only had time to finish one which one would you choose?
  • Question Overview: This question is useful to ask because it shows the IT specialist's ability to prioritize tasks. The candidate's response will demonstrate their ability to make quick decisions and their ability to work under pressure.

    Sample Answer: I would choose the task that would have a greater impact on the organization's bottom line.

      What the interviewer is looking for:
    • - Description of the two tasks
    • - Explanation of why they chose one task over the other