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: If you have to choose between family and work, which one will you choose?
  • Question Overview: This question is useful to ask because it shows the candidate's priorities. The IT specialist's response will tell you if they are willing to make sacrifices in order to do their job well.

    Sample Answer: I would choose my family because I have a wife and two children. I would make sure that my family was taken care of and then return to work.

      What the interviewer is looking for:
    • - Description of how they would handle the situation
    • - Explanation of why they would choose one over the other

  • 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 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: 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 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: 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: 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: 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: What is a hostname?
  • Question Overview: This question is useful to ask because it shows the IT specialist's level of knowledge of basic networking terms. The candidate's response can give you an idea of how familiar they are with the terms used in the field.

    Sample Answer: A hostname is a unique identifier for a computer on a network.

      What the interviewer is looking for:
    • - Concise description of a hostname
    • - Ability to explain what a hostname is

  • Question: How long have you worked with J2EE 7?
  • Question Overview: This is an important question to ask because it shows the IT specialist's experience with the technology. It also gives you an idea of how they use the technology and what their level of expertise is.

    Sample Answer: I have worked with J2EE 7 for three years. I am proficient in the Java language and have experience with the Spring framework.

      What the interviewer is looking for:
    • - Length of time working with the technology
    • - Level of expertise
    • - Demonstration of how they use the technology

  • 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: Why did you apply for this position?
  • Question Overview: This question is important to ask because it shows the IT specialist's interest in the job. The answer can also reveal their career goals and how they see their role in the organization.

    Sample Answer: I am interested in working with a small business that is growing and needs an IT specialist who can help them expand.

      What the interviewer is looking for:
    • - Description of why they applied for the position
    • - Description of their career goals

  • Question: How will you join two tables?
  • Question Overview: This question is useful to ask because it shows the IT specialist's ability to think logically and solve problems. The candidate's response can also show their level of experience with different database software.

    Sample Answer: I would use a left outer join to combine the data from the two tables. The result would be all records from the first table and all records from the second table that match.

      What the interviewer is looking for:
    • - Description of the tables and the relationship between them
    • - Description of the join type
    • - Description of the join result

  • Question: Tell me about your self.
  • Question Overview: This question is useful to ask because it gives you an idea of the candidate's personality. Their response can tell you if they are a good fit for your organization's culture. It also gives you an idea of their interests and hobbies.

    Sample Answer: I enjoy playing soccer and watching movies. I also like to travel to new places and try new foods.

      What the interviewer is looking for:
    • - Description of their personality
    • - Interests and hobbies

  • Question: How do you handle stress?
  • Question Overview: This question is important to ask because it shows the IT specialist's ability to handle stressful situations. It also shows how they handle pressure and what they do to relieve stress. The candidate's response will also show if they are able to work well under pressure and how they react to stressful situations.

    Sample Answer: I take a walk around the block when I am stressed. I also listen to music or watch a funny video on YouTube.

      What the interviewer is looking for:
    • - Description of how they handle stress
    • - How they relieve stress

  • Question: What kind of IT experience do you have?
  • Question Overview: This question is useful to ask because it shows the IT specialist's experience with different types of technology. Their response can help you understand what they are capable of doing and what their strengths and weaknesses are.

    Sample Answer: I have three years of experience in website design and development, and I have two years of experience in application development.

      What the interviewer is looking for:
    • - Description of experience with different technologies
    • - Demonstration of skills with each technology

  • Question: How will you use synchronization in multithreading?
  • Question Overview: This question is useful to ask because it shows the IT specialist's knowledge of synchronization in multithreading. It also shows their ability to apply that knowledge to a real-world situation.

    Sample Answer: In multithreading, synchronization is used to ensure that multiple threads do not access the same data at the same time. This prevents data from being corrupted.

      What the interviewer is looking for:
    • - Description of synchronization in multithreading
    • - Description of a real-world situation where synchronization is used

  • 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