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Upgrading from Data Center Tech to Software Engineer

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Data Center Technician Interview Tips

This post provides several Data Center Technician interview tips that can help candidates successfully pass the interview and get a job offer. I can’t offer a guarantee, though. My overall goal with today’s post is to help those actively trying to get employment to get the job.

Data Center Technician Interview Tips: Know The Role

Candidates need to know the role inside and out to have a successful interview. This means reading the job description many times, and understanding the required daily tasks. I suggest to copy the job posting or job description into a text document and save it. Some companies remove their job listings on a certain date, or when interviewing starts. Thus, if the candidate wants to revisit the listing to get additional details that person can’t.

Finally, use various sources to understand what a Data Center Technician does. There are YouTube videos about the role, along with social media accounts discussing the job. Lastly, candidates could always contact those currently working in the position for information. That’s happened to me and I have no problem answering questions. I prefer communication through LinkedIn.

Data Center Technician Interview Tips: Ask Questions

Another one of my Data Center Technician interview tips is to ask questions. Candidates should have questions about the role, the team, the company, and how can they grow in the company. If candidates don’t ask any questions then the interviewer will think they aren’t serious. That can prevent those candidates from getting a job offer.

“Brittany, I don’t know what questions to ask. What are some questions you asked on previous interviews?”

I always ask the following:

  • Can you tell me what a normal day is like?
  • Is overtime required for this job? If so, how much?
  • What is a big project the team is currently working on? If there isn’t one, is there one upcoming?
  • What are some difficulties the team is running into at the moment?
  • Is there something I can prepare for now to help out immediately if I get hired?
  • How can I succeed in this job? What technologies or skills I need to learn?

That’s just a small sampling of questions, but you can find more online. In addition to those, candidates should think of what is important to them and delve deeper into those topics. If career progression is a key goal then ask the interviewer. Or if candidates want to improve their data center skills then ask about how the employer can help you. Remember, a job interview is the only opportunity to learn specifics about the role and the employer. If candidates don’t do proper due diligence they could end up in a job you hate.

Data Center Technician Interviews: Know The News

Another of my Data Center Technician interview tips is to know the latest industry news. This is important because major technology improvements will require employers to change their hiring criteria. And if candidates don’t know about these improvements they’ll be left behind.

Currently in the data center industry Artificial Intelligence (A.I.) is causing data centers around the world to change. Those companies are investing in water-cooling technology, which wasn’t a need a few years ago. Other companies are changing their servers to offer more GPU options than CPU options so customers requiring the power for modeling and training will have it. Finally, companies are looking for individuals who have experience working with Machine Learning (ML) or can learn it quickly.

Now, I keep up with the news because I thoroughly enjoy working in data centers, and this knowledge helps me determine what moves I need to make when it comes to improving my skill-set. I need to invest my time wisely into learning topics that will help my career.

Final Tip: Practice!

My final tip is for candidates to practice their interviewing skills. They can do so with a friend, a family member, or hire a career coach. This way they will feel confident when it’s interview time.

I also suggest watching YouTube videos to learn different interview techniques, and how to handle certain questions, topics like that. It’s always best to have the knowledge and not need it, than need it and not have it.