PROUDLY PRESENTS

James Hayes
Resident of The USA and 3-DNET® VIP member
Email contact : James.Hayes@exec.org

      

INTERVIEW WITH 3-DNET®

Listen to sample sound "bites" from the interview:  

Question 1 : Tell me about yourself

I was employed by the John H. Harland Company at the Decatur, GA corporate headquarters for over 20 years. Harland’s main business is printing checks, which is now a fading industry. As a result, I was a victim of downsizing in 2004 when Harland closed the entire facility in which I was located and laid off all the employees. During my career at Harland I held the positions of Computer Technician, Field Service Engineer, and most recently Network Engineer/Network Administrator. I have wide and varied network/computer support experience from my years at Harland.

As for my personal life, I am married to a wonderful lady, and have three step-daughters (you might say that I purchased the pre-assembled set!). I was a bachelor until I was in my thirties, so that was quite a lifestyle change to say the least. We enjoy the outdoors, and often go camping, fishing and boating.

Question:  "Tell me about yourself....?"  

Question 2 : What can you offer to your next employer ?

I can offer them an experienced, reliable I.T. professional who has a long history of performing well in network/systems support. I have a foundation that I think is lacking in some of the less experienced I.T. support personnel that I have encountered.

Question:  "What can you offer....?"  

Question 3 : What are your strengths ?

The main things that come to mind are common sense, level headedness, reliability, quality workmanship, integrity, honesty, and stability.

Question:  "What are your strengths?"  

Question 4 : What are your accomplishments ?

During my field service years at Harland I performed approximately 75-100 installations and upgrades of VAX computer systems. I configured, staged, and tested these systems in Atlanta, then boxed them up and shipped them to Harland plants nationwide (Harland had 50 plants during this time). I would then fly out to the plants and install the systems over weekends to work around plant production. It was my responsibility to de-install the old systems, install the new systems, transfer the data over, and then have everything tested and running again on Monday morning when the plant started up production again. It was challenging, exhausting, and very rewarding work. I enjoyed those times very much.

Not long after I transferred from field service to become the Network Engineer at Harland’s Atlanta plant, we began a project to transfer much of the plant production functions from a VAX/DECnet computer network to a Microsoft client/server network. I was involved in all phases of this transformation and basically installed the entire network. This included all servers, PCs, hubs, switches, printers, etc. I also coordinated the installation of the entire network cable infrastructure. It was very gratifying being responsible for the successful implementation of this network.

I was responsible for implementing structured data cabling at all 50 Harland plants. This was in the early days of category 5 data cabling, and there was much to learn. I designed the layout and contracted the installations through local telecom companies.

Question:  "What are your accomplishments?"  

Question 5 : What are your limitations ?

I have not encountered any that have limited my ability to perform my job functions at a high level

Question:  "What are your limitations ?"  

Question 6 : How much are you worth ?

My worth is equal to that of other proven performers who are performing similar job functions

Question:  "How much are you worth ?"  

Question 7 : What are your ambitions for the future ?

I plan to continue my I.T. career for another 5-10 years. I would like to remain in network/systems support for the duration, as I enjoy performing technical hands-on work. After my I.T. career is over, I plan to become self-employed, or own my own business. This business will probably be related to some of my interests or hobbies.

Question:  "What are your ambitions for the future ?"  

Question 8 : How long would it take you start contributing to the firm? 

I have varied 20+ year background in I.T. Support. I feel that my skills and experience would allow me to contribute immediately.

Question:  "How long would it take ... ?"  

Question 9: What is your management style?

I believe in mutual respect and creating an environment that produces good teamwork. I also believe the best managers do not micro-manage, but delegate responsibilities and allow their subordinates leeway to make decisions on their own.

Question:  "What is your management style .... ?"  

Question 10: Why do you think you have a good potential to be a manager?

I have the ability to relate well with employees. I do not look down at subordinates. My manager at Harland commended me on my ability to interact well with the production workers on the plant floor, some of which were not very computer literate. This required ample patience on my part. I’m also organized, follow up on issues, and pay attention to details.

Question:  "Why do you think you..... ?"  

Question 11: What would you look for in hiring people?

I look for someone who is dedicated, team oriented, and reliable. These are traits that I possess, and I think they are necessary for a quality employee.

Question:  "What would you look for hiring .... ?"  

Question 12: As a manager, have you ever had to fire someone?

No, I have not.

Question:  "As a manager, have you ever..... ?"  

Question 13: What do you see as the most difficult task of being a manager?

I would say it would be dealing successfully with the various personalities of employees and keeping them focused on team goals. It is also necessary for a manager to be able to successfully handle corporate politics, which can be very difficult.

Question:  "What do you see as...... ?"  

Question 14: Describe what you feel is the best work environment?

I prefer an environment where everyone works as a cohesive team. It is best when co-workers come together to resolve situations instead of individuals seeking personal acclaim, playing the blame game, etc. I also like it when management seeks out and respects the opinions of lower level employees.

Question:  "Describe what you feel..... ?"  

Question 15: Looking back how do you describe your past employer?

Harland was a great company to work for and if things were to work out I would like to go back. I have been told by plenty of my ex co-workers that they would love to have me back.

Question:  "Looking back how do you ..... ?"  

Question 16: What have you done to increase productivity, performance, efficiency, etc..?

I have continuously updated my skills during my entire career. I have attended literally dozens of training seminars and classes. I have achieved several I.T. industry certifications. These include MCSA on Windows Server 2003, MCSE on Windows NT 4.0, MCP in several subjects, and Comp/TIA A+.

Question:  "What have you done to .... ?"  

Question 17: Whether you are a "computer wizard", how do you respond to the financial side of your responsibilities?

I have often had input on computer equipment expenditures, and worked with management to stay within budgets.

Question:  "Whether you are a "computer wizard".... ?"  

Question 18: How many people have you supervised in your recent job?

I supervised one person for about 1 ½ years.

Question:  "How many people have you .... ?"  

Question 19: What do you like more, working with figures or words?

I am probably better with words.

Question:  "What do you like more ..... ?"  

Question 20: How do you think that your subordinates receive you?

I try to treat them with respect, and I think that I am received that way.

Question:  "How do you think .... ?"  

Question 21: What do you think of your previous boss?

I always got along fine with Randy Cress. He was the G.M. of the Harland plant in which I was located, and is now Vice President of Logistics at Harland. He was my manager for about six years (and is one of my references). He always trusted my decisions, and I appreciated that. .

Question:  "What do you think .... ?"  

Question 22: Describe a situation in which your work was criticized?

The only cases I can think of are when I performed field support and I was in and out of the plants on short trips. As a result, I was not able to develop a close relationship with the plant management (except for a few of the facilities that I traveled to often). There were a few cases where the plant management had concerns about the way situations were handled. This was mainly due to the fact that they did not understand all the technicalities involved. I was always supported by I.T. management, who did understand the details.

Question:  "Describe a situation .... ?"  

Question 23: If I spoke with your boss what he would say about your greatest strength and weaknesses?

? He would say that I was reliable and had common sense. He once gave me a great compliment in saying that the best thing about me was that he didn’t have to think about me much. In other words he just assumed that things would be handled properly. In I.T. support, you tend to be noticed most by company management when there are problems. Generally, the more out of sight you are the better things are running. As for weaknesses, there are things that I would like to improve on, but I can’t recall anything that I was criticized for.

Question:  "If I spoke with your boss.... ?"  

Question 24: How can you handle life under pressure and with tough deadlines?

I spent many years installing, supporting, and maintaining the computer systems at large Harland printing plants. If the computers were down, the plant was basically shut down. It was my responsibility to make sure any downtime was minimized. So, I have successfully dealt with intense pressure in my past work experience. I always attempt to remain calm and under control, even in trying situations.

Question:  "How can you handle .... ?"  

Question 25: What do you think you do better: staff work or line work?

It would definitely be line work. I enjoy hands-on, installation, support and repair of computer networks and computer hardware.

Question:  "What do you think.... ?"  

Question 26: In your current position, what problem have you identified that was previously overlooked?

I identified a situation where contractors who supported our Delphax digital print machines (basically huge printers) were not sustaining an adequate backup and recovery procedure for the equipment they were supporting. The result was that the recovery time to get the machines back online after a problem was excessive. After failed attempts to get the contractors to resolve the problem, I implemented a procedure of my own that resolved the issue. It reduced the recovery time to bring the machines back online from six hours to about 20 minutes. Management was pleased.

Question:  "In your current position .... ?"  

Question 27: If you had a choice of job and a company what would you choose?

If I had a choice, I think I would like to work in the defense industry, homeland security or the space program.

Question:  "If you had a choice of job.... ?"  

Question 28:Do you have any objection to take a psychological test?

I have no objection to this.

Question:  "Do you have any objection.... ?"

Question 29: Do you consider yourself as a creative person?

Yes. When your career is computer support, you have to learn to be adaptable and creative. I have been forced on many occasions to come up with creative solutions to problems. I also use creativity in my personal life. I love to tinker with, modify, and improve things such as my sporting equipment, boat, and other equipment. I have excellent mechanical aptitude.

Question:  "Do you consider yourself.... ?"

Question 30: How do you describe your personality?

I would say that I have a very outgoing personality. I enjoy being around other people. I seem to make friends easily. I do very well in groups. I’m a good listener and enjoy people watching.

Question:  "How do you describe.... ?"  

Question 31: What is your outside reading you do?

I am not much of a fiction reader, but I read extensively about subjects in which I have interest. I have always been a big magazine reader. I read many magazines pertaining to my hobbies. I do a lot of reading on the internet, newspapers, and news websites to stay informed. I also read lots of technical documentation, and computer magazines to enhance my knowledge and career skills. I think reading is very important and is directly related to a person’s overall knowledge.

Question:  "What is your outside.... ?"  

Question 32: What are some of your outside activities?

My hobbies include outdoors activities such as camping, boating, fishing, and water sports. I have always been an avid outdoors enthusiast and these are my favorite hobbies. My other interests include computers, listening to music, reading, and working out (weight lifting and cardio conditioning). I believe in staying in shape and maintaining a healthy lifestyle. My wife and I also enjoy occasionally going to concerts, and live music clubs.

Question:  "What are some of.... ?"  

Question 33: Are you continuing your education?

I am not currently engaged in any formal training, but as is the case with most I.T. professionals I am basically always in training. That is pretty much a requirement to survive in I.T. I am currently studying and working towards MCSE on Windows Server 2003 certification. I recently passed the required exams to become an MCSA, and I need just a couple more for MCSE. I am accomplishing this through self study by utilizing training documentation, CD based training, the internet, and practice exams.

Question:  "Are you continuing your.... ?"

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