IT infrastructure managers are in charge of making sure a business wills technology systems run smoothly. Your job entails ensuring everything works together smoothly, from computer networks to telecommunications to data storage and security. You must be prepared to answer various IT infrastructure manager interview questions to do that.
This guide will provide a list of possible questions and sample answers for interviewing for an IT infrastructure manager position. We will also offer tips on highlighting your experience and expertise and discussing your career goals.
IT infrastructure manager interviews must provide common interview questions and specific technical questions relating to IT. The candidate must have extensive knowledge and relevant experience in IT since it is a senior-level position. You can prepare for an IT infrastructure manager interview by examining the top 25 questions and answers below.
1. Tell Us About Yourself
My name is Jessica, and I have done Masters in software engineering from ABC University. My grades and experiences in IT are impressive, and I have great knowledge of low-level and high-level languages. I have served in several multinational organizations. This area suits me perfectly, and I will never disappoint you if hired.
2. Do You Have Any IT Experience? Tell Us Something About Object-Oriented Programming.
To stay relevant to the field, I have learned and experienced how to constantly think on my feet due to the constant technological changes. Because you can never completely rely on systems, I understand the importance of constantly backing up all information. I have good command over IT infrastructure, programming languages, project presentations, software project management, and much more.
I developed extensive management skills working with distressed customers at my previous job. I excelled at de-escalating situations and finding solutions to make customers happy. Our customer satisfaction rating rose 10% during my tenure.
Below mentioned are a few concepts for OOPs:
- Object – Real-World Entities Having Particular States And Behaviors. We Can Define Them As Instances Of a Class.
- Classes – These Logical Entities Define The Blueprints From Which The Objects Can Be Created Or Instantiated.
- Inheritance Properties – Concepts Refer To The Objects Gaining All The Attributes And Behaviors Of a Parent Object. It Provides Code Reusability.
- Polymorphism Concepts – These Concepts Allow Tasks That Need To Be Done Differently. In Java Programming, We Make The Best Use Of Overloading And Overriding Methods To Achieve Polymorphism.
- Abstraction – Concepts That Hide An Application’s Inner Details And Only Show Their Functionality. In Java Programming, Programmers Use Interface And Abstract Class Concepts To Achieve Abstraction.
- Encapsulation Concepts Refer To Code And Data Wrapping Into a Single Unit.
3. Are You Familiar With Various Types Of Cloud Computing Services?
I used several cloud computing services in my last IT infrastructure manager role. Initially, I used public clouds, which are free to use. However, they are not secure enough for businesses because users can access data without permission. A private cloud is more secure than a public cloud. It requires a password to access data. Last but not least, I used hybrid clouding.
4. What Do You Think Can Be The Pros And Cons Of Using The Cloud For Company Data Storage?
Cloud storage has the biggest advantage of being scalable. You can use as much space as my company needs without purchasing additional hardware. Although cloud storage has some advantages, it sometimes has security issues and requires an internet connection to access files. You must always ensure that all employees have strong/non-traceable passwords on their accounts to mitigate these risks.
5. How Would You Go About Planning For An Acquisition Or A Company Merger That Involves IT Systems?
I was given the task of planning a company merger involving two separate systems in my last job when I was working as an IT infrastructure manager. To start, I created all the timelines of when each system would need to be integrated. After that, I created a project team of other IT employees, me, and key employees who were familiar with both systems. To have a complete discussion about the progress of integrating the systems and any challenges we encountered, we used to meet weekly.
6. What Is Your Way To Test The Functionality Of New Hardware Or Software Before Implementing IT Company-Wide?
Firstly, I create a test plan outlining my goals, what I will be testing, and how I intend to measure success. Then I assemble a small team of employees to assist me in testing the new software or hardware. We implement it within our department to ensure no compatibility issues with the new software or hardware. Once we have tested them within our department, we will be able to roll out the changes globally.
7. Provide Us With An Example Of Some Time When You Were To Troubleshoot A System Outage. Which Steps Did You Take To Resolve The Issue?
I monitored the network infrastructure 24 hours a day at my previous job. One night, I noticed several servers were experiencing system failures. I immediately contacted my team, who worked on the same servers, to see if they had any insights/data into why the systems were failing. My team members informed me that one of the server’s hard drives had corrupt data. I immediately ordered a new drive and installed it. The same resolved the issue.
8. If Hired, What Could Be Your Preferences/Priorities During The First Few Weeks On Your New Job?
It is my top priority to meet with all employees who work in the IT department during my first few weeks. To create a team culture and working environment where we can collaborate and support each other when needed, I would like to learn about their duties and responsibilities and what they prefer and dislike about their jobs.
9. What Would You Do If You Notice An Employee Using An Unsupported Operating System That Could Pose Any Security Risks?
In my last role, I felt that one of our colleagues was using Windows XP for his daily tasks. The same posed a security risk because Microsoft no longer supports this operating system. I talked to him and asked him about that, i.e., why he was using it. He told me that he liked its user interface over newer versions. I showed him some other operating systems having similar interfaces and offered him a transition to a better OS. He acknowledged and agreed. Then, we spent some time transitioning him to Windows 7.
10. How Perfectly Do You Communicate With Both Technical And Non-Technical Staff?
To learn more about what’s going on, I ask questions whenever I don’t understand something. When talking to non-technical staff, I try to mention things so nicely that it is as simple as possible. In some cases, if there are any terms or acronyms they don’t understand, I briefly explain them. As a result, I make sure everyone understands what I am talking about.
11. Do You Possess Any Experience Training IT Support Staff On Best Practices, Especially For System Maintenance?
In my last role as IT infrastructure manager, I managed a team of five IT support specialists who helped me troubleshoot and maintain systems daily. As a result, he made us capable of identifying and resolving issues more efficiently since we discussed best practices for maintaining systems during our lunch breaks.
12. When Can It Be Appropriate To Seek Help For Any System Issues?
My last job designation was IT infrastructure manager, where I maintained all aspects of our company’s computer systems. However, if I encountered a system issue I could not resolve, I would contact my supervisor immediately to get help. In one instance, a server crash led to the loss of some of our applications. My supervisor supported me in rebooting the server and restoring them.
13. We Want To Make Improvements In Our System Security Setup. Which Steps Would You Take To Do So?
To ensure that our current security measures are sufficient for our needs, I would assess them and determine if they are not. I will implement new security software compatible with our existing systems if they are not. We can do this to protect our data while ensuring employees have complete access to the tools they need to succeed.
14. Describe Your Experience With System Monitoring Tools.
As an IT infrastructure manager, I monitored servers and other hardware components using system monitoring tools during my last job. As a result, I could identify any problems or errors before they become major problems. For example, I realized that several servers were running low on memory. I fixed this problem by adding more storage (RAM) to each server.
15. What Makes You Suitable For This Job?
I believe I am a suitable and qualified candidate for the said role. It’s because I have six years of experience managing IT infrastructure projects. The leadership skills I developed helped me create an environment where everyone was motivated to do their best work. The same led to our department meeting all project deadlines and exceeding expectations in my previous position, where I managed a team of 10 who managed various infrastructure management aspects.
16. Which IT Infrastructure Management Tools Can You Handle Perfectly?
Aside from Microsoft Operations Manager, Microsoft System Center Configuration Manager, HP OpenView, VMware vCenter Server, and BMC Performance Manager, I am proficient in many other IT infrastructure management tools. To manage the configuration and performance of my entire network, I use VMware vCenter Server and Microsoft System Center Configuration Manager and the most.
17. What Do You Think Can Be The Most Challenging Aspect Of Being An It Infrastructure Manager?
You have to make tough decisions that affect a large number of people. It is the most challenging aspect of being an IT infrastructure manager. I always consider all possible options before making them to ensure that my final decisions are the best for the company. Despite this, sometimes there isn’t a perfect solution, but I make sure everyone understands why we are making certain changes.
18. How Frequently Do You Make System Backups, And What Is Your Backup Strategy?
As an IT infrastructure manager, I backed up our servers weekly and desktops monthly in my last role. Backups are important to the company’s operations, so I make daily backups of all systems I manage. I could restore any data within 24 hours using this backup schedule if there was any loss in data.
19. There Is A Disagreement Between The Number Of Employees That Say They Have Access To A System And The Actual Number Of Users. What Is Your Process For Investigating This Issue?
The first task I would perform is to check all system logs to see if any issues, discrepancies, or errors might be causing this discrepancy. In the absence of errors, I will contact each employee claiming access to the system to confirm their identity. So, if they claim access but don’t recall creating an account, it’s likely a human error. In contrast, if I can’t find evidence of each employee having access, then I know it’s a technical problem.
20. Do You Ever Take Your Work To Home With You?
I tend to get my work done at work because I am an extremely organized person. However, I would not be against taking work home if the need arises. Although I value my free time, I realize that our work is essential, and sometimes you must do what needs to be done. It is not uncommon for me to take work home. I sometimes take some of it home to meet deadlines and do outstanding work. If the need arises, I am not averse to doing so.
21. What Is Your Working Approach To Manage Technology Changes?
To prepare stakeholders for the technology change, I would ask for their suggestions about what they want to see. Next, I apply their ideas, needs, opinions, and views to the planned technology change. I inform them as soon as it occurs to prepare them for it. I then implement the change, and once that is complete, I make sure they know it has taken place.
22. Which Strategies And Mindsets Are Required For This Role? Explain With Example
As we know that it takes a whole team to ensure an organization’s software systems are running smoothly, an IT infrastructure manager should be a great team player. It is crucial to have an excellent communication system to ensure and confirm that everything runs smoothly. Paying attention to details requires a focused mindset.
23. Mention Us About Some Time When You Failed In The Same Role And The Lesson You Learned
A system failure happened once, and the entire project was erased, which cost the organization a lot in my first role in the IT department. Since I have learned from my experiences that we cannot trust software systems 100% as they might fail sometime, I ensure that all information is stored and perfectly saved/backed up at the end of every task to avoid making the same mistake again.
24. How Can You Keep The Organization’s Data Secure?
Data security is a prime responsibility of each IT individual, and one must consider the same for accurate and secure results. It is a very serious concern and needs to be addressed at all times. Since data is vulnerable, I will ensure that backups are performed, and client and customer data is completely safe and protected. One must also separate all internal and external data to prevent any confusion. I will try my best to maintain the company’s privacy and not make anything unnecessary public, which could cost them high.
25. How Do You Define Success?
Success is defined differently for me. It means meeting my senior supervisors’ and fellow employees’ goals at work. Based on my conversations with a few of your other employees, it appears that GGR is recognized for rewarding success and providing opportunities for employees to grow. Having fun playing softball after work is my definition of success. The definition of success for me is doing my job well. Also, I want to be recognized as someone who strives to achieve her goals at all times. My team needs to achieve our individual and team goals for me to be considered successful.
Conclusion
Computers play a crucial role in nearly every business or organization, so employers want to maintain and grow their IT teams. It’s no wonder you are curious about a career in information technology (IT). Earning industry certifications before applying for a job is a great idea to prove your technical skills to potential employers and refine your skills.
We have presented the top-most 25 interview questions and answers for the IT Infrastructure role and assure you the good results if you prepare from them for your interview. They are the most frequently asked ones and would assist you if you happen to appear for the same interview. Just give them a try, and you won’t be disappointed surely.
