IT Consultant

IT Consultant qualifications to look for 

IT Consultants commonly work in consulting firms to help businesses make the most out of technology. 

Top candidates may hold a degree in computer science or IT. If you need to find the cream of the crop for senior-level positions, look for candidates with credentials and a master’s/MBA.

IT consultants may specialize in security or database management, but this isn’t always the case. Look for candidates with relevant work to your projects and company size. 

Keep an eye out for candidates who are: 

• Excellent communicators 
• Team players
• Problem-solvers
• Critical-thinkers 
  

Top tip: Hire candidates willing to grow by making sure their personal career goals align with your company's mission.

Problem-solving interview questions

• How do you assess the needs of a business? What’s your step-by-step process like? 
• How do you initiate a project? What’s your first step? 
• What measures do you use to define a project’s success?
• A client declines a recommendation you think will greatly benefit their business. How do you proceed?
• How do you respond when a client asks you to deal with a virus infection? 
• How do you communicate tech information to non-tech savvy people?
• How do you help a client decide if they are making the right decision by implementing a new system that was recommended by an external party? 
  

Role-specific interview questions

• Have you been a part of any application development projects?
• Have you worked with companies of this size? If so, what was your experience? 
• Why do you think you’re a strong IT consultant?
• Do you have experience with whitebox testing? If so, explain. 
• Do you have experience with [company software]?
• How do you maintain confidentiality? What measures do you take to secure information? 
• What publications or resources do you use to stay current with IT developments?
• Do you know Java/C++/Python/etc.? If so, explain it. 
  

Behavioral interview questions

• What problem have you solved that helped your client in a big way? How did they respond?
• If you find it difficult to get staff to understand a system, what’s your process to help them better understand?  Do you have an example of when this happened? 
• How do you manage your work when you undertake multiple projects with tight deadlines? 
• Have you helped implement a network infrastructure? Did you encounter any challenges and how did you solve them?
• What’s been your biggest success as an IT consultant? How did it change your career?