Malicious Software, or Malware, has many meaning and connotations. What is your definition of Malware and how would you explain it to a client?

"Malware is any type of software which is disruptive to normal computer operations. Not only can it damage your systems, but it can cause a security risk by gaining access to your systems and gather private information. Malware comes in several different forms including code, scripts, content which is malicious or other types of software. Malware is often unintentionally downloaded by authorized users on the network when they visit a website or click on a link."

This is a 'set the table' question which the interviewer is using to qualify you as a valid candidate and also to determine if you and the interviewer agree on the terminology used in their business. Your answer should be a straightforward definition of the term and some additional explanation of how people in your industry use it.

"Malware is any malicious or intrusive software which is intended to disrupt a computer's operations by gaining control of the device or obtaining access to other software or private data. Malware comes in several different forms including a software program, malicious code, scripts which execute hidden commands or software which monitors the activity on a system. Malware can gain access to a system through unintentional actions by users who believe they are accessing legitimate websites or programs, or by bots and other automated programs which scan networks looking for areas of vulnerability."

Many companies are new to the cloud computing environment. How do you brief them about what security aspects come with a cloud?

"Cloud environments can be as secure as computing environments hosted on-premise based on two key attributes. These are Authentication and authorization, and Control of access. Authentication allows only those users who are authorized to access the resources hosted in the cloud. These include data, applications, and storage. Control of access is a system administrator tool which enables them to allow or deny access to specific users. Together, these tools provide a safe and secure cloud environment."

The interviewer is testing your knowledge of security measures associated with the cloud environment and your ability to help customers manage their company's cloud.Knowing how to advise NTT DATA's clients on the benefits of the cloud, specifically on security issues, will be a huge selling point for you landing the job.

"There are two control mechanisms which keep hosted cloud compute environments safe and secure. These are Authentication and authorization, and Control of access. Authentication and authorization prevent unauthorized parties from accessing a company's data and applications. This is also known as 'Hacking." Control of access is the methodology system administrators use to provide authorization to known users. By only allowing authorized users to enter the system and then requiring them to authenticate themselves, companies can be assured their data and other computing resources are safe from theft and misuse."

Name five popular platforms for developing Blockchain applications, and your experience with any of them?

"Yes, I'm familiar with the five popular platforms, which are Ethereum, Hyperledger, R3 Corda, Ripple, and Quorum. I have worked extensively with Ethereum and Hyperledger, and have a high confidence level developing with both tools. I like Ethereum because it provides robust functionality and flexibility across multiple industry use cases. Since its widespread adoption in larger enterprises, I have found that being a public platform designed for mass consumption has helped its popularity. Hyperledger is also a great development tool and comes in a close 2nd for me. It's very popular in the Blockchain development community because it's used and supported across Finance, Banking, IoT, Manufacturing and Supply Chain industries. I also like the fact that it's hosted on a Linux operating system and that its open source as well."

Companies that use Blockchain to develop applications either internally or for their customers will likely be using one or more of the following Blockchain development applications, which are: Ethereum, Hyperledger, R3 Corda, Ripple, and Quorum. When a hiring manager asks you to name five Blockchain development platforms, you should highlight at least two or more that you used, and give examples of what you developed using those platforms. It should be noted that the top two are Ethereum and Hyperlogic. There's a good chance NTT DATA will be familiar or have used both in their environment. If you have experience with either or both, I would give examples of both from a high level unless asked to provide granular details. If you don't have experience with either of the two, talk about the ones you have used, because theoretically, they all have similar features.

"Working with several Blockchain development platforms has been exciting for me, and I enjoy developing in the Blockchain ecosystem. I am indeed familiar with the five popular platforms, and have used Ethereum, Hyperledger, and R3 Corda, in a development environment, and have also been exposed to the other two which are Ripple and Quorum. I like what all of them bring to the table in terms of unique value and development capabilities. I find working with R3 Corda, Ripple and Quorum rewarding because their core features revolve around financial services and transaction-based activities which is the industry I work in."

What is the highest ROI percentage you have delivered to a client?

"The highest ROI I was able to deliver to a client was a whopping 62%. Our company's standard at that time was 26% so you can see my excitement when our team was able to generate such a great result. The client did not expect such a significant return, and I attribute the success to our highly collaborative approach, excellent communication, and an exceptionally talented team. I look forward to delivering similar results to NTT DATA."

An excellent consultant will know exactly what they have delivered to clients in the past, and why they were able to achieve such exceptional results. Talk to the interviewer about the greatest ROI you have been able to help a client achieve. Include your thoughts on what made the project a success and assure the interviewer that you will be able to repeat that success.

"Last year, my average ROI was 17%, with an industry average of 9%. I believe my success is directly related to the fact that I perform regular progress reports, ensuring my clients are fully aware of where the project is headed. Clear communication means a smoother project and top-notch results. I am excited to bring these same results to NTT DATA and your clients."

In Real Estate, timing is everything. How do you determine priorities when you have multiple projects due?

"I will determine which project requires my attention by the number of hours we are behind and then the project size. I am comfortable delegating tasks when needed, but I am also aware that these times will require an additional commitment of hours from me. Never have I under delivered on a deadline."

When you feel torn between multiple projects or tasks, how do you decide which one needs your attention the most? Assure the interviewer that you can be diligent when it comes to assessing your priorities.

"I determine priorities based on project value and receptiveness of my client. The most engaged clients generally get my attention and the fastest turnaround."

We're a company of innovative thinkers; we rely upon our innovative thinking to solve client problems. Tell me about a time when you came up with a breakthrough idea that was not obvious to others. Describe your idea and how you developed it?

"I've always considered myself an Outside the Box thinker. Settling for the norm has never been my working style. I always work with the expectation that my idea will serve many purposes, and bring value to our customers. One example is when I came up with an idea to train the trainer at multiple locations via remote video conferencing. This idea was well received, and was implemented at over 50 locations worldwide. I came up with the idea because I was responsible for training multiple divisions and didn't have the budget to fly everyone in from multiple locations for the training sessions."

Innovation is the cornerstone of any successful company. If you show me a highly successful company, I will show you people within that company that were innovative thinkers. Great examples are Steve Jobs from Apple, Bill gates from Microsoft, and Jeff Bezos of Amazon just to name a few. The hiring manager is posing this as a two-part question to see if your response is clear, concise, and related to the question. Stay on point with your response, because that's what they're looking for. Think about this question for a minute to dissect what they are asking. They are a company of innovators.....which means, will you fit into their culture and be able to come up with ideas that will be innovative. They will be listening attentively to how you articulate your message about your breakthrough idea. Walk them through how you came up with the idea, what your thought process was, how you got approval to move forward, and how you executed on the idea.

"I was working on implementing a friendlier looking graphical user interface solution for a financial services client. The inspiration came from the feedback I received from people at the client site complaining about processing transactions on a mainframe computer that wasn't much fun to work with or look at. They were used to the dreaded Green Screen on a mainframe, but my solution had a Windows look and feel which they liked quite a lot."

What questions do you have for me about NTT DATA?

"Thank you for asking - I do have a few questions. What is top of mind when it comes to filling this role? Also, what types of career growth opportunities would follow this position? And lastly, do you have internal candidates who are also interviewing for this position?"

It's always a great idea to have questions ready for the interviewer. Review the company website and other online resources to ensure the questions you are asking are not mundane, or redundant. The last thing an interviewer wants to hear is a list of items you could have found the answers to from merely watching a video on their company site! Here are some sample questions: - When would you like to have this position filled? - How long has this role been vacant? - Is this a replacement search or a newly created role? - What is your favorite part about working here? - What is the company's primary goal for this position in the next 12 months? - Is there anything from my background and experience that I can clarify for you? - What do you see as the most significant change in this industry over the past three years? - Is there any reason why you would not hire me?

NTT DATA seeks to hire those with above average communication skills. Describe your communication style to me.

"I have been a client of NTT DATA in the past and can truly say that positive communication with your clients is what makes you the most popular choice in the area. I am confident that my communication skills will work well here because my focus always remains on simple solutions, easy to understand language, and a friendly tone."

The interviewer wants to know that your communication style will fit in with the culture they have worked on creating at NTT DATA. When clients seek the help of NTT DATA, they do so with certain expectations. Convince the interviewer that your communication style will meet those expectations. It's best to give a few unique keywords when discussing your communication style. Also be sure to compliment NTT DATA on their communication efforts.

"Here are some additional words to describe your communication style: - Energetic - Lively - Articulate - Eloquent - Informal - Formal - Succinct"

Describe a situation where a project you were managing failed. What did you learn about this failure, and were you able to salvage or turn it around?

"I was a consultant managing a project with five other team members, and our goal was to develop a loan application app to qualify a buyer for a mortgage. I noticed that we were not able to meet deadlines or present mock designs of the app when the client requested it. I later found several flaws in our methodology and approach which led to delays and cost over-runs. I had to take a step back a re-evaluate exactly what went wrong, and quickly make corrections. Here's what I did to turn it around, and the educational journey it took me through.1.) Take a step back and evaluate how you arrived at this point 2.) Temporarily stop the project 3.) Figure out why the project is failing 4.) Set up a turn-around (war) room 5.) Draft an agenda to go over findings, from quantitative reports to team member interviews 6.) Re-assignment of team member tasks and roles 7.) Gather all notes and project collateral 8.) Set clear objectives, and ask each team member to provide you a work list with specific tasks they are responsible for on the project, and their understanding of the team goals"

As much as we don't like to think about it, sometimes projects fail, and in some cases for reasons beyond our control. Hiring managers realize things do go wrong and projects have to get back on track and show a successful outcome quickly. The more complex the project, the higher the chances are that the project might fail. This question focuses on your ability to bounce back from failure, and what you did to turn it around. Give some thought as to how you might explain why the project failed, and outline the steps you took to turn it around. It is important to list what exactly happened, what lessons were learned, and what you do now to safeguard future projects from failure.

"A failed project can be humbling, and eye-opening at the same time. If not managed and executed properly, it can go horribly wrong. That's why when I put together a team for a project; I religiously follow a methodology that works flawlessly. I've learned to become good at this methodology after a failed project a few years ago. It also made me good at spotting where projects go wrong, and where I needed to make immediate changes. Let me break down what I learned about the failed project, and what I did to turn it around: 1.) What did I learn from the process 2.) How did it affect me and the team 3.) What were the key issues that caused the failure 4.) I found that the key issues were.....Complexity, External Influence, Financial, Organizational, Technology, and Scheduling"

At NTT DATA we deal with sensitive and confidential client information. Are you willing to complete a full background check?

"I am happy to comply with any background check required. My record is clean, and I have a strong credit history. I do not participate in drug use, either. You can be assured that if you hire me for this role with NTT DATA, I will maintain a clean record."

Most companies in the IT and IT Services industry need to be very cautious about who they hire. There is a chance that much of the information you are going to access could be confidential and harmful if put into the wrong hands. Assure the interviewer that you are most willing to comply with any form of background check they require.

"Yes, I can certainly complete a full background check. I should disclose to you ahead of time that I have a mark on my record from about eight years ago, for a DUI. I am still able to travel, and no longer have restrictions on my drivers' license."

At NTT DATA we seek to hire those with a passion for the IT industry. How do you stay up to date on industry changes and current events?

"This industry is ever-changing, and I have a true and keen interest in keeping up-to-date on those changes. I regularly read a couple of great online publications including PC Mag and Wired. Do you have any recommendations for great resources?"

Being up to date on industry terms, trends, and news is critical in a fast-moving industry such as IT and IT services. The interviewer would like to know that you have a genuine interest in their industry. Speak briefly about the ways you stay up to date on the industry changes and current events by referring to specific sources. You can also ask the interviewer about their favorite resources.

"My current employer sends a daily email with the company and industry updates. This update is beneficial and, I am sure to read it thoroughly every day. I also have Google alerts set up so that I am up to date on new trends and happenings in the industry."

As I understand it, the network is the most vulnerable part of a company's IT infrastructure. What is your opinion of this and how would you define the threat and risk to a company in terms of network security?

"The network infrastructure is the most vulnerable part of the IT system because it is the easiest part to access. Since all the company's data is transmitted via the network, hackers focus on this to get the data for malevolent uses. This is the threat to the system. The risk is the company's responsibility to secure their users' and customers' information or be subject to fines, injunctions or even shut down. Measures need to be taken to minimize both the threats and the risks related to network security. I am well versed in these and can expound on them if you would like me to."

This is a 'set the table' question which provides the interviewer with an overview of your knowledge of and perspective on network security.

"I agree with you that the greatest threat to a company's IT infrastructure is the network. Hackers target the network because it is the easiest part of the system to access and because all the data is transmitted over the network. It's the data that hackers want and can cause the most disruption with. The risk to the company if the data is compromised is the loss of business, fines and injunctions and the possibility of being shut down. While the threat associated with network security will always remain, the risk can be minimized through prudent network security practices and procedures."

Can you explain the impact edge computing has on a company's network and why this is important?

"When you place your IT assets in the cloud, you increase the amount of network traffic. This is due to computers, applications, and data being remote to the users. To reduce the traffic on the network and minimize associated security issues, you can place some of the computing power, applications and data at the user locations. This will also reduce data transmission costs and latency. Finally, edge computing will improve the quality of service (QoS) and the user experience."

The purpose of this question is to determine the depth of your knowledge in edge computing and networking technologies. This is important if you are interfacing with clients who have committed to a cloud computing strategy but whose business model may not be well suited to this strategy. You can answer this question to demonstrate both your knowledge of the technology and your ability to upsell the company's clients on additional services.

"One of the unintended consequences of moving to a cloud computing strategy is the increase in network traffic which a company experiences. This not only drives up data transmission costs but also increases latency and impacts the quality of service (QoS). The result of this is often a reduced customer experience and possibly lower user productivity. The way to remediate this is to implement an 'edge computing' strategy, which involves placing some of the computing power, applications and data near the users. This will only be a subset of the overall IT assets of a company so they will still realize the benefits offered by cloud computing."

The way we approach clients in our business is we identify client needs and recommend solutions to their needs. Tell me about a time when your knowledge and expertise allowed you to make a recommendation to resolve a problem or address a pain point?

"I've been a firm believer that the customer is always our highest priority and that I need to be the eyes and ears of the customer. With that said, there some examples I can share that will hopefully resonate with you. I typically ask what solutions have been proposed in the past, and how they have worked. Are there metrics to track the success or failure of past efforts? Having data to review helps me understand the process and approach previously used. Knowing the team makeup, and what methodology they used will also give me a deeper insight into what they were thinking. I like to conduct a voice of the customer survey, which I believe adds tremendous value to this campaign. Lastly, it's important for me to analyze the cause & effect relationships from the customer surveys, because It reveals a lot of underlying issues like task failures, root cause problems, and how good or bad the data is."

The is a classic example of the hiring manager asking you to role play your response. The way it works is the hiring manager asks you to role play as the consultant, and he/she is the client who asks you to give them a pitch about why your company is a firm that they need to work with. There are a few ways to make this role play work in your favor. Here are a few examples you can use in a response. 1. Act as a problem solving adviser that can find and recommend solutions quickly, 2. Tell the client they have accessibility to you and other team members as needed, 3. Point out the benefits that they will get when they hire your company, 4. Share some examples of successes from companies of a similar industry, size or market.

"My recommendations would be based on what the customer wants and how well they articulated the deliverable. If, for example, the client wanted something that resembles a ketchup bottle, but the team delivered a salt shaker, that would indicate a miscommunication of what the client requested. My approach would be to closely dissect the customer requirements, then build a mock-up of what they requested, and have them review for approval before going to the next phase of development. After this phase is approved, I would do testing and debugging before presenting it to the customer. Mapping the customer journey is a visualization process a customer goes through and tracks each step along the way with the vendor, so everyone is on the same page."

A client of ours wants to discuss a possible divestiture of some of their company locations. What are some key points during a consulting discovery that you want to understand to determine if our firm can potentially assist them?

"When a client puts their full faith and trust in me, I feel honored. Performing a divestiture is a time-consuming task, and it takes a team of people to make this transaction happen. It starts with monitoring the portfolio to see which locations or business units are profitable, and which ones are ripe for a divestiture. As an IT consultant, I always look at the technology implications first, then the business drivers for perspective. Performing a divestiture comes with legal obligations and corporate valuations that need to be addressed as well."

This particular hiring manager is asking you to give a scenario where their client has approached them about a divestiture of some of their locations, and they want to make sure they make a sound business decision for this client without having negative consequences on their business. As a consultant to this client, they would be looking to you as a trusted advisor and consulting firm that can help them through this process. It's important to note that the interviewer wants to know what key points you plan to discuss to determine if they could be a client or not. Your answer should drill down into how you conduct a discovery call and how it relates to the impact it will have on their business after a possible divestiture. I advise highlighting your analytical skills and how you were able to come up with a few options for them to choose from will greatly improve your response.

"A divestiture is not easy, especially if it means a location is closing and people might lose their jobs. Several considerations need to be accounted for including severance, identifying who the new buyer of that location will be, and the possible benefits of divesting. Managing the transition does present a challenge, but I have extensive hands-on experience managing this process through its entirety. I've seen companies divest for many reasons, but it always comes back to the strategic focus of the company, and where they can be most profitable."

Have you worked on application development projects, if so what technologies have you used, and what was your specific role on those projects?

"I've worked on several client-side coding projects in my current role, and in past roles as well. My preference and strength is client-side coding, but it doesn't discount the fact that I'm equally as strong on server-side coding. Most recently, I'm leading a team of web developers on a few projects. On one of our projects, we're using HTML, JavaScript, Ajax, and jQuery frameworks development tools to develop an e-commerce web portal to sell our company products globally. I Incorporated Magento as the shopping cart solution to make it easy to order using a credit card or other online payment options."

Application development is a broad set of technologies, and it can apply to building applications using tools from several software brands. There are typically two categories of technologies within application development. The first is client-side scripting/coding using technologies such as HTML, JavaScript, jQuery, etc. The second is Server side scripting/coding using technologies such as PHP, ASP (Microsoft), Cold Fusion, Python, etc. The reason a hiring manager at NTT DATA would ask this question is to see which category you fall under. They want to know if you're qualified to do both. Most consultants who have spent considerable time consulting on application development projects should have a solid working knowledge of both. The hiring manager might also ask about the application development lifecycle which is now more geared toward web application development. Almost all applications nowadays will be developed for the web. When you answer these questions, make sure you understand what they are asking before giving a full explanation.

"Although I can work on both client-side and server-side, I'm mindful that web servers need to be addressed a little differently so both server-side and client-side can co-exist in harmony. As part of any development project, there are certain guidelines and standards that need to be followed to ensure the project is a success. My role is to be hands-on when it comes to identifying which web application frameworks to use for specific projects and to make sure the team is adhering to coding guidelines and standards like folder structure, file names, coding logic, file organization, classes and functions, and naming conventions. As with any development project, I do follow the web applications lifecycle model which covers; defining the application requirements, analysis, architecture design, team development, programming testing and bug fixing, and implementation."

How do you assess a clients' current technology systems and solutions?

"The first step that I take when assessing a clients' current technology is to poll the existing employees, asking them to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of their existing hardware and software. I ask them if the technology currently affects their workflow, and which issues they identify on a regular basis. Next, if the conclusion shows that a new system is needed, I put into consideration the financial resources of the client, as well as the available timeframe. Then, I consider the tech options, weighing the pros and cons of each. Is this similar to the processes in place at NTT DATA?"

Walk the interviewer through your process when it comes to discovering, and correctly assessing, the tech systems in place, when you take on a new client. Show that you have a process in place, are methodical, and use logic when making assessments.

"Step one is always to assess what is existing, and what is working just fine. This information usually comes from polling the current employees and spending a few days in their offices to try the tech in person. Then, I tap into the support services offered by the current tech providers. If a solution is not workable from there, I will create a list of the items we need to change and start researching the best viable options."

What is your opinion on why Blockchain has become so popular, and where do you see it in five years?

"I believe Blockchain will revolutionize our daily lives. In the next five years, I see it changing how we spend and transact. I see it in my workplace, and it's already making an impact on business, education, transportation, and healthcare. One example of its uses and presence that I've seen first-hand is in Healthcare. It provides a safe place to store information accessible by hospital administrators and patients, plus they don't have to store or carry physical paper documents since it' stored digitally on a Blockchain and accessible 24/7. My last company was a healthcare start-up and used a Blockchain app to let patients store their information on the Blockchain. My role with this company was to develop the app, while I created the infrastructure to provide a secure transaction environment. I was also responsible for mapping out a five-year growth plan to target other industries or markets we could expand into for continued growth."

Admittedly, Blockchain has many benefits. There's been a lot of chatter about start-ups using Blockchain because it allows them to reach a global audience without geographic restrictions. It's at a stage in its life where a lot of people see technology innovations with Blockchain in just about every industry out there. Researchers are also seeing benefits from a public Blockchain because they can access large amounts of public data.I recommend describing a situation where you were involved in introducing Blockchain to your company or advocating Blockchain as a networking solution to perhaps gain market share. Explain the tasks that were part of your responsibility like presenting a future-state schematic of what the Blockchain environment would look like, with benefits and outcomes that the company would see as a result of implementing this type of network.

"I believe Blockchain is here to stay. I think it provides a lot of value for both individuals and investors who conduct electronic financial transactions. Not only is it secure, but it has a centralized ledger system that provides transparency and verifiability which can give you piece of mind. In my experience working with Blockchain technologies, I've found that it improves security so that a business doesn't have to invest large amounts of money for additional hardware and software to keep their systems safe. It also comes with lots of benefits, like reliable security, cost savings, ability to do real-time transactions, immutability, and the option for user pseudonymity."

IT projects rely on teams and each other to succeed. Describe a scenario were you lead your team to a successful outcome?

"Teams respond in different ways based on how their manager leads. I found this to be true in many cases when I manage teams. I feel that effective collaboration and leveraging the appropriate resources is important to reach a goal or target. I strongly believe that building strong relationships with my team and stakeholders separates me from mediocre managers. Igniting a passion in my team has helped me show them that anything is possible when you work together as a team to achieve a successful outcome. It's not difficult to envision a goal if you nurture a belief in your team, and trust their capabilities. Case in point, I was tasked with creating and documenting a sequence of events for our IT Project Management team so that projects could be assigned more efficiently, and everyone from the project management team would get task notifications to complete before the next phase of a project could be assigned to another project manager. This resulted in projects starting and completing 40% faster, and with an established sequence in place, this was easy to follow and maintain for the department manager."

Here's a great opportunity to show the value and worth that you can bring to the organization. While you were managing a team, you can describe how you motivated and empowered your team so they could have ownership and accountability on the project. Your goals should be to illustrate how you recognized the team's achievements, and inspired them to work towards a successful outcome. Don't forget to provide examples of when you were able to meet deadlines, and overcome obstacles that might have delayed your project. Lastly, provide a purpose for the project, and how important their involvement is, and why it's important to have a successful outcome for the project.

"There was a particular instance where my team and I were assigned a project to re-write the functionality of a module from our enterprise software. Our goal was to develop new features in the manufacturing module so it could perform real-time data analytics and the plant manager could track inventory levels, and error rates in the production environment. I made sure that my team was well prepared and understood what needed to be done for this to be a success. This initiative resulted in timely reorders when stock was low, and it also reduced error rates by 70% which also resulted in cost savings to our bottom line."

Tell me about your greatest work related accomplishment.

"The greatest accomplishment in my career was graduating University as an honors student while still working full time in a related field. I was top of my class, and working full time. This showed me that I am able to dedicate myself to my career, and reach the goals that I set for myself. It felt great to accomplish so much and be recognized for my dedication."

Talking about your greatest accomplishment will give the interviewer a strong idea of where you place your values. It will also show the interviewer more about your personality, how you like to be motivated, and how to coach you in the future. It is okay to brag a little bit when answering this question. Show that you are proud of yourself and your career accomplishments!

"I have many accomplishments that I am very proud of. Overall, I would say that my greatest work accomplishment is the positive reputation that I have in this industry."

Since you are interviewing for a position in which you will make recommendations to customers about protecting their company's network, I'm curious about what you do to protect your own network at home.

"That's a great question and one I've never been asked before. I take my family's security as serious as I do that of the companies I work with. My home network has all the same security measures I recommend to my customers at work. These include a strong firewall, user authentication, access control, and frequent audits. I also upgrade my network hardware, such as routers and NICs periodically as new security features are released."

This is a 'trick' question which many applicants won't expect. You need to be prepared for this and should answer it honestly. If you do not protect your own home as you would a client's network, then suggest to the interviewer the main reason being is that you don't work from home.

"Funny you should say that. Many of the practices I recommend to secure a company's network I learned while setting up my personal network. These include using the latest versions of the network hardware and software with the most current virus protection, maintaining a strong firewall, and implementing strong user authentication, or passwords, which are updated frequently. I also monitor the network traffic on my home system to determine if any threats exist. To date, I have discovered many attacks on my system from sources around the world, but so far none of them have been successful at breaching my network."

Listening to our clients is absolutely essential to understanding their business and technology needs. Tell me about a time when you're listening skills helped exceed their expectations in the delivery of the project?

"I've worked with many clients at different levels of an organization, including executive level management personnel. Being a good listener is an absolute requirement, and getting the opportunity to collaborate with clients and help solve their problems is very rewarding for me. It's important for me to show clients that they are getting the highest value possible for their money. When I have conversations with clients, I sometimes find that they don't know what they don't know, and I find that this is a good base level start because you're starting from scratch and identifying problems as you walk through their environment from top to bottom. My basic qualifiers start with technology, and how they use it. Here's a basic outline of questions I posed. 1. What platform do you run your ERP or enterprise software? Windows, UNIX, Linux, etc.? The reason I ask this questions is after I find out what they are using, it's easier for me to suggest a software solution. After explaining the pros and cons of their current set up, I recommend a solution that will help solve their problem. 2. What database are you using to store your data? SQL Server, Oracle, Sybase, BD2, etc. The reason I ask this question is to see if they are up to date with current versions, and the capacity of data and where it resides. I also ask whether their data is On-Premise or in the Cloud. Depending on the responses, I would be able to make suggestions on efficient ways to work with that data."

It's easy for a client to overlook small details, that's why they hire IT Consultants so they can stay in the know. IT Consultants typically take a deeper dive into a clients operation from a technology and business perspective. One of the biggest reasons that clients look to IT consultants is to look at their organization from an outsider's point of view. Having a vantage point into client operations, and how they do things tells the client that another pair of eyes sees things they might have missed. It's important to recognize that a client is relying on your expertise to give them a perspective that an internal employee would normally not see. Some of the areas you might want to address with the client is how they run their operations, and even have them rate their current level of expertise with all their technologies. This will reveal a few things. One of the most important is where you need to navigate and lead the interview discussion. Asking questions like what do you like and dislike about your current operations. Offer up that you like the challenge of solving problems, and working in different types of environments, and perfecting your craft.

"My prior work has taught me that asking the right questions at the right time is very important. When I do discovery with a client, there are a number of questions that I ask to arrive at a few core problems they are facing. Let me give you an example of what I ask, and why. 1. Walk me through your current process, and highlight an area where you are experiencing pains and challenges? The reason I ask this is to build trust with the client, and get them to talk extensively about their problems, and how you can propose a solution. 2. Is it your belief that a software application will be able to solve these problems for you? I ask this question to see if they think they need a software solution, or is it just a process fix that can be achieved by process and productivity improvements, along with process re-engineering."

How do you see edge computing working alongside artificial intelligence, and the challenges it presents?

"Google, Amazon, Microsoft, and Apple have developed digital personal assistants to help you manage your life a little easier. You can ask these devices to turn on your car, toaster, oven, dishwasher, home security system, etc. All are forms of Artificial Intelligence. Given that AI, ML, and other technologies are new; there's still deeper learning required. I will say that from a large majority of people who know these technologies, I'm one of the few that knows them better than a majority of technologists in the market. My experience in this area allows me to be a subject matter expert at a pretty deep level. Interestingly enough, I've found that running most of these technologies presents latency problems because of bandwidth issues. Since the technologies take up so much data, they required a larger bandwidth to run these applications. To add to that, I was also able to solve the latency issue problem using Edge computing as a solution."

If you haven't heard the terms Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Internet of Things, Autonomous Vehicles and Bots, you will be hearing about them very soon. All these along with Edge computing have made technological advances that are and will be changing our lives in ways we never would have imagined. Many hiring managers who are familiar with these buzz words and technologies are probably in the infancy stages of developing projects and initiatives related to these technologies. They will be eager to ask you about what you know, and which one of these technologies you have worked with. Let's focus on Artificial Intelligence working alongside edge computing. If you have a device that supports Alexa, Siri, Echo or Cortana, you probably have an Artificial Intelligence technology that lets you make a command and receive an answer from a device. Some of those questions might ask what software you used to develop voice recognition or voice responses by sound wave, etc. These are the types of questions that the interviewer will be asking.

"At my last employer, I was part of a team that developed sensors for autonomous vehicles for a large Automotive Original Equipment Manufacturer; we used edge computing because of its strong bandwidth capabilities and stable architecture. I was assigned to monitor data from the autonomous vehicle so its algorithm could learn from driver habits and it could recommend more efficient driving practices to the driver. I was also able to connect the software from the autonomous vehicle with the manufacturer so that the car could get automatic updates to run flawlessly. The self driving car project is the ultimate example of edge computing in practice."

Do you consider yourself to be more creative or analytical minded?

"I lean more towards being creative minded; however, I am very capable of being analytically minded as well. I feel this greatly helps me with my management skills as I am a creative yet well organized leader."

Whether you consider yourself creative, or analytical - assure the interviewer that you are capable of providing both to the employer, if hired.

"I am more analytically minded; however, I do have a creative flair as well. The factors that make me analytically minded are my desire to get to the bottom of things. I am curious about process, and motives. I like to dig deeper than the surface of things."

Great communication skills are critical when working as an IT Consultant. Walk me through a time when you were successful in communicating with a person that was difficult to work with, and under difficult circumstances?

"I've worked with all types of personalities, and have found that a diplomatic approach has worked best for me. The first thing I address with the other person is the blame game. Learning why you are blamed gets you once step closer to resolving the problem. In this case the client was having issues meeting deadlines which caused other departments to also miss their deadlines. I immediately focused on a problem, how to solve it, and started by showing my willingness to get along and help get the project back on track."

Throughout corporate America, you'll find your garden variety of different personalities from strategic thinkers, passive aggressive profiles, and of course your ego maniacs. Dealing with difficult people is an art. There's a few ways you can learn to adapt to an environment, culture and difficult circumstances without compromising the success of the project. First, start with the common issues that a difficult person will present to you. He/she will likely try to take credit for the work you completed, or blame you for missing their deadlines. An easy way to handle this is to explain that even though they blamed you, you have no ill will towards them, and actually offered to help with their project so they could get caught up. Another approach is to summarize the issue, then explain that you communicated with the other person and spent time with them to solve the problem.

"It's extremely important to me to avoid getting upset or venting about the person who was difficult to work with. I had an instance where a client was rude, and verbally abusive, and didn't give me access to servers, and software that I needed to complete my work. I kept my cool and was polite the whole time. I demonstrated how they would see immediate results and a turn-around of their project if we could all work together and I could have access to certain files and folder to get my work done, and they agreed."

A client wants to implement a new software system that was recommended by a different division of the same company. How do you evaluate it to ensure it's the right choice?

"I've been in similar situations like this before, and have consulted clients on what needs to be considered before a new software implementation can take place. In a consulting engagement, a proper discovery and background must be conducted on the business. This step is absolutely critical. If you don't understand why the customer is asking you to evaluate new software for their business, you'll miss the most important part of why you are evaluating the software. My experience has shown that if you find the compelling event or pain point that's prompting them to look at a new system, you'll know if it's the right choice for them."

It's not uncommon for many corporations with multiple locations or divisions to have different computer systems and networks that don't necessarily talk to each other. They may share a few common systems that allow them to communicate with other locations or business units to conduct business as usual. Since companies that are decentralized have systems, networks, and/or software that could differ from other locations, hiring managers will ask how you will gather information, who you will talk to, the method you will use to evaluate the new software, and how you will arrive at a decision to recommend or not recommend the software. Giving an example or short checklist of what you will cover in the evaluation process will be important.

"There's a step-by-step process that I follow that yields great results when it comes to evaluating new software for a corporation or division. As mentioned earlier, a proper discovery of the business operations is critical. Let me walk you through the process I use as part of the discovery: 1. Have the client explain the need for the software and the problems they expect it to solve for them. 2. Ask if they have the technical expertise internally to maintain the software, or do they plan to outsource the maintenance for the software to an IT Consultant or firm. 3. Do an assessment of their current technology infrastructure to see if they can support this new software and if they need to purchase additional hardware to run the system. 4. Find out how many people would potentially need to be trained on the new software, starting with key personnel (Administrators/Power Users) managing the system. 5. Provide a comparison of similar software with similar features, benefits, along with a breakdown of pricing for each software solution, and what it will cost in the long run. 6. Ask when they want you to submit a report on your evaluation."

The most successful Real Estate agents are highly motivated. What motivates you?

"It does not take a lot to keep me motivated. If I work in a positive environment with a forward-thinking team, I am a very happy employee. If you see me going above and beyond, a quick thanks or a little token of recognition of my hard work is good enough for me."

Typically, employees find motivation in environments where they feel supported and encouraged. The interviewer wants to know how they could motivate you - even on the toughest of days! Be open with the interviewer about the ways you can stay motivated on the job, even when the going gets tough.

"I consider myself a self-motivated individual who is constantly striving to be better and do better. I draw inspiration from leaders in the industry and those around me to keep my motivation high."

NTT DATA Interview Questions

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1. Malicious Software, or Malware, has many meaning and connotations. What is your definition of Malware and how would you explain it to a client?
2. Many companies are new to the cloud computing environment. How do you brief them about what security aspects come with a cloud?
3. Name five popular platforms for developing Blockchain applications, and your experience with any of them?
4. What is the highest ROI percentage you have delivered to a client?
5. In Real Estate, timing is everything. How do you determine priorities when you have multiple projects due?
6. We're a company of innovative thinkers; we rely upon our innovative thinking to solve client problems. Tell me about a time when you came up with a breakthrough idea that was not obvious to others. Describe your idea and how you developed it?
7. What questions do you have for me about NTT DATA?
8. NTT DATA seeks to hire those with above average communication skills. Describe your communication style to me.
9. Describe a situation where a project you were managing failed. What did you learn about this failure, and were you able to salvage or turn it around?
10. At NTT DATA we deal with sensitive and confidential client information. Are you willing to complete a full background check?
11. At NTT DATA we seek to hire those with a passion for the IT industry. How do you stay up to date on industry changes and current events?
12. As I understand it, the network is the most vulnerable part of a company's IT infrastructure. What is your opinion of this and how would you define the threat and risk to a company in terms of network security?
13. Can you explain the impact edge computing has on a company's network and why this is important?
14. The way we approach clients in our business is we identify client needs and recommend solutions to their needs. Tell me about a time when your knowledge and expertise allowed you to make a recommendation to resolve a problem or address a pain point?
15. A client of ours wants to discuss a possible divestiture of some of their company locations. What are some key points during a consulting discovery that you want to understand to determine if our firm can potentially assist them?
16. Have you worked on application development projects, if so what technologies have you used, and what was your specific role on those projects?
17. How do you assess a clients' current technology systems and solutions?
18. What is your opinion on why Blockchain has become so popular, and where do you see it in five years?
19. IT projects rely on teams and each other to succeed. Describe a scenario were you lead your team to a successful outcome?
20. Tell me about your greatest work related accomplishment.
21. Since you are interviewing for a position in which you will make recommendations to customers about protecting their company's network, I'm curious about what you do to protect your own network at home.
22. Listening to our clients is absolutely essential to understanding their business and technology needs. Tell me about a time when you're listening skills helped exceed their expectations in the delivery of the project?
23. How do you see edge computing working alongside artificial intelligence, and the challenges it presents?
24. Do you consider yourself to be more creative or analytical minded?
25. Great communication skills are critical when working as an IT Consultant. Walk me through a time when you were successful in communicating with a person that was difficult to work with, and under difficult circumstances?
26. A client wants to implement a new software system that was recommended by a different division of the same company. How do you evaluate it to ensure it's the right choice?
27. The most successful Real Estate agents are highly motivated. What motivates you?

NTT DATA Interview Questions

1. Malicious Software, or Malware, has many meaning and connotations. What is your definition of Malware and how would you explain it to a client?

2. Many companies are new to the cloud computing environment. How do you brief them about what security aspects come with a cloud?

3. Name five popular platforms for developing Blockchain applications, and your experience with any of them?

4. What is the highest ROI percentage you have delivered to a client?

5. In Real Estate, timing is everything. How do you determine priorities when you have multiple projects due?

6. We're a company of innovative thinkers; we rely upon our innovative thinking to solve client problems. Tell me about a time when you came up with a breakthrough idea that was not obvious to others. Describe your idea and how you developed it?

7. What questions do you have for me about NTT DATA?

8. NTT DATA seeks to hire those with above average communication skills. Describe your communication style to me.

9. Describe a situation where a project you were managing failed. What did you learn about this failure, and were you able to salvage or turn it around?

10. At NTT DATA we deal with sensitive and confidential client information. Are you willing to complete a full background check?

11. At NTT DATA we seek to hire those with a passion for the IT industry. How do you stay up to date on industry changes and current events?

12. As I understand it, the network is the most vulnerable part of a company's IT infrastructure. What is your opinion of this and how would you define the threat and risk to a company in terms of network security?

13. Can you explain the impact edge computing has on a company's network and why this is important?

14. The way we approach clients in our business is we identify client needs and recommend solutions to their needs. Tell me about a time when your knowledge and expertise allowed you to make a recommendation to resolve a problem or address a pain point?

15. A client of ours wants to discuss a possible divestiture of some of their company locations. What are some key points during a consulting discovery that you want to understand to determine if our firm can potentially assist them?

16. Have you worked on application development projects, if so what technologies have you used, and what was your specific role on those projects?

17. How do you assess a clients' current technology systems and solutions?

18. What is your opinion on why Blockchain has become so popular, and where do you see it in five years?

19. IT projects rely on teams and each other to succeed. Describe a scenario were you lead your team to a successful outcome?

20. Tell me about your greatest work related accomplishment.

21. Since you are interviewing for a position in which you will make recommendations to customers about protecting their company's network, I'm curious about what you do to protect your own network at home.

22. Listening to our clients is absolutely essential to understanding their business and technology needs. Tell me about a time when you're listening skills helped exceed their expectations in the delivery of the project?

23. How do you see edge computing working alongside artificial intelligence, and the challenges it presents?

24. Do you consider yourself to be more creative or analytical minded?

25. Great communication skills are critical when working as an IT Consultant. Walk me through a time when you were successful in communicating with a person that was difficult to work with, and under difficult circumstances?

26. A client wants to implement a new software system that was recommended by a different division of the same company. How do you evaluate it to ensure it's the right choice?

27. The most successful Real Estate agents are highly motivated. What motivates you?