IT services interview: the double interview, the bench and the end client
· 7 min read
The peculiarity of the IT services model is simple yet poorly understood: being hired is not enough to work. You then have to be accepted by a client. That means two interviews, two audiences and two different pitches.
Why are there two interviews for one role?
The first, with the firm, assesses general employability: technical base, behaviour, flexibility, coherence of your path. The second, with the end client, assesses your fit for a precise need, often with a given technology and context. You can pass the first and fail the second without it calling your hiring into question — but you then sit without an assignment.
What is the bench and should you fear it?
It is the period during which you are employed without being assigned. It is paid and it is part of the model. It deserves a direct question in the interview: how long does it typically last, how is it filled, is training genuinely organised. A company that answers precisely tells you a lot; one that dodges tells you just as much.
How do you adapt your pitch for the end client?
- With the firm, talk about your trajectory and adaptability: that is what makes you placeable across several assignments.
- With the client, talk only about the need they expressed: they are not hiring a career, they are filling a seat.
- Do not mention to the client your wish to switch technology within a year, even if true — tell your firm, which will factor it into the next assignment.
- Prepare concrete examples in THEIR technology, not in the one you prefer.
What should you prepare for the technical part?
The fundamentals of your speciality, and the ability to explain a choice. Client interviews usually involve a technical conversation led by a future colleague rather than a formal exam. Complex algorithms are rarely tested: what is tested is whether you know what you are talking about and whether you will be pleasant to work beside for six months. Our articles on the developer technical test and the Capgemini interview complete this point.
What questions should you ask before signing?
Three, and they are legitimate: what is the average assignment length, what happens if an assignment stops abruptly, and how does pay evolve between assignments. Those answers shape your actual experience far more than the job title. See questions to ask the recruiter and negotiating your salary.
In an IT services firm, your employer hires you once. Your clients hire you at every assignment.
Finally, prepare a short reusable introduction of your background: you will repeat it for every new client. See building a compelling pitch.