Alright, you’re prepping for your MSP tech interview, and you’re ready to show off your skills. But here’s the thing: the interview isn’t just for them to evaluate you—it’s for you to evaluate them. The last thing you want is to accept a job only to discover you’ve signed up for endless on-call shifts, zero career growth, and office snacks that expired in 2019. Here’s a set of questions to keep you sharp—and out of trouble.
1. How is technician performance evaluated, and what metrics matter most to your team?
Why it’s important: If the company only measures you by how fast you close tickets, it might mean they prioritize speed over quality. And nothing crushes your soul faster than being told to close tickets just to hit an arbitrary number while ignoring the real problem.
- Good Answer:
“We balance ticket volume, first-time resolution rates, and customer satisfaction scores. We also look at teamwork and initiative because we believe in a well-rounded approach.” - Bad Answer:
“We track tickets closed and… well, that’s it. Just close tickets and don’t ask questions.”
Translation: You’ll be buried in tickets and likely blamed for unresolved customer issues because nobody cares if you fix the root cause—as long as the ticket is gone.
2. What career growth or certification opportunities does the company support, and are they encouraged?
Why it’s important: If you don’t want to spend your entire career reinstalling printer drivers, you’ll want to know if this MSP values professional growth. Certification bonuses, mentorships, and internal promotions are good indicators the company has a roadmap for your career—rather than just a revolving door of techs.
- Good Answer:
“We reimburse certification costs and provide bonuses for passing exams. Plus, we do quarterly check-ins to help with career planning.” - Bad Answer:
“We don’t have anything formal in place, but if you want to get certified, go for it on your own time.”
Translation: The career ladder is made of spaghetti. You’re on your own, kid.
3. How does the team handle after-hours or on-call work, and how often does it happen?
Why it’s important: MSPs often have after-hours emergencies—it’s part of the gig. But if “after-hours” means “24/7 and we don’t believe in weekends,” you should know that going in. Ideally, the company has a reasonable rotation or some kind of compensation for being on-call. If not, you might be getting Slack messages at 2 AM asking you to fix a printer someone spilled coffee on.
- Good Answer:
“We have an on-call rotation so no one gets burned out, and we offer extra pay or time off to compensate.” - Bad Answer:
“Yeah… on-call happens whenever. No extra pay, but hey, it’s all part of the fun, right?”
Translation: Your social life is now a myth.
4. Can I speak with a current team member to get a sense of the work environment and team dynamics?
Why it’s important: Sure, the manager might say everything is rainbows and unicorns, but talking to someone on the ground will give you the real scoop. If the team is overworked, underpaid, or full of passive-aggressive group chats, you’ll find out from the people living it daily.
- Good Answer:
“Of course! I’ll introduce you to someone after the interview. It’s important you get a feel for the team.” - Bad Answer:
“We don’t usually do that. They’re… busy. And I mean really, really busy.”
Translation: The team is too busy drowning to come up for air and tell you how bad it really is.
5. Why is this position available? Is it a new role or a replacement, and what challenges come with it?
Why it’s important: Knowing why a position is open is like peeking under the hood of a used car—it gives you insight into what you’re really getting. If it’s a new role because of growth, great! If it’s a replacement because the last person rage-quit, that’s useful information too.
- Good Answer:
“It’s a new role. We’ve been growing quickly, and we need more help on the helpdesk. Scaling comes with challenges, but we’re focused on building a good team.” - Bad Answer:
“The last person left… suddenly. Not sure why. But hey, welcome aboard!”
Translation: You’re walking into a battlefield and nobody wants to tell you where the landmines are.
