possible Q&A for city of ontario Administrative Intern - Information Technology and Cybersecurity internship position

What do you know about the City of Ontario’s IT Agency?

I know the IT Agency supports every city department by keeping the technology secure, reliable, and up to date. They focus on protecting data, maintaining the city’s operations, and using things like AI and data tools to make services run smoother. Overall, the IT Agency’s goal is to make the technology experience easy and efficient for both staff and the community of Ontario

Why do you want this position?

I want hands-on experience in IT and cybersecurity, especially in a public-sector and work environment where the work directly impacts the community. I like that the city’s IT Agency focuses on reliable service, creativity, innovation, and strong customer support. I think this is definitely a great place to apply what I’ve learned in my college classes, grow new skills, and learn more from experienced professionals.

Tell us about a project you enjoyed working on.

I led my team in the Ontario Airport Parking Lot Challenge, where we analyzed parking data to find ways the airport could improve utilization and revenue. We looked at past data, parking prices, and which lots were underutilized. I guided the team in creating ideas like dynamic pricing. We made it to the finalist round, and it was a great experience that strengthened my leadership, data analysis, and presentation skills.

Describe a time you helped someone with a technical issue.

As an ISA, I regularly helped students troubleshoot SQL errors or database issues for their projects. I learned how to stay patient, break problems down step-by-step, and explain ideas in a more simple way. That work experience really taught me how to communicate clearly and stay calm when someone is frustrated.

How would you handle a frustrated user?

First I would stay calm and listen to the user. I’d would try to reassure them that I’m here to help and then walk them through what we can try step-by-step to fix the problem. My tutoring experience taught me how to be patient and help people who feel stuck or overwhelmed.

How do you work in a team environment?

I do like to lead and I am very collaborative and like to keep communication clear. Whether it was my CIS 3050 team for the database design project, my data analytics team, or my CIS 4670 capstone team, I like to make sure everyone knows their part, share their ideas openly, and help where I can.

Are you willing to learn new tools and technologies?

Definitely, learning new things is really important to me. It’s why I pursued different certifications and why I’m excited for my marketing consulting courses next semester where I’ll learn new things like SPSS and R. And I’m always looking to grow my skills and learn new things.

What is your strengths and weaknesses?

I am a very detail-oriented and organized person. Whether it’s tax filings, SQL queries, grading assignments or completing group assignments, I always make sure everything is accurate and documented.

Instead of a weakness, I would say that this is an area of opportunity. An area of opportunity I’ve been managing is over-explaining. As an instructional student assistant, I realized that I gave more detail than necessary when helping students to make sure that they understand. I’ve worked on this by just starting with the main point, then giving more detail only if it’s asked. And this has definitely allowed me to be more concise and clear in my communication.

Where do you see yourself in the future?

In the short term, I’m looking to get hands-on experience through this internship which is by applying what I’ve learned in my college courses and building my skills in a real-world environment.

In my experience, I like to be the leader in group environments. So in the long term, I’d love to grow within the IT Agency for the city of Ontario and eventually take on a leadership position where I can help manage and support a team, and mentor others.