How Can You Lose a Job?
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This is probably worth treatment in an article, and I'll hit some of it in my retention series, but since someone mentioned it recently, I thought I should make a few notes. Granted this is mostly for interview time, but these are some things that will most likely ensure you don't get a job.
- Rag on or complain a lot about your former manager - This one is one that always throws up red flags when I interview. If this guy complains a lot about the last job, I'm wary of him working for me.
- In line with the first one, explaining how you "got back at someone" at a previous job - Practical jokes, tricks, etc. are best left out of interviews.
- Being afraid to say "I don't know" - Everyone wants to ace an interview, but there will be times you don't know. Making something up for the sake of an answer usually ends up making you look stupid. It's rare I see an interviewer ask questions to they don't know the answer.
- Ignoring the interviewer - I see this sometimes, usually because the candidate isn't paying attention and doesn't answer the question asked. This annoys most people I know to no end.
- Getting angry - Usually when someone doesn't know an answer, or thinks they aren't doing well, I see them get defensive, antagonistic and angry. Complaining or arguing to prove a point. Very few geeks I know appreciate this. Keep your temper in check and allow the interviewer to always be right, even if he or she isn't.
- Lying on your resume - Face it, everyone embellishes their resume, but stretching the truth is different from outright lying. If you say you have built something in C#, be sure you can answer questions about C#. I have C and C++ on my resume and I have written small apps in these languages. If someone asks, however, I'm immediately telling them it was a long time ago and beyond short utilities, I'm not a C programmer.
- Being unfriendly - I've always been stunned when I encounter this, but someone who isn't friend;y and trying to sell themselves in an interview will not fit in around me. Relax and enjoy the interview. Show the interviewer that you are someone that would be welcome at Happy Hour.
There's more, but that's all I'll put down for now. And I'm sure you've got some good suggestions as well. Drop them in the forum for this editorial.
Steve Jones
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Some of these certainly bring back some not-so-wonderful memories of interviews I've conducted in the past...
Obviously, lots of "stretching the truth", but I've also encountered weird variants of this.
Recently I was asked by my employer to interview a candidate for a software engineer position -- this candidate was not expected to be an ace in SQL Server. My manager introduced me as "our SQL Server guru" and left me with the candidate. The first question I asked was how good his SQL Server skills were, on a scale of 1 to 10. Now, whether or not I'm really that much of a guru, I had been introduced as the SQL Server person, so I'd expect the candidate to answer truthfully, knowing that I could probably determine his actual skill level with a few questions. Instead, he immediately responded, "10 out of 10". Note, I would never personally respond 10 out of 10 to that question. I leave that to the Ken Hendersons and Kimberly Tripps of the world.
Anyway, I have a standard SQL Server DBA interview I do, and a (much easier) interview for software engineers who need to know a little bit of SQL. I started the latter, and the candidate failed the first three questions -- off of which the rest of the interview builds. I was out of the room in under 5 minutes. Really sad... Had he been honest--or perhaps acknowledged his own skill level--I would have been much more foregiving.
I've also encountered plenty of belligerent candidates, one of whom actually stood up and made a fist at me when I questioned whether he was sure about one of his answers. Uhh, yeah, you just lost the job.
There's a reason certain people aren't working...
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Adam Machanic
whoisactive -
Never been threatened, but I have been argued with more than I'd feel comfortable doing.
I had someone take issue with the "Happy Hour" comment and I can understand that. Not everyone wants to, nor should they feel pressure to go to a Happy Hour and drink. Two things with that.
First, the comment was more of a "you should be someone that others like and would associate with out of work. Teams of any sort, sports, public service, etc., spend some time out of work with each other socially. So I'd hope that a new hire was someone that would be invited.
Second, if you don't feel comfortable with Happy Hour , suggest something else. Let's go get some coffee, let's each lunch together, play softball, etc.
Many years ago when I was interviewing with a bank out of college, the gentleman interviewing me told me that he had two important tests for candidates. The first is the beer test, is this someone I would have a beer with after work? The second is the Cross Country test, is this someone I would drive cross country with.
I've applied those tests to people I've interviewed. And to those that interview me. If both aren't satisfied, it's not a good fit.
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I don't know about that Cross Country test, Steve.
Getting a beer is one thing. That's an hour or two of chatting, at a bar or other public place.
Cross Country drive is three days trapped together in a car. I don't think I'd want to do that with most people I work with, and on some days I wouldn't even want to do that with my wife
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Adam Machanic
whoisactive -
Honeslty I have had very painful experiences being on the interviewee side of the table!
Questions like
"how good your SQL Server skills are, on a scale of 1 to 10" ?
are in my opinion unfair!
Think about it for a minute if you say too high a number you can immediately be thought as irrespectful or a lier and if you said too low you probably don't offer any value; now if you answer middle term you are a mediocre
or you are just pleasing the interviewer. In the end you have nothing to win and everything to loose with that question!!!Occations like Happy Hour are also in a very thin line. What if you don't want to share a beer with someone that you don't know? is that going to cost you a Job?
In many occassions interviewers assume personal positions that not neccessarily are helping the interviewee and that person is at a disadvantage you like it or not!
* Noel -
It depends on the position you're applying for, and whether you can back it up!
If, as this person was, you were applying for a mid-level VB developer job, which didn't even have SQL Server mentioned on the job description (but did have ADO), then you can--and should--give an honest number even if it's low.
If you're applying for a Senior DBA spot, you should probably be on the high end, and you should probably have enough self-confidence to rate yourself on the high end. I don't want a Senior DBA who doesn't trust his or her own judgement in an emergency.
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Adam Machanic
whoisactive -
Adam, just answer me two questions:
How long have you been working with SQL Server?
Do you consider yourself experienced with it?
* Noel -
6 years. Yes. Why?
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Adam Machanic
whoisactive -
Simple, a person like you "experienced", is already leaving #10 for Henderson and Tripp and if you get to know more people better than them are you going to send them to #9 ?
Don't get me wrong I believe an interview should be a both ways conversation but I would never dare with the most confidence in the world to give myself a 9 ... or an 8 for that matter because those numbers are relative to who you know and irrelevant for the interviewer. But hey that's just my opinion ... and by the way I would go for the beer if I was the interviewee, I just don't do it when I am the interviewer
* Noel -
Well if the candidate had replied, "that number is meaningless because..." as you just did, that would have been a great answer as well! Just because I ask for a rating on a scale doesn't mean you have to do exactly that
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Adam Machanic
whoisactive -
If you say so I've got to believe you - "stood up and made a fist".. ..recently returned from a cross country with spouse mayhap?!?!
As for someone getting miffed about "Happy Hour" - maybe his glass was half-empty ?!
When I first read this post I skimmed over it because all the points that were made seemed to be so patently obvious that my immediate response was - "there're people who need to be told this....?!?!" But obviously it takes all kinds - lucky I haven't bumped into most of them...
In the words of sswords - "it's almost beer-thirty"...and a Friday evening to boot - this then is about as good (& happy) as it gets....
**ASCII stupid question, get a stupid ANSI !!!** -
I think rating yourself is a fair exercise. I'd rate myself a 9 in some areas of SQL Server, a 4 or 5 in others. Overall, probably an 8 and some of that is 14 years with SQL Server.
I have C on my resume. I'd rate myself a 3 or 4 and happy to tell anyone that asks.
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I want to know if Adam would hire me if I brought my DVD's of the Muppets First Season into the interview.
"Sprinkle 'da fluer... sprinkle 'ds fluer..." (Love your Profile Picture...).
I wasn't born stupid - I had to study.
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"Sprinkle da data..."
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Adam Machanic
whoisactive -
Notice Farrell - how he carefully (& cleverly) skirts the issue of hiring... maybe some beurre is required to pave the way...?!?!
**ASCII stupid question, get a stupid ANSI !!!**
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