April 3, 2017 at 6:49 pm
All, I know this is probably (definitely) a wrong form to be asking this but I have couple of questions and I am wondering if I can get some help. I have had interviews in the past but I tend to get nervous when people ask me about the company. Questions that confuse me are mostly about "what can you tell us about our company and why you want to work here?" I mean what exactly they are looking for? what if its law firm? How people usually answer? What is the best way? What sort of follow up questions I should ask if the person has no DB related background? Please advise?
April 3, 2017 at 7:23 pm
Well, let's be honest. In most cases, people intend to move jobs, for better money and circumstances.
If the company you apply to is one of interest, even better.
If you really want to shine, do research on the company before your interview, see if they explore or invest in areas that interest you, leverage of it and explain to the interview panel why you would like to be part of their organization, because xyz.
When companies interview, they want to get the feeling, you're not just after their money, but also to be part of their team, and a good fit in general. Showing interest in your employer and their operations before even getting the job, will go a long way.
Remember, the best in the industry might not be what they want, if you can't be part of their culture.
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This thing is addressing problems that dont exist. Its solution-ism at its worst. We are dumbing down machines that are inherently superior. - Gilfoyle
April 4, 2017 at 3:11 am
I haven't had to interview for quite a while, but prior to showing up for an interview at Company X, I'd go by their web site. What do they do? Is it different from where you work currently? What's unique about them, if anything? Does the industry they're in have a particular set of data problems that are interesting? Are they international or local?
All this is information you should have in your head. Not memorized, but just a quick glance through. Then, ask a few questions about it. "Hey, I was reading that the industry you're in has a real problem with analyzing data x. How are you dealing with it here?" Stuff like that.
The single worst thing you could tell me in an interview is "It's all 1s & 0s. I don't care what the company does." We'd be done. You'd be out. You don't need to be knowledgeable of the company or the industry. You do need to be interested as well as willing and ready to learn. Understanding the company and the industry it's working within does make a big difference in the choices you'll make as a responsible data professional.
"The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood"
- Theodore Roosevelt
Author of:
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SQL Server Query Performance Tuning
April 4, 2017 at 3:29 am
What is important to you? Do you want your employer to have a purpose? Perhaps you care or find motivation in what the company does. Maybe the company pays well, or is close to your residence. Maybe you are excited by the challenge of a large or diverse environment.
I'd question myself in what I wanted to work in a place. Often I just need a job, but there are things that matter. On call, hours, travel, location, benefits, a variety of factors matter, so I quiz companies on those things. There isn't any wrong or right answer from my point of view, but it's often a blend of reasons.
Typically for me, the DBA job is the job. Or a corporate developer job is a job. They're really the same, so the people, the hours, the location, those things matter more to me.
Ultimately I try to ensure there is a good fit. I don't want a 500TB database to manage, nor do I want constant firerighting as a developer because of poor code. Your list may vary, and you may accept requirements for one job depending on your financial (or other) situation. Just examine what matters to you.
April 4, 2017 at 3:44 am
Make sure that when they ask the "what do you know about our company" question (and they will), you can talk for 30 seconds, say, about the company. Stuff like when was it formed, what does it do, what is its turnover, who are its main competitors. As for why you want to work there, that's more difficult for me to tell you. Find something about what they do that excites you or matches your skill set, and talk enthusiastically (but not too effusively) about that.
I often find that by the time I've finished telling an interviewer what I know about the company, he or she has interrupted and started telling me lots of stuff about the company!
John
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