About Interview
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I do not know how many of you have experienced awful interviews. But I did. I remember one time I got a call from an HR person of the company I applied for a DBA position. She started with some ice-breaking greetings and then she started to ask me questions like "Why do you want to be a DBA?", "What do you see yourself in 5 years?", "What are your top 3 weakness?", "Why do you want to choose a technical career instead of a managerial one?", Bombarded with all of such kind of questions, I seemed stupid in answering these questions. I just do not understand why the question "Why do you want to be a DBA" has anything to do with the position (a DBA position) I applied for, and honestly, I have never thought of the answer before. I chose to be a DBA just because at that time (10 years ago) we need some one to take care of those Foxpro and Access "databases", and naturally when the application was upgraded to SQL Server 6.5, I was the most suitable canadidate, and since then I have been working in this field. As for the top 3 weakness, I must say I do not know how to distinguish top weakness from the bottom ones.
Personally, I never enjoy an interview from an HR people, because they are trained somewhat the same way in HR industry, and the result is all canadidates learn to answer those questions in the deemed "proper" way (by training or learning of course) which to me definitely kill the personal characteristics more often than not.
On the other hand, I like to be interviewed by a peer DBA or technical people, who never ask questions such as "why do you want to be a DBA?". How do you folks deal with HR people for interview? or is it absolutely necessary for a HR person to get involved to interview a senior IT person?
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For most companies, the HR interview is the first line of defense. The questions asked are typically used to determine the following:
1) Your motivation for their position or your career path.
2) Your ability to communicate ideas clearly
3) How do you deal with abstract questions/thinking
4) Do you appear to be a team player or loner.
5) etc., etc., etc.
Most HR managers have a good feel for the positions overall requirements as they relate to people skills, communication and overall corporate values. If you keep these ideas in mind, you will be able to respond satisfactorly and get to move on to the next round.
Good luck!
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My husband once showed up at the interview and the company gave him paper test and a pen to answer and his response... good bye and don't call me back.
The worse interviewed was to have someone read line by line from a list of questions say about 100 questions and expect you to answer. again i politely answer their question and won't want to work for them even if they call me.
I like the freestyle where of peer to peer interview that way I can try to get to know them such as their current project scope and what they need help (me) to work on and if it going to be a fit on what they are looking for. It also gives me a chance to see the group personality and their management style. I got to like my new manager and the new team enough to make a move.
mom
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I suppose this really is a question of non-technical HR people being tasked with screening technical applicants which they're really not qualified to do. But if you like the company and you want the position, you've really no choice but to insert your quarter and play along. LOL...Yeah, the "Where do you see yourself in 5 years" one always gets me.
But I think they learn this in HR 101 from a 30 year old text book and they always feel obliged to ask it. In my last interview, I had to meet with about 7 managers in addition to the one I wanted to work for. Then finally after a grueling day, I had one last interview scheduled with the VP/CIO. After I sat down in her office, the first thing she asked was "So, what did you learn today?" That took me a bit by surprise, but I must have answered her well because I wound up getting the position. I guess what I took away from that whole experience was, stay calm, remain confident in your abilities and experience, and always expect the unexpected.
Like it or not, in most companies HR people have a lot of power and you're almost always better off having them as your advocate rather than your adversary. Like I said, play along, answer their questions to the best of your ability (even when you feel like busting out laughing), and do your utmost to give a good first impression. That way, your resume has a much better chance of eventually making it to the desk of the person that you really want to interview with. At least that's how I see it.
My hovercraft is full of eels.
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