February 19, 2009 at 7:59 am
Doc (2/19/2009)
Reading all this posts I'm not sure that I've done a good thing.I gave him a bunch of Q's with the answers,
I think he would learn more if he searched for the answers by himself 🙁
I recommend against posting interview questions and answers. You might go back and edit your answer to remove the answers. Damage is probably already done in this case, but at least it prevents future "interview cheats" from benefiting from it.
- Gus "GSquared", RSVP, OODA, MAP, NMVP, FAQ, SAT, SQL, DNA, RNA, UOI, IOU, AM, PM, AD, BC, BCE, USA, UN, CF, ROFL, LOL, ETC
Property of The Thread
"Nobody knows the age of the human race, but everyone agrees it's old enough to know better." - Anon
February 19, 2009 at 8:01 am
Roy Ernest (2/19/2009)
Doc (2/19/2009)
Reading all this posts I'm not sure that I've done a good thing.I gave him a bunch of Q's with the answers,
I think he would learn more if he searched for the answers by himself 🙁
ah, I wouldnt worry too much about it. If the interviewer has little knowledge, he/she will see right through him..:)
The problem with this is that a lot of companies, the reason they need a DBA is precisely because they don't have anyone who can screen the answers given in an interview. It's a bit of a Catch-22. You need a DBA because nobody in-house knows "DBA stuff", so how do you interview to screen technical knowledge?
- Gus "GSquared", RSVP, OODA, MAP, NMVP, FAQ, SAT, SQL, DNA, RNA, UOI, IOU, AM, PM, AD, BC, BCE, USA, UN, CF, ROFL, LOL, ETC
Property of The Thread
"Nobody knows the age of the human race, but everyone agrees it's old enough to know better." - Anon
February 19, 2009 at 8:02 am
Lynn Pettis (2/19/2009)
Talking about interviewing, I would love to be in the same place at the same time as Jeff, Gail, Grant, Gus, Matt, and Jack and have a mock interview with all of them, with me as the interviewee. I know I'd come up short, but would definitely learn something from the experience.
I know none of you have the time, but that would be one powerful training team. http://www.trainyourdbas.com, the group does consulting work and brings your enterprise up to speed . . .
---------------------------------------------------------
How best to post your question[/url]
How to post performance problems[/url]
Tally Table:What it is and how it replaces a loop[/url]
"stewsterl 80804 (10/16/2009)I guess when you stop and try to understand the solution provided you not only learn, but save yourself some headaches when you need to make any slight changes."
February 19, 2009 at 8:03 am
GSquared (2/19/2009)
Roy Ernest (2/19/2009)
Max, I barely give good suggestions:ermm:My knowledge is not soo high. But I try to learn from the mistakes I make when someone corrects me or give a better Suggestion.
Yesterday it happened. OP wanted to know if there was any way that she could Audit SP changes, So I gave her the DDL Trigger option. Yea, it works, but GSquared came with a better idea. use the Default Trace. So I learnt. So I am thankful and also embarrassed when I make stupid comments... 😛
On that particular point, keep in mind that the default trace will usually only have a couple of days data in it. If you want to keep a longer record than that, you either have to back up the trace files, or use DDL triggers.
Yes, After you gave the suggestion to the OP, I searched for the Default trace and found out the details. 🙂 Black Box trace.
-Roy
February 19, 2009 at 8:07 am
GSquared (2/19/2009)
Personally though, I would rather have a smart, motivated person with very little knowledge but the ability and eagerness to learn, than a moderately knowledgeable person with no willingness to learn.
Depends what I'm interviewing for. If I'm interviewing someone for a senior position where they are expected to pull their weight immediately then a certain level of knowledge is required. A junior, not so much. But then, I don't consider willingness to learn to be a 'nice to have'. One thing I will always ask in an interview - "What SQL-related blogs, forums or magazines do you read? Have you read any SQL reference books recently?"
Gail Shaw
Microsoft Certified Master: SQL Server, MVP, M.Sc (Comp Sci)
SQL In The Wild: Discussions on DB performance with occasional diversions into recoverability
February 19, 2009 at 8:12 am
Lynn Pettis (2/19/2009)
Talking about interviewing, I would love to be in the same place at the same time as Jeff, Gail, Grant, Gus, Matt, and Jack and have a mock interview with all of them, with me as the interviewee.
PASS this year? As a round robin, so each person gets a chance to be interviewee?
Could be entertaining.
Gail Shaw
Microsoft Certified Master: SQL Server, MVP, M.Sc (Comp Sci)
SQL In The Wild: Discussions on DB performance with occasional diversions into recoverability
February 19, 2009 at 8:13 am
GilaMonster (2/19/2009)
Depends what I'm interviewing for. If I'm interviewing someone for a senior position where they are expected to pull their weight immediately then a certain level of knowledge is required. A junior, not so much. But then, I don't consider willingness to learn to be a 'nice to have'. One thing I will always ask in an interview - "What SQL-related blogs, forums or magazines do you read? Have you read any SQL reference books recently?"
I ask questions like that as well (assuming they've answered the basic questions). It's important to know how, or even if, people learn about new tasks or deal with problematic issues.
"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:
SQL Server Execution Plans
SQL Server Query Performance Tuning
February 19, 2009 at 8:22 am
GilaMonster (2/19/2009)
Lynn Pettis (2/19/2009)
Talking about interviewing, I would love to be in the same place at the same time as Jeff, Gail, Grant, Gus, Matt, and Jack and have a mock interview with all of them, with me as the interviewee.PASS this year? As a round robin, so each person gets a chance to be interviewee?
Could be entertaining.
We would have to video tape it & post it. If for no other reason, posers could keep a picture of the scariest of the interviewers in their wallet. When they walked into an interview, saw Jeff waiting for them and a pork chop launcher partially hidden in the corner, they could leave quietly and quickly.
"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:
SQL Server Execution Plans
SQL Server Query Performance Tuning
February 19, 2009 at 8:24 am
GilaMonster (2/19/2009)
GSquared (2/19/2009)
Personally though, I would rather have a smart, motivated person with very little knowledge but the ability and eagerness to learn, than a moderately knowledgeable person with no willingness to learn.Depends what I'm interviewing for. If I'm interviewing someone for a senior position where they are expected to pull their weight immediately then a certain level of knowledge is required. A junior, not so much. But then, I don't consider willingness to learn to be a 'nice to have'. One thing I will always ask in an interview - "What SQL-related blogs, forums or magazines do you read? Have you read any SQL reference books recently?"
Agreed on both points. There are times when you can't afford the lag in gaining skills and have to hope that someone is available who can already do what you need.
- Gus "GSquared", RSVP, OODA, MAP, NMVP, FAQ, SAT, SQL, DNA, RNA, UOI, IOU, AM, PM, AD, BC, BCE, USA, UN, CF, ROFL, LOL, ETC
Property of The Thread
"Nobody knows the age of the human race, but everyone agrees it's old enough to know better." - Anon
February 19, 2009 at 8:25 am
Interview questions...
WHAT is your name?
(your name)
WHAT is your quest?
To master SQL!!
WHAT is the average run time of a RBAR query?
What do you mean, interviewer? Cursor or set-based?
WHAT? I... I don't know that!
Blame the lack of coffee (I don't drink the stuff) or whatever, but this is what popped into mind at the thought of the above mentioned interview.
[edit to fix the format]
-- Kit
February 19, 2009 at 8:31 am
The problem with this is that a lot of companies, the reason they need a DBA is precisely because they don't have anyone who can screen the answers given in an interview. It's a bit of a Catch-22. You need a DBA because nobody in-house knows "DBA stuff", so how do you interview to screen technical knowledge?
This is where professional standards/certification is the answer. You know when you hire an attorney or CPA that they had at least the minimum skills necessary to pass a tough professional examination. Some will always be better than others, but most of the pretenders have already been weeded out.
Just years of experience isn't the answer. Some people have one year of experience repeated 10 times. People progress at different rates. Some of you are into martial arts. Should there be a ranking system? Having on a resume that says you have two years experience and are ranked as brown belt in SQL development, but only a green belt in DBA.
__________________________________________________
Against stupidity the gods themselves contend in vain. -- Friedrich Schiller
Stop, children, what's that sound? Everybody look what's going down. -- Stephen Stills
February 19, 2009 at 8:32 am
GilaMonster (2/19/2009)
Lynn Pettis (2/19/2009)
Talking about interviewing, I would love to be in the same place at the same time as Jeff, Gail, Grant, Gus, Matt, and Jack and have a mock interview with all of them, with me as the interviewee.PASS this year? As a round robin, so each person gets a chance to be interviewee?
Could be entertaining.
Oooooohhhhhhh! That would be worth the price of admission all by itself. We'd have to work out posting the video as a podcast or some such.
If we include Steve, would he have have to wear a suit for the interview, or would we insist on the t-shirt? http://www.sqlservercentral.com/articles/Editorial/65140 Or would he moderate the interviews as opposed to participate in them?
- Gus "GSquared", RSVP, OODA, MAP, NMVP, FAQ, SAT, SQL, DNA, RNA, UOI, IOU, AM, PM, AD, BC, BCE, USA, UN, CF, ROFL, LOL, ETC
Property of The Thread
"Nobody knows the age of the human race, but everyone agrees it's old enough to know better." - Anon
February 19, 2009 at 8:34 am
Kit G (2/19/2009)
Interview questions...WHAT is your name?
(your name)
WHAT is your quest?
To master SQL!!
WHAT is the average run time of a RBAR query?
What do you mean, interviewer? Cursor or set-based?
WHAT? I... I don't know that!
Blame the lack of coffee (I don't drink the stuff) or whatever, but this is what popped into mind at the thought of the above mentioned interview.
[edit to fix the format]
Shouldn't that be: What do you mean, interviewer? Cursor or triangular join?
LOLed nontheless!
- Gus "GSquared", RSVP, OODA, MAP, NMVP, FAQ, SAT, SQL, DNA, RNA, UOI, IOU, AM, PM, AD, BC, BCE, USA, UN, CF, ROFL, LOL, ETC
Property of The Thread
"Nobody knows the age of the human race, but everyone agrees it's old enough to know better." - Anon
February 19, 2009 at 8:36 am
Good one, Kit.
"I'm telling you that query is a KILLER.... look at the BONES, man!!"
__________________________________________________
Against stupidity the gods themselves contend in vain. -- Friedrich Schiller
Stop, children, what's that sound? Everybody look what's going down. -- Stephen Stills
February 19, 2009 at 8:42 am
"What about the Holy Tally Table?"
"Yes, the Holy Tally Table! It's one of the relics carried by Brother Moden!"
"Bring forth the Holy Tally Table!"
"How do I use it?"
"I know not, my liege."
"Consult the book of Server Central!"
"Book of Server Central, Chapter I, Versus XII through XV..."
- Gus "GSquared", RSVP, OODA, MAP, NMVP, FAQ, SAT, SQL, DNA, RNA, UOI, IOU, AM, PM, AD, BC, BCE, USA, UN, CF, ROFL, LOL, ETC
Property of The Thread
"Nobody knows the age of the human race, but everyone agrees it's old enough to know better." - Anon
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